EAST LANSING – The disappointment of Saturday’s loss to Ohio State has disappeared as the Michigan State Spartans are ready to go after finding out that they are the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region and will face the No. 15 seed Robert Morris Colonials in the first round.
“I was like “let’s go,” senior guard Travis Walton said. “This is my highest seed that we’ve had, so pretty much we have get out there and prove ourselves. [We need to] go into the gym, get some film and see what you got to do so we can get ready for them.”
The Spartans will play the Colonials in Minneapolis on Friday. A win would put the Spartans in the second round against the winner of Boston College and USC. Head coach Tom Izzo mentioned that he likes the fact that the Minneapolis site is a Friday-Sunday site, because the team can get in more time to prepare, which they are getting started tonight.
“We have the film already. We tape every game known to man,” Izzo said. “When I go upstairs, I’ll go watch some. My staff will break a lot of it down today.”
Senior Goran Suton noted that the key to being successful in the tournament is preparation, the coaching staff and players will spend countless hours preparing for Robert Morris, but the workload is welcomed because they finally get to play someone outside of the Big Ten.
“I think this is where the fun begins, because everybody in the Big Ten knows you so well,” said senior center Goran Suton. “We don’t know those teams, but they don’t know us either so I think it’s going to work to our advantage.”
Overall, the team was excited with the draw that they received. If the Spartans get through the first weekend, they will move on and play in Indianapolis. If the bracket holds true to form, they are eyeing a contest against Kansas, a team in which MSU already beat soundly this season.
A possible Elite Eight matchup with Louisville is also intriguing, and would give the Spartans the opportunity to prove that the Big East isn’t the greatest thing ever in the history of the world.
Being on the second line of teams gives the Green and White their highest seed since the last time they were a No. 1 seed in the South Region in 2001.
Earning such a high seed is something that the current Spartans have not accomplished until now. There is a question as to how the team will handle having what seems to be a less difficult way to the regional, but the team’s leader says that it will not alter the way the Spartans approach each game.
“I look at every game as you can get beat by any team,” Walton said. “I look at every game as you got to come prepared to play, because if a team can get hot they’re pretty good too. So, you don’t want a team to get hot and get confident.”
Of the four players that were available for interview, only Travis [Watch Video] Walton knew where Robert Morris was located. It is in Pittsburgh, and the Colonials won the Northeast Conference. They finished 24-10 in on the season, while posting a 15-3 record in conference play.
Junior forward Raymar [Watch Video] Morgan played on the same AAU team as Colonial guard Jimmy Langhurst. Morgan described Langhurst as a good player that is crafty.
“He actually texted me after we got the seeding,” Morgan said so it’s going to be fun.
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