The 2010 – 11 Spartans finished the non-conference portion of their season 8 – 4 and ranked No. 20 in the country . However , the Spartans were inconsistent in conference play , suffering nine losses and finishing 9 – 9 in conference and in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament . After beating Iowa and blowing out No. 9 Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament , the Spartans fell to Penn State in the semifinals . The blowout win over Purdue likely ensured the Spartans inclusion in the NCAA Tournament . Michigan State received a No. 10 seed in the Southeast Region of the NCAA Tournament , their 14th straight appearance , but the lowest seeding the Spartans had received in the NCAA Tournament since 2002 . MSU fell behind early to UCLA in the Second Round ( formerly known as the First Round ) and made a furious rally , but fell short , losing by two points . The loss marked only the fourth time MSU failed to win a game in their 14 trips to the NCAA Tournament under Tom Izzo
Big Ten Tournament
2011 Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
Michigan State Spartans men's basketball