Spartans won 72–61 to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the sixth time in eight years. In the Sweet Sixteen, the Spartans beat No. 3-ranked and No. 1-seeded Duke, which MSU had not defeated since 1958. After a first half which saw the score tied at 32, MSU pulled out a rugged victory to advance to the Elite Eight, winning 78–68 behind Paul Davis' 20 points and 12 rebounds. The win marked Izzo's first and only win over Duke's until the Elite Eight victory over th #1 seeded Duke in 2019.Mike Krzyzewski (as of 2017). In the Elite Eight, MSU faced No. 7-ranked and No. 2-seeded Kentucky on Easter Sunday. The Spartans trailed 37–33 after the first half, but rallied to take the lead by eight with over five minutes remaining in regulation. However, Kentucky rallied to within three with seconds remaining. After missing two attempts to tie the game, Patrick Sparks got a desperation shot off with less than second remaining. After bouncing four times on the rim, the ball went through the hoop for a basket, but officials had to review the replay to determine if his foot was on the three-point line. After a five-minute review, Kentucky was given credit for the three to move the game to overtime. Both teams only managed six points in the overtime period, scoring none in the final minute to force double overtime. On the strength of free throw shooting in the second overtime, the Spartans pulled out the win, 94–88. The win meant the Spartans advanced to their fourth Final Four in seven years. With Illinois also advancing to the Final Four to face Louisville, the Big Ten had two teams in the Final Four for the first time since 2000 when Michigan State defeated Wisconsin on the way to the National Championship. No. 2-ranked and No. 1-seeded North Carolina loomed as the opponent for MSU in the Final Four. MSU took the halftime lead at 38–33, but North Carolina's Sean May scored 22 points and Spartans were outscored by 19 in the second half, losing 87–71. Roster Schedule and results |- !colspan=9 style=| Exhibition |- !colspan=9 style=|Regular season |- !colspan=9 style=|Big Ten tournament |- !colspan=9 style=|NCAA tournament Player statistics Source Rankings *AP does not release post-NCAA tournament rankings Awards and honors Alan Anderson – All Big Ten Second Team (Media), All Big Ten Third Team (Coaches) Alan Anderson –