Michigan State basketball is on to the second round of the 2025 NCAA tournament after getting past 15-seed Bryant 87-62 on Friday night in the first round in Cleveland.
The No. 2 seed Spartans earned at least one more game in March Madness. Michigan State now plays No. 10 seed New Mexico in the second round at 8:40 p.m. Sunday (TNT). The winner will advance to the Sweet 16 in Atlanta next Friday.
Michigan State basketball is on to the second round of the NCAA tournament after getting past 15-seed Bryant 87-62 in the first round.
New Mexico (27-7) beat No. 7 seed Marquette in the first-round game, 75-66, before Michigan State’s win to set up the meeting. New Mexico and Michigan State have met twice in before (1970 and 1985) with MSU winning both games.
New Mexico won the Mountain West regular-season title and had wins over two of the new Big 10 teams, USC and UCLA, during the non-conference schedule. New Mexico is in the dance for the second straight season under head coach Richard Pitino Jr., who used to work at Minnesota.
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The Lobos are led by star guard Donovan Dent, who is the only player averaging over 20 points and six assists per game. He finished as the Mountain West Player of the Year averaging 20.6 points and 6.4 assists as the most dangerous threat for New Mexico. In the frontcourt, senior forward Nelly Junior Joseph (14 points, 11.2 rebounds) is one of 11 players in the country who finished the season averaging a double-double.
The Lobos play at one of the fastest paces in the country, and rank 26th scoring 81.2 points per game. New Mexico also ranks 19th in the country, in defensive rating per KenPom, helping them win over 25 games for the eighth time in school history.
The winner of Michigan State-New Mexico in the second round will advance to the Sweet 16 in the South region to play the winner of Iowa State-Ole Miss game.
Michigan State-New Mexico score prediction
Michigan State 74, New Mexico 65: Michigan State’s guards make Dent work for every point as the defense guides the Spartans to the Sweet 16.
