You can't advance in the tournament if you don't win the first game, and Michigan State did just that as the Spartans dispatched of the USC Trojans by a score of 72-62. MSU now advances to take on the 2 seed Marquette Golden Eagles, the winners of the Big East regular season and conference tournament. The Golden Eagles won their first round game against the 15 seed Vermont Catamounts by a score of 78-61. The Spartans and the Golden Eagles will now face off on Sunday at 5:15 p.m. Eastern Time on CBS for a chance to go to the Sweet Sixteen at Madison Square Garden.

The Spartans were able to get out to an early lead in the first half but saw the game get close towards the end of the first half and even saw the Trojans take a lead at one point. The Spartans continued to battle and now find themselves with an opportunity to go to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2019.

In their first round game, Michigan State got another great showing from one of its most consistent players all year in Joey Hauser. Hauser led the Spartans with 17 points while also grabbing eight boards. The backcourt of A.J. Hoggard and Tyson Walker combined for 23 points and nine assists, with only two turnovers. The defense may have been the most impressive portion of MSU's effort yesterday. The combination of Jaden Akins and Walker on USC's best player Boogie Ellis, who was held to just 6 points, resulted in Ellis finishing 12 off of his season average.

The Spartans will need another great defensive effort in this one as they go up against Marquette's point guard Tyler Kolek. Kolek, who is the Big East Player of the Year and also in consideration as an All-American, is a crafty and heady point guard who does everything for this Marquette team. He is the engine that runs this team and if Kolek is neutralized, this is not the same Marquette team. Neutralizing him is way easier said than done.

Head coach Shaka Smart and the Marquette Golden Eagles are one of the best stories in college basketball this year. Preseason, the Golden Eagles were picked to finish ninth in the Big East and they have done nothing but go above and beyond those expectations all year. Shaka Smart is considered by many to be the National Coach of the Year after the great season Marquette has had. As mentioned previously, point guard Tyler Kolek is the Big East Player of the Year and considered one of the top point guards in the country by many media members. Kolek averages 13 points, eight assists, and four rebounds. Kolek also has amazing instincts and hands that he uses to disrupt the opposing team on the defensive end.

Kolek is the straw that stirs the drink, but the Golden Eagles have plenty of other talent outside of Kolek. Kam Jones leads Marquette in scoring, pouring in 15 points a game to form an intimidating backcourt for the Golden Eagles.

In the front court, Marquette doesn't necessarily have a dominant post presence, but what it does have is guys that are versatile, switchable, and play extremely hard. Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Oso Ighodaro both score around 12 points a game and pull down almost six and five boards a game respectively.

The Golden Eagles average around 81 points per game and give up 71 points per game. The Spartans will have to bring the defensive intensity to slow down this well piled Marquette offense.

Michigan State comes into this game as an underdog but Marquette isn't necessarily a bad matchup for MSU. The Golden Eagles do not have a dominant post presence that can expose the Spartans' defensive issues at the center spot. This will allow the Spartans' guards to zone in on stopping the Golden Eagle's guards. Marquette does do a lot of its damage on the perimeter, which MSU has been great at defending this year. The Spartans have won eight straight games versus Big East teams, while the Golden Eagles are 2-5 in their last seven. It has also been over a decade since the Golden Eagles made a Sweet Sixteen. The Spartans should prevail in a close contest.

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