Two years ago in Seattle, Michigan State watched as Alabama and Utah qualified to nationals, having missed out by just over half a point. One year later, it was California and Florida that moved on, but this time, the deficit was only one and a half tenths. This number is embedded in Mike Rowe’s memory with the mindset “third time’s the charm,” as the team prepares for another shot in the regional final.
The ultimate goal for Michigan State this season was to make it to nationals as a team. The Spartans have been represented at nationals recently by individuals but not a full team. Two weeks ago, Michigan State started to close in on the possibility of making that goal a reality by winning the Big Ten championship. That win not only kept the Spartans in the top 10 nationally, but it boosted the team’s confidence heading into the postseason. That win also checked off a big item on the list of goals for the season and allowed the team to keep building momentum.
Finishing the season ranked 10th typically means that to move on to nationals, the team will have to upset the seventh seed. Due to regional host conflicts, instead of being positioned against Kentucky and LSU, Michigan State now has to face off against one of Florida, who is hosting the…
