Robert Bondy, Spartans WireWed, February 4, 2026 at 2:25 AM UTC·5 min readIt's almost here... one of the best sports months of the year is almost here. So why don't we start to look ahead to see where our Spartans could be landing when March Madness is officially upon us.
Michigan State basketball is once again having a strong season, with the Spartans currently sitting in the top 10 nationally as we enter February. The Spartans are 19-3 overall and 9-2 in Big Ten play, and are considered by some already a lock to be dancing in March again this year. The question now really becomes how do they finish the season and where do they land when Selection Sunday rolls around on March 15?
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBracketology has become a year around thing, but it really starts to hit differently when we get this late in the season. The loose projections of which teams could be a top seed or on the bubble in November become more and more clear as games begin in February. So with that being said, let's do a quick roundup of some notable bracketology posts that have came out in the last few days, and see where our Spartans are currently positioned to start the month of February.
USA TODAY Sports
Seed / Region: No. 3 seed in West Region
First Round Opponent: No. 14 seed North Dakota State in Greenville, S.C.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMy Thoughts: I like the draw overall for the Spartans. The seed line seems fitting for where they are currently ranked, and this seems like a manageable path (North Dakota State, No. 6 seed Louisville then No. 2 seed Gonzaga) to the Elite Eight before a potential matchup with No. 1 ranked Arizona.
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ESPN
Seed / Region: No. 3 seed in West Region
First Round Opponent: No. 14 seed Wright State in Buffalo, N.Y.
My Thoughts: This is a comparable draw to the previous bracket projection from USA TODAY Sports, with a similar potential second round matchup against No. 6 seed Louisville and potential Sweet 16 matchup against No. 2 seed Gonzaga. The main difference is playing in Buffalo vs. Greenville -- so I guess if you're traveling as a fan, going south in March beats going further north...
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The Field of 68 (On3)
Seed / Region: No. 3 seed in East Region
First Round Opponent: No. 14 seed East Tennessee State
My Thoughts: I'm seeing a trend here that Michigan State is a No. 3 seed by nearly everyone in the bracketology field right now. Notable difference in this bracket projection, though, is that Michigan State landed in the East Region, which could mean a potential rematch against Duke in the Elite Eight if things were to shake out that way. I wouldn't mind another crack at the Blue Devils with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
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AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNCAA.com (Andy Katz)
Seed / Region: No. 3 seed in South Region
First Round Opponent: No. 14 seed UC Irvine in Buffalo, N.Y.
My Thoughts: This may be my least favorite draw for the Spartans when you do the look ahead to the second weekend. If things were to go chalk, Michigan State would be playing No. 2 seed Houston in a Sweet 16 matchup based in Houston -- that's not ideal at all and would be awfully similar to having to play Auburn in Atlanta in the Elite Eight last year.
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FOX Sports
Seed / Region: No. 3 seed in West Region
First Round Opponent: No. 14 seed Harvard
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMy Thoughts: This is another draw that I like when you look ahead to potential second round and Sweet 16 matchups. If things were to go chalk, Michigan State would face No. 6 seed St. John's and No. 2 seed Gonzaga en route to potentially facing No. 1 Arizona in the Elite Eight. There's no easy matchups in March, but I would like this draw for the Spartans.
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CBS Sports
Seed / Region: No. 3 seed in South Region
First Round Opponent: No. 14 seed East Tennessee State
My Thoughts: This would be an interesting draw for the Spartans as chalk would have them playing a pair of rematches. First would be No. 6 seed Kentucky in the second round, and then No. 2 seed Illinois in the Sweet 16. We will see this weekend how the Spartans stack up with the Fighting Illini, but I personally don't like rematches in the NCAA Tournament -- especially if it's a team you already beat earlier in the year.
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Overall Thoughts
It's clear that if Selection Sunday were today, Michigan State would be a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That is exactly where I'd put them as well so I have no beef with any of these projections.
As we look ahead, Michigan State has a number of high-level games remaining on the schedule in February and into March, so there will be opportunities to raise (or drop) that seed line one or two spots. But assuming they don't tank down the stretch, we are looking at the Spartans most likely landing anywhere between a No. 2 seed through No. 5 seed -- with an outside chance at a No. 1 seed if they really do some damage late in the season. That will allow an opportunity for another run in March this upcoming season for the Spartans.
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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: 'Bracketology' Roundup: Analyzing where MSU basketball lands in latest bracket projections
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