But Big Ten Player of the Year Denzel Valentine and the No. 2 seed Michigan State Spartans are looking to finally seal the deal.
Sparty is a perennial power in the NCAA Tournament, one you can pencil into the Final Four nearly every year. They’ve made the Big Dance every season since 1998, and nine times have earned a top-four seed. They reached the mountaintop in 2000, taking home the first national championship in program history. But they’ve only been to the championship game one time since, in 2009, when they lost to North Carolina.
But Valentine, a strong contender for the Naismith College Player of the Year award, could make the difference in a wide open tournament with no standout powerhouse.
The journey up the mountain begins Friday against No. 15 seed Middle Tennessee on CBS or online via NCAA.com. Here’s how to watch the game online:
When: Friday, March 18 at 2:45 p.m. ET
Watch: NCAA March Madness Live
Thumbnail photo via Brian Spurlock/USA TODAY Sports Images
