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Bracket Brad isn’t without random thoughts and opinions. Whether discussing team trends or other perspectives, he’ll occasionally spout his bracketology-related reactions on The Gaming Juice.
Plug your ears, basketball icon and Michigan State great Magic Johnson. Your beloved alma mater’s day of reckoning may soon arrive.
The Big Ten pacesetter is the unrivaled team to earn a conference title at +150, according to BetMGM. Yes, the Sparty Party has been a multi-kegger rager this season. At 9-1 in league play, Tom Izzo’s men hold a half-game lead over second-place Purdue.
However, MSU’s minimally blemished onslaught is a bit misleading. With a Jan. 19 home win against Illinois being the lone exception, eight of the Spartans’ nine B1G victories have come against clubs ranked in the conference’s bottom half.
[ Bracket Big Board: Brad Evans' latest NCAA Tournament projections ]
As others have absorbed blows from fellow league heavyweights, Michigan State has repeatedly punched down. Given the number of peak Mike Tysons left on the schedule, it could soon prove to be an under-skilled Don Flamenco.
Shoutout to the single greatest sports video game in history.
The next four weeks will show the Spartans’ true colors. If they keep their green, they’re undeniable the color of money. However, if they identify more with black and blue, the bruised squad is bound to limp to the finish line.
Saturday’s 70-64 loss at USC may be the beginning of the correction. Daunting road tilts against UCLA, Illinois, Michigan and Maryland remain as well as a few additional tough matchups at home against Oregon and Purdue.
Examining Jaden Akins and associates’ advanced profile, several Ls could be caught.
Michigan State does flex its muscles on the glass, scoring the rock inside and protecting the tin on defense. However, it shoots 3-pointers with the efficiency of a blindfolded Shaquille O’Neal. This season, the Spartans rank No. 346 in 3-point percentage offense, shooting a downright miserable 29.0%.
Yep, they’ve built skylines. Dozens of them.
There is no guarantee beer will soon pump out foamy, but the odds are substantial. Michigan State’s current No. 2 seed projection could be its peak.
Sorry, Magic.