As the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament , MSU had a bye into the quarterfinals . Looking to make their case for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament , MSU defeated No. 8-seeded Minnesota 64 – 56 led by Chris Allen 's 17 points . The win moved the Spartans to the Big Ten semifinals to face Ohio State . However , Michigan State 's hopes for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament vanished as they were defeated by Ohio State , 82 – 70 . Evan Turner had 18 points to lead the Buckeyes to win the over the Spartans , who shot just 38 percent from the field
Big Ten Tournament
2008 Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
2008–09 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team