Three takeaways from MSU hoops' draw in NCAA Tournament

Michigan State basketball is dancing again.

The Spartans officially locked up their 27th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, with Michigan State receiving a No. 2 seed in the South Region. The Spartans will open the tournament in a first round matchup against No. 15 seed Bryant in Cleveland. Should the Spartans beat the Bulldogs, they would then face the winner of No. 7 seed Marquette and No. 10 seed New Mexico.

The Spartans' region includes the likes of Auburn (No. 1 seed), Iowa State (No. 3 seed), Texas A&M (No. 4 seed) and rival Michigan (No. 5 seed). You can see the full bracket by clicking here.

So what are my initial thoughts on this draw and the Spartans' chances of going on a deep March run? Well, I have few key thoughts on what is to come for the Spartans based on this Selection Sunday reveal.

Check out my three key takeaways from the NCAA Tournament bracket reveal below:

Opening weekend is probably best-case scenario for Spartans

As far as opening weekend draws go, I don't think it could have been much better for the Spartans.

Listen, there is no "easy" draw with how good the No. 7 and No. 10 seeds are in this year's tournament, but I think this is probably the best possible situation. First off, Michigan State is extremely close to home with their opening weekend game(s) taking place in Cleveland. The support for the Spartans in Cleveland will be notable and seen this week.

As far as opponents in their first weekend game(s), I also like that. Bryant has zero Quad 1 and 2 wins this season, so while an upset is always possible in March Madness, this is not a team that has proven it is capable of that yet this year. Then, if we look ahead to the second round, Marquette is not the same caliber team we've seen the past few years and quite frankly could lose to the Lobos in the first round. New Mexico is one of the best mid majors in the field, but I will always take the Spartans in a matchup with a lower tier team in the second game of a tournament weekend.

Overall, this won't be "easy" to make the second weekend of the tournament, but it definitely could have been harder. I'll leave it at that.

Potential Auburn Elite Eight matchup is daunting

I'm not going to just assume Michigan State will make it to the Elite Eight. But if they do, it'll be a very tough spot for Michigan State to reach the Final Four should Auburn be waiting for them on the other side.

Auburn has been the best team in the country for most of the year, and deservedly received the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. They've struggled as of late (three losses in last four games) but should the bracket play out where the Tigers and Spartans meet in the Elite Eight, it would be clear that Auburn is back to playing good ball.

The additional kicker here is that the South Region is going to be played in Atlanta, which is just a short drive down the road from Auburn. So should things play out where Michigan State faces Auburn in the Elite Eight, it might as well be a road game for Michigan State.

Wish MSU was in Midwest but overall solid draw

I wanted the Midwest Region bad. Whether it was Florida or Houston as the No. 1 seed, I wanted to see Michigan State end up in Indianapolis. The idea of Michigan State playing both of its first two weekends within four hours of home would have been a dream scenario. But it didn't play out that way, and it was honestly expected entering the day.

So while that is disappointing, the overall draw is solid. There is no such thing as an easy road to the Final Four, so don't take this as a guarantee for anything. But I like the region and the potential path to the Final Four. Odds will suggest Michigan State is likely to make the second weekend based on the opening two rounds draw, and after that we'll just see how it plays out. This feels like a great opportunity for Michigan State to go back to the Final Four if they can play their best ball in the biggest games. I like where things stand as we head into the best time of the year.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page onFacebookto follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.

This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Three takeaways on Spartans' draw in NCAA Tournament

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