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Michigan State is back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019. The Spartans took down No. 2 Marquette in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and will face Kansas State on Thursday for the opportunity to make the Elite Eight.
The Spartans were unable to stop Marquette's shooting from beyond the arc, allowing 11 3-point shots in their 69-60 win. However, their defense was impressive, allowing the Golden Eagles to just shoot 38.5% overall.
Tyson Walker led MSU with 23 points, two rebounds and two assists. Joey Hauser had 14 points and 10 rebounds, while AJ Hoggard contributed 13 points, three rebounds and four assists.
Michigan State vs. Kansas State game details and preview
Game: Michigan State vs. Kansas State | Sweet 16 | March Madness 2023
Date and Time: Thursday, March 23; 6:30 pm ET (Friday, March 24, 4:00 am IST)
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
The Spartans (21-12), seeded seventh in the East region, have played great in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament and are favored to beat No. 3 seed Kansas State (25-9) on Thursday. It will be interesting to see if MSU's defense can stiffle the Wildcats.
Meanwhile, Kansas State is coming off a huge, 75-69 win over Kentucky to book its ticket to the Sweet 16. It was an ugly game for both teams, but Kansas forced a lot of turnovers. They also shot slightly better at 48.1% compared to Kentucky's 41.3%
Michigan State's run to Sweet 16
Michigan State went 11-8 in the Big Ten, finishing fourth before losing to Ohio State in the semifinals of the conference tournament.
However, the Spartans were chosen by the selection committee to participate in this year's NCAA Tournament. They faced off against USC in the first round of March Madness.
Joey Hauser was big for MSU in the first round, scoring 17 points and grabbing eight rebounds in their 72-62 win. Tyson Walker and Jaden Atkins each had 12 points, while AJ Hoggard added 11 points, three rebounds and five assists.
The Spartans' last great run in the past decade was in 2019, when they reached the Final Four. They were in the NCAA championship game last 2009, losing to North Carolina.
Michigan State last won the title in 2000, with Morris Peterson and Mateen Cleaves on the roster. A young Jason Richardson was also part of the team, as well as current Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia, who was a walk-on.
