2024 NCAA Tournament: Michigan State’s opening win sets up potential showdown with No. 1 seed North Carolina | Only Sports And Health

The stage is set for a potential blockbuster second-round NCAA Tournament game between No. 1 seed North Carolina and No. 9 seed Michigan State after the Spartans opened with a 69-51 victory over No. 8 seed Mississippi State on Thursday. The Tar Heels must beat No. 16 seed Wagner in the afternoon to set up a clash of marquee brands on Saturday.

Tyson Walker led Michigan State with 19 points as the Spartans shot 50% from the floor against a strong Bulldogs defense. Jaden Akins and Malik Hall also reached double figures for the Spartans, who are making their 26th straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

The Spartans held the Bulldogs to just 37% shooting and scored 29 points off turnovers in one of their strongest overall performances of recent weeks after losing five of seven games entering the Big Dance.

North Carolina would have a significant home-court advantage for the matchup in Charlotte, North Carolina, but nothing comes easy this time of year against the Spartans. Thursday’s win marked Michigan State’s 20th NCAA Tournament victory in a game when it was the lower-seeded team. That’s an all-time record, and 17 of those victories have come under coach Tom Izzo. The tally includes a win over No. 2 seed Marquette in last year’s second round as a No. 7 seed. Knocking off UNC as a No. 9 seed would mark an even weightier accomplishment, but the Spartans aren’t your typical No. 9 seed. 

Why UNC should fear Michigan State

Beyond the program’s illustrious NCAA Tournament history under Izzo, there are other reasons to fear Michigan State. The Spartans are one of few teams in this bracket that can go toe-to-toe with UNC in terms of experience and continuity among key players.

Michigan State began the season ranked No. 4 in the AP Top 25 after returning most significant contributors from last season’s Sweet 16 run. The Spartans haven’t been consistent enough offensively to reach those expectations, but they have shown their potential in wins over teams like Baylor and Illinois, both of which are No. 3 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.

With three senior starters, including Walker, the team’s leading scorer, the Spartans have the maturity to handle the national spotlight that will come with a second-round showdown against North Carolina. Walker scored 23 in last year’s second-round victory over Marquette and turned in a strong opening performance this year by making 7 of 12 shots against Mississippi State.