Following the disappointment of an early NCAA Tournament exit , the first time Izzo 's squads had not won at least one game in the NCAA Tournament , the 2002 – 03 team played another tough non-conference schedule . This time the Spartans faced three ranked teams , only losing one . However , they suffered four losses and finished the non-conference schedule at 8 – 4 and ranked No. 25 in the country . MSU began the Big Ten regular season losing four of their first six games and fell out of the rankings . The Spartans finished in a tie for third place in the Big Ten at 10 – 6 in conference and 18 – 11 overall . Michigan State beat Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals , but fell to Ohio State in the semifinals . The Spartans received a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth consecutive year . MSU received a No. 7 seed in the South Region . A win over Colorado in the First Round was followed by a rout of No. 10 Florida to reach the Sweet Sixteen for the fifth time in six years . The Spartans defeated No. 17 Maryland to advance to the Elite Eight for the fourth time in five years . However , MSU fell to No. 5 Texas in the Regional Final
Big Ten Tournament
2003 Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
Michigan State Spartans men's basketball