March Madness Sweet Sixteen Basketball
(5) Michigan State (26-8) vs. (9) Northern Iowa (30-4)
The breakdown: Michigan State advanced to the Sweet 16 behind a buzzer beater over 4 seed Maryland, while Northern Iowa stunned the nation and busted everybody’s brackets with a win over 1 seed Kansas. Now, Michigan State is a 1.5 point favorite.
Why Michigan State will win: Michigan State coach Tom Izzo has been here before. In fact, he has been here eight times since 1995 with the Spartans. He knows what is needed to survive and advance into the Elite Eight, as he has done six times. In eight Sweet 16 games, Izzo’s teams are 6-2.
Why Northern Iowa will win: Northern Iowa beat both UNLV and Kansas as underdogs, employing the same strategy both times: slow down the pace of the game, reduce the other team’s number of possessions, and always keep the game within striking distance. If it worked for the Panthers to beat Kansas, it will work again for Northern Iowa to top a beat up Michigan State team.
Pick: Michigan State by 2.
