Michigan State’s men’s basketball team will open the NCAA Tournament against a familiar face.
The Spartans earned the No. 7 seed in the West Region, and will play against No. 10 Davidson and former Spartan Foster Loyer.
How to watch Michigan State vs. Davidson
Michigan State and Davidson will play in a high-profile NCAA Tournament Round of 64 game in Greenville, S.C.
The game will tip off at 9:40 p.m. Friday on CBS.
The Spartans are an early -point favorite, but oddsmakers see an even game. Davidson will have a bit of a homecourt advantage with the game being played in the Carolinas.
Former Spartan Loyer leading Davidson
Foster Loyer came to Michigan State after a decorated high school career in Clarkston, Mich., but he has broken out after transferring to Davidson this past offseason.
Loyer leads the Wildcats this season with 16.6 points and 3.3 assists per game. The 6-foot junior is shooting 45% from 3-point range after struggling to get consistent minutes with the Spartans the previous three seasons.
Davidson was the regular season Atlantic-10 champion, but lost in the conference title game Sunday against Richmond.
The Wildcats finished the year 27-6 overall and 15-3 in league play. They were 2-2 against Quad 1 teams on the season, with their biggest nonconference win coming against Alabama.
Outside of Loyer, guard Hyungjung Lee is averaging 16.3 points per game, while 6-10 forward Luka Brajkovic is scoring 14.3 and grabbing 7.1 rebounds per game.
Michigan State looks to build off Big Ten Tournament momentum
The Spartans didn’t close the regular season strong, but had a good showing in the Big Ten Tournament, advancing to the semifinal before losing against Purdue.
Michigan State was 22-12 on the year, and 11-9 in the Big Ten. It was 5-9 against Quad 1 teams, but 8-2 against Quad 2, as its nonconference schedule was among the toughest in the country.
Gabe Brown led an incredibly balanced scoring effort for the Spartans this season, but his 11.4 points per game highlight a team without a go-to scorer. Max Christie (9.5), Malik Hall (9.4), Marcus Bingham (9.2) and Tyson Walker (8.1) add to that balance. Eight Spartans average more than 6 points per game.
Caesars Sportsbook offering promotion
Caeasars Sportsbook MI is offering a special promotion for those who place a standard, pregame spread wager of $100 or more on this game.
Regardless of the outcome of your sports bet, you will receive $3 in bonus bets for every point your team scores above 64. The bonus bets will be credited to your account within two days, and will expire seven days after being awarded.
Wagering on both sides of the spread in this promotion is prohibited.
