Michigan State basketball is back in a very familiar place.
For the 17th time in Tom Izzo’s 31 seasons as head coach, the Spartans will play in the NCAA tournament’s second weekend — the Sweet 16.
Izzo’s first Sweet 16 appearance came in 1998, when sophomore Mateen Cleaves and his Spartan teammates were a No. 4 seed and fell 73-58 to a star-filled and No. 1-seeded North Carolina team that included Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison and Brendan Haywood.
The most recent Sweet 16 trip came last season when MSU, as a 2-seed, pulled out a tight 73-30 win over 6-seed Mississippi on its way to an Elite Eight loss to Auburn two days later.
In between those two games, there were 14 other Sweet 16 appearances that included some of the more memorable NCAA tournament games of Izzo’s tenure.
Here’s a look back at few of those (in chronological order).
2000: No. 1 MSU 75, No. 4 Syracuse 58
One of the key games on the postseason run to Tom Izzo’s only national championship came close to home at the Palace of Auburn Hills. The Spartans were title favorites, but looked ready to be bounced from the tournament early, trailing Syracuse by 10 points at halftime and by as many as 14 early in the second half. But after rallying back, MSU, broke open a 58-58 tie by scoring the game’s final 17 points to set up an Elite Eight showdown with 2-seed Iowa State.
2003: No. 7 MSU 60, No. 6 Maryland 58
The 2003 Spartans lost 12 times during the regular season and faced defending national champion Maryland in San Antonio. MSU was in control throughout until letting a 13-point lead slip away in the final eight minutes. Then with the score tied, freshman center Paul Davis banked in a shot with 4.7 seconds left to give MSU the lead. After Steve Blake’s 3-point try missed at the buzzer, the Spartans were on to their fourth Elite Eight in five seasons where they fell to No. 1 seed Texas, 85-76.
2005: No. 5 MSU 78, No. 1 Duke 68
A Sweet 16 classic in the minds of many MSU fans came in 2005 when the Spartans stunned Duke in Austin, Texas, in Tom Izzo’s first-ever win over Blue Devils coach Mike Mike Krzyzewski. The signature highlight came when MSU guard Maurice Ager took a pass on a fast break and rose high above star Duke guard (and now L.A. Lakers coach) J.J. Redick for an emphatic dunk during the Spartans’ second-half run. MSU then won another classic two days later in the Elite Eight, beating 2-seed Kentucky, 94-88 in double overtime, to reach Izzo’s fourth Final Four.
2009: No. 2 MSU 67, No. 3 Kansas 62
MSU’s magical run to the 2009 Final Four at Ford Field in Detroit, included several signature wins. One of those was a Sweet 16 victory over Kansas in a Midwest Regional semifinal in Indianapolis. MSU trailed by 13 points in the first half and by seven at halftime before roaring back in the second half. Goran Suton had 20 points and nine rebounds and Kalin Lucas added 18 points, including going 5-for-5 at the free-throw line in the final minute. MSU went on to top Louisville in the regional final and UConn in the Final Four before falling to North Carolina in the national championship game.
2014: No. 4 MSU 61, No. 1 Virginia 59
Many call MSU’s 2014 team one of Tom Izzo’s most talented. A team that battled injuries to key players for much of the season put things together for a great NCAA run that included a suffocating defensive performance in a win over Malcolm Brogon and Virginia, one of the pre-tournament favorites, at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Spartans held the Cavaliers to just 35% shooting and junior Branden Dawson dominated with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Adreian Payne added 16 points as MSU moved on to the Elite Eight where it lost to eventual national champ UConn.
2023: No. 3 Kansas State 98, No. 7 MSU 93 (OT)
Not all memorable games have to be wins, right? MSU’s heartbreaking Sweet 16 loss to Kansas State — again at Madison Square Garden — still sticks in the minds of many. The Spartans led for much of the second half and had five players score in double figures, including a career performance from A.J. Hoggard, who had 25 points. Joey Hauser also hit four 3-pointers on his way to 18 points. But the Spartans were unable to slow down KSU point guard Markquis Nowell, who scored 20 points and had an NCAA tournament-record 19 assists. His key plays down the stretch ended MSU’s season.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Michigan State’s most memorable Sweet 16 games of the Tom Izzo era
Reporting by Barry Kiel, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
