Free Press sports writer Chris Solari breaks down Thursday’s NCAA Tournament East region first-round game between No. 8-ranked Michigan State basketball and North Dakota State.
Fast facts
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Michigan State basketball: Meet the Spartans
* Injured/out for season
The buzz: The Spartans finished tied in second during the Big Ten regular-season thanks to Fears, an All-Big Ten first-team point guard who also earned third-team All-America honors from Sporting News, and the interior tandem of seniors Kohler and Cooper. But after starting the season 19-2, MSU ran into its toughest stretch of competition in the back half of conference play, finishing the regular season 6-4 and going went one-and-done in the Big Ten Tournament with a quarterfinal loss to UCLA.
The Spartans rank ninth in overall efficiency, according to KenPom, with a surging offense that is up to 24th but a declining defense that has dipped to 13th. MSU ranks 135th in 3-point defense nationally at 32.9%, but its past five opponents have made 43.3% (55-of-127), each with at least 10 made 3s.
North Dakota State basketball: Meet the Bison
The buzz: Known more for its football prowess since moving into Division I (FCS) a little more than 20 years ago (capped by a move to the FBS this offseason), the Bison emerged as the Summit League Tournament champions by knocking off in-state rival North Dakota in the final, 70-62. It was NDSU’s sixth automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament since elevating from Division II in 2004-05, after winning Richman’s third regular-season title and fourth postseason conference tournament championship.
The Bison have won 17 of 19 games and are 113th in Division I in efficiency, per KenPom, with the 124th-rated offense and defense. NDSU finished 114th in the NCAA NET rankings but did not play a Quad 1 opponent this season; the Bison lost their only Quad 2 game on the road, to Summit foe St. Thomas (Minnesota) by 22 points. One thing the Bison love to do is bomb away from 3-point range, with 25.8 attempts per game and a 36.5% success rate, ranking 38th in Division I.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Get to know Michigan State vs NDSU basketball matchup in March Madness
Reporting by Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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