No. 5 Illinois is fighting for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
Michigan is struggling with a long shot just to get in.
The Spartans had a turnaround on Tuesday that could have a significant impact on the fate of both teams. Michigan State opened a 19-point second half and maintained the 81-72 victory to surprise Illinois in a victory that will likely need to keep his NCAA tournament hopes alive.
Spartans hold Illinois for a cold shooting night
Junior striker Aaron Henry led Michigan State with 20 points, five rebounds and six assists, while four Spartans scored double digits. The Spartans hit 54.2 percent of their field goals while controlling Illinois against 40 percent of pitches and 29.4 percent from a 3-point gap. Illinois also had problems with the line, hitting 19 of 34 attempts (55.9 percent).
Like many of the nation’s top shows, Michigan State is in unfamiliar territory this season and is in serious danger of losing the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1997, Tom Izzo’s second season as head coach. Tuesday’s victory will not help the Spartans. But it will help your chances a lot.
Spartans have many opportunities to play their way
The Spartans have five regular season games remaining before the Big Ten tournament. One of those games is Thursday at No. 4 Ohio State, before ending the season with consecutive games against third-placed Michigan. They will have many opportunities to boost their resume in what seemed like a lost season last week.
Meanwhile, Illinois is playing for a different set of bets. It’s a drag to get to the tournament, but remains in a tough fight alongside the ten rivals Michigan and Ohio State to join probable seeders Baylor and Gonzaga at the top row of the NCAA tournament bracket. Tuesday’s loss will not help the cause.
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