The second round of the NCAA tournament takes place this afternoon and we will see the Valparaiso Crusaders take on the Michigan State Spartans. The game is scheduled for a 12:15 pm (Eastern) start time and will be televised on CBS. Currently the Odds for the game have Michigan State favored by 10.5 points while the total sits at 126.5.
Analysis: Playing in the Big Ten conference, Michigan State didn't have to look far to find stiff competition. When the Spartans make their 16th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament, they won't have to travel too far to find their next opponent, either. Third-seeded Michigan State will make the trek to The Palace of Auburn Hills, where they'll face 14th-seeded Valparaiso on Thursday in the second round of the Midwest Region. The Spartans recorded 25 wins and advanced to the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament before being bounced by eventual champion Ohio State on Saturday. Derrick Nix is putting his best foot forward as he's faced with the possibility of playing his last collegiate game. The senior forward matched his Big Ten-scoring high by collecting 17 points and nine rebounds against Ohio State. With Nix using his 6-9, 270-pound frame to attack the interior, sharpshooters Keith Appling (team-leading 13.6 points) and freshman Gary Harris (41.3 percent from 3-point range) are free to exploit the perimeter. Harris, however, struggled with a 1-for-7 effort from the floor versus the Buckeyes. The last time the Spartans were a No. 3 seed, they fell to upstart Weber State in the first round of the 1995 NCAA Tournament.
The Crusaders are making their eighth trip to the NCAA tournament after posting a 62-54 victory over Wright State in the conference championship.The Crusaders start five seniors, two of whom are in their fifth season, and their nine-man rotation includes only upperclassmen. Only Colorado State has had more games started by seniors this season than Valpo among teams in the NCAA tournament, according to STATS LLC. The Crusaders’ seniors combined to start 160 games and help the school win a program-record 26 this season. Senior forward Ryan Broekhoff (15.9 points, 7.3 rebounds) had a big hand in getting Valparaiso to the title game of the Horizon League after sinking a buzzer-beating shot against Green Bay in the semifinals. Perhaps a last-second victory is nothing new for the Crusaders, considering that their coach (Bryce Drew) made a memorable shot to defeat Ole Miss in a first-round game in the 1998 NCAA Tournament. Valparaiso gave fellow Big Ten member Nebraska a tough go before dropping a 50-48 decision on Nov. 15.
Pick: I am looking to take the Over in this game. Both of these teams have been very efficient on the offensive end of the floor this year as the Spartans are 24th in the nation in that category, while the Crusaders are 42nd in that department. Valpo comes in averaging 75.5 ppg in their last 10 games, hitting at least 70 points in 8 of those games. Their defense is not that great, especially on the road, where they allow 66.9 ppg. Michigan State does played great defense and they have allowed 59.4 ppg on the year, but 0n the road they have allowed 64 ppg on 43.3% shooting. Valpo will look to speed this one up a bit and Michigan State will run at times. Both of these efficient offenses should be able to put up at least 64 points each.
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