Michigan State turns to reflection after Big Ten Tournament exit, eyes NCAA opportunity
MSU is using the hours before Selection Sunday to study film, confront mistakes, and prepare for the urgency of single-elimination basketball
There are just over 24 hours until the NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday show – the one-hour CBS special during which the Michigan State men’s basketball team will gather in a room filled with cameras, likely alongside family members and friends, to discover its first NCAA Tournament opponent.
More than a full day now sits between the Spartans and the reveal of their potential path toward hanging another banner in the Breslin Center.
In March, every hour carries weight. In March, time carries urgency.
Inside the Michigan State locker room following an 88–84 quarterfinal loss to the UCLA Bruins in the Big Ten Tournament, the veterans’ minds were already on how that time would be spent.
“I think we spend more time watching film and making sure everyone knows where we went wrong instead of thinking about Selection Sunday,” Jaxon Kohler said with quiet urgency.
His calm but somber demeanor was underscored by his body language – emphatic inflection and sharp gestures when he spoke about what the team “needs” and what it “has to” do.
“I think we need to spend as much time as possible reviewing what we did,” Kohler said. “We need to learn from it.”
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