The Michigan State men's basketball team finds itself back in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019 (which, of course, was only three tournaments ago since the 2020 tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

The No. 7-seeded Spartans are fresh off of a victory over the No. 2-seeded Marquette Golden Eagles in the Round of 32 in Columbus, Ohio, and now travel to New York City to take on the No. 3-seeded Kansas State Wildcats with a berth in the Elite Eight on the line. The game will take place at Madison Square Garden at 6:30pm Eastern Time on TBS.

Kansas State is coming off a victory over the No. 6-seeded Kentucky Wildcats and looks to continue its magical season in which they were picked to finish at the bottom of the Big 12 conference.

Head coach Tom Izzo and the Spartans have not been able to find consistent 3-point shooting through the first two games of the tournament, but it hasn't yet mattered, as Michigan State still found itself in the win column and advancing into the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

With that said, this is not a trend that the Spartans will look to continue as Michigan State hopes to advance even further in the tournament. MSU came into the tournament as one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the county, but the Spartans have shot just 7-for-30 combined from deep (23.3%) in the tournament thus far. When the triples aren't falling, you sometimes have to look to one guy to get you a bucket in any way possible. That guy for the Spartans has been senior guard Tyson Walker.

Walker has shown himself to be the go-to threat for the Spartans down the stretch. Whether it be getting to the rim or knocking down jumpers, Walker has asserted himself as the guy who will have the ball in his hand at the end of the game and will make something happen. A New York native, Walker will look to put on a show at Madison Square Garden.

Walker is also getting contributions from his back-court mate in junior point guard A.J. Hoggard as well. Hoggard's play seems to influence the team more than anyone, even Walker. Hoggard may not be the best player on the Spartans, but he may be the most important.

One thing that was impressive form Hoggard in the Marquette game was how he was able to battle through the adversity of foul trouble and turnover issues. Hoggard could have easily let it affect his play and body language, but he persevered through the adversity and I believe the team fed off this. Whether it be shots not falling or turnover issues, you must compete and fight through it, and that is exactly what Hoggard did.

In the front-court, the energy from junior center Mady Sissoko was contagious. Sissoko was all over the glass, and was key defensively with some huge blocks when the Spartans needed stops. Sissoko was able to take advantage of a somewhat undersized Marquette back-court, and this opportunity may present itself again against Kansas State. Graduate senior forward Joey Hauser once again did Joey Hauser things as he knocked down a variety of shots and rebounded the ball at a high-level. The Nationwide Arena crowd broke out into "Joey" chants at the end of the game.

The most important players in this game will be sophomore wing Jaden Akins and senior forward Malik Hall, however. Akins' contribution has been felt these past two games with some big dunks and some great defense, but he must be able to knock down free throws and the 3-point shot consistently to give the Spartans the best chance to win.

Hall will need to use his size and mobility when defending Kansas State's All American candidate Keyontae Johnson. Hall is the only Spartan that physically and athletically can match up with Johnson as the Kansas State star has the ability to score in a variety of ways. Hall is a player who can be inconsistent at times, but in this one, he must show up to help the Spartans advance.

First-year head coach Jerome Tang and Kansas State are one of the best stories in college basketball for many of reasons. The Wildcats were picked to finish at the bottom of the Big 12 Conference this year, and instead, have been a top-25 team throughout the year, and were one of the best teams in the Big 12.

One of the big reasons why the Wildcats succeeded this season was having one of the best one-two punches in college basketball with Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson. Don't let the 5-foot-8 frame of Markquis Nowell fool you, the man is one of the players on the court, and he does not lack confidence. With parking lot-range and a flair you only learn growing up playing in New York City, Nowell is an electrifying talent who can fill up the stat sheet and do so in a hurry. In the win versus Kentucky, Nowell scored 29 points and dished out nine assists to lead the Wildcats to victory.

Nowell's running mate, Keyontae Johnson, is no slouch himself. A year ago, Johnson was not sure if he was going to ever play basketball again after collapsing on the court while playing for the Florida Gators. Fast forward to a year later, and not only has he come back to play again, but he is one of the wings in the country. Standing 6-foot-6 with a strong 230-pound frame, Johnson has the unique ability to overpower smaller players going to the basket, but he can also stretch the floor out to 3-point range. Johnson averages 17.5 points and right around seven rebounds per game, both team highs.

Outside of Nowell and Johnson, the Wildcats have a solid supporting cast. Glue guys like Cam Carter and Desi Sills are hustlers who do all the little things that contribute to winning. In the front-court, 6-foot-10 Nae'Qwan Tomlin presents a mismatch for most true post players because of his ability to step away from the basket. Tomlin averages 10 points per game, mainly on dunks and three pointers, but he has shown flashes that have even drawn the eyes of some NBA scouts.

On paper these teams are extremely even and I expect this to be a very close contest. The Spartans have not been able to knock down the 3-point shot during this tournament so far, but if season trends point to how Michigan State will shoot in this game, you would bet that MSU eventually finds its deep stroke on Thursday night.

Though Jerome Tang is doing a fantastic job in his first year as a head coach and looks to be one of the country's next best coaches, Coach Izzo's March experience will play a factor in this one, especially if the game is close. This Spartans team has a look about them that screams "win at any cost," and I think that rings true again in this one.

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