Michigan State should be thankful the selection committee is just so darn considerate.
Instead of forcing the top-ranked No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament to travel 702 miles from its East Lansing campus to Kansas City, Mo. — where No. 5 seed Auburn might have awaited in the Elite Eight — the committee allowed the Spartans to make a 590-mile trip to Washington, where a matchup with top-overall seed Duke will take place instead.
When the billion-plus dollar check for the TV tournament rights clears, I bet the NCAA thinks about increasing what players receive in their snack stipend.
Because it is that darn considerate.
Michigan State (+2) over Duke (5:05 p.m., CBS): The Spartans suffered a bad break in the bracket, but a lot has changed since then. Riding the momentum of Nick Ward’s return and a Big Ten Tournament title, Michigan State has cruised through the first three rounds, most recently dominating SEC champ LSU. Duke hasn’t looked like the top team in the field since the first games tipped off, struggling early against 16-seed North Dakota State before squeaking out its past two wins on missed layups.
The potential absence — or seemingly, at best, limited playing time — of Cam Reddish has further weakened a talented but top-heavy team, which will struggle to keep the Spartans off the glass. Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett aren’t enough to carry the Blue Devils to the Final Four. Tre Jones can’t be counted on for another career-game from the perimeter.
And Tom Izzo is due to improve his 1-11 career record against Mike Krzyzewski.
This season: 32-30-1
2011-18 record: 224-189-8