2023 March Madness 1st round bracket breakdown: East Region
No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 10 USC
USC and Michigan State should be another physical, potentially low-scoring matchup in this part of the bracket. The Trojans have again been solid this season under head coach Andy Enfield, making the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year. Their signature win of the season came in late January in a 77-64 win over UCLA, a team they almost beat earlier in the year at Pauley Pavilion as well. Transfer guard Boogie Ellis has been a big reason for USC鈥檚 success, scoring 18 points per game, while senior sharpshooter Drew Peterson has again been a lethal threat, averaging 14 points.
While USC has made the tournament three straight times, it pales in comparison to Michigan State, as the Spartans have now made it 25 consecutive trips to the Big Dance under Tom Izzo. However, Michigan State has not made it to the tournament鈥檚 second weekend since its Final Four run in 2019. While a trip back to the Final Four for the 19-12 Spartans seems unlikely, never doubt Izzo in March. The Spartans were battle tested early with games against Gonzaga, Kentucky, and Alabama, and continued to be as they went 11-8 through the Big Ten season. Although the Spartans are just 7-8 over their past 15 games, a lot of Big Ten teams are in a similar spot with the parity that was seen in the conference this year. This group is also experienced with seniors Joey Hauser, Malik Hall and Tyson Walker, as well as junior guard A.J. Hoggard. If Hoggard and Walker can contain Ellis and Peterson, it could mean another NCAA Tournament victory for Izzo.
"For a quarter of a century, Tom Izzo has been synonymous with the NCAA Tournament."
— Michigan State Men's Basketball (@MSU_Basketball)