MSU Basketball to Face UCLA in Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals

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Michigan State's men's basketball team will take on UCLA in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Friday night. The Spartans, the No. 3 seed, earned a triple-bye to the quarterfinals, while the No. 6 seed Bruins advanced with a win over Rutgers in the opening round. These two teams met once during the regular season, with Michigan State winning handily at home.

Why it matters

This game is crucial for Michigan State's NCAA Tournament seeding, as the Spartans are looking to lock up a No. 2 seed in the Big Dance. A win over UCLA would bolster their resume and likely secure that seed line, while a loss could drop them down to a No. 3 seed.

The details

Michigan State and UCLA will tip off around 9 p.m. ET on Friday, with the game being televised on the Big Ten Network. The Spartans are the higher seed after finishing the regular season 25-6 overall, while the Bruins advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Rutgers in their opening-round matchup.

• Michigan State earned a triple-bye to the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.
• UCLA defeated Rutgers in the opening round on Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals.
• The Spartans and Bruins met once during the regular season, with Michigan State winning by more than 20 points in February.

What’s next

The winner of the Michigan State-UCLA game will advance to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals on Saturday.