Michigan State basketball vs Louisville picks: MSU up for an upset?
Five Free Press sports writers give their March Madness predictions on whether Louisville is a threat to Michigan State basketball in second round.
A spot in the Sweet 16 is on the line for Michigan State basketball and Louisville as they meet Saturday, March 21, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament East region. The third-seeded Spartans are looking for their second straight Sweet 16, while the 6-seed Cardinals haven't made the second weekend of March Madness since 2015, back when Rick Pitino was their coach. Over the past three tournaments, there have been seven 3/6 second-round matchups – the lower seed has won four of those, including Ole Miss beating Iowa State and BYU beating Wisconsin last season.
Can Louisville pull off the upset? Five Free Press sports writers are, uh, skeptical: Tony Garcia The Spartans barely broke a sweat in their opener and now face a blueblood to advance to the second weekend. The difference for Pat Kelsey's team is, it's not at full power without point guard Mikel Brown.
MSU is the better team and makes it back to a familiar spot in the Sweet 16 after pulling away late. The pick: MSU 77, Louisville 70. Carlos Monarrez Without sensational freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr.
, who’s likely to miss a sixth straight game with a back injury, Louisville has no chance against the Spartans’ grinding defense, especially after committing 22 turnovers in a squeaker against South Florida. The pick: MSU 88, Louisville 70 Jeff Seidel The Spartans opened the NCAA Tournament with a victory over North Dakota State – a complete game in every way, which couldn’t have come at a better time and should give MSU fans hope. But this game is going to come down to the matchup at the top.