Michigan State women's hoops: What's New & What's Next for NCAA Tournament

EAST LANSING, Mich. - There’s no doubt that the Michigan State women’s basketball team did not finish the regular season and the Big Ten Tournament the way they wanted to or, in many people’s minds, the way they were supposed to. Michigan State lost four of its last six games, including a Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals loss to Illinois and seemingly suffered a late-season collapse with just five wins in its last 11 games. Still, with a record-setting start and a solid 22-win season, the Spartans are going dancing. The Spartans (22-8), who earned a third-straight NCAA Tournament bid Sunday night under third-year coach Robyn Fralick, also earned a No. 5 seed and will face No. 12 seeded and Mountain West Tournament champion Colorado State (27-7) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. (ESPNews) in the first round in Norman, Okla., in the Sacramento Regional. “We know how good the teams that are left playing are and how good the teams in the tournament are,” Fralick said. “But what's been great is you get this two-week break, which is interesting on the women's side but it's also helpful because for two weeks, you don't know who you're playing and so you get to just worry about you. (MORE inside SpartanMag. Join SpartanMag: 50% off FLASH SALE, and enjoy a complimentary year of The Athletic included with your membership. Get Deal Now! 👉 https://www.on3.com/teams/michigan-state-spartans/join/)