AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Michigan and Michigan State had a combined 23 NCAA tournament Sweet 16 berths before this season, but had never made it that far in the same year until Saturday.
The Wolverines battered Virginia Commonwealth, 78-53, in a South regional round-of-32 game at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
Then the Spartans took the court and put a 70-48 thumping on Memphis in the Midwest regional.
“(I) probably shocked my media,” said MSU coach Tom Izzo, “but I’m pulling for all the Big Ten teams. That means I was pulling for Michigan.
"It is pretty neat for our state to have two teams in one of the greatest basketball facilities in the country and have it here (near) Detroit. I thought that was pretty awesome.
“It sounds like they played pretty well, and thank God they’re going to a different region so we don’t have to worry about facing another Big Ten team right away. But I think it was great for the fans. Great for the state of Michigan, great for both schools.”
The Spartans (27-8) won’t face a Big Ten team until the Final Four, if they make it that far, and wouldn't play the Wolverines (28-7) any earlier than the NCAA championship game April 8 in Atlanta.
When told that MSU and its in-state rival had never gone to the Sweet 16 in the same season, Spartans backup center Brian Costello said, “Wow, that’s something. With all the good teams we’ve had, that’s hard to believe.”
MSU point guard Keith Appling said, “Michigan has a pretty good basketball history, so that’s surprising. But I’m focusing on Michigan State and getting a win in the Sweet 16.”
The Spartans will play No. 2 seed Duke on Friday (9:45 p.m. EDT) in Indianapolis. It will be their 13th Sweet 16 appearance.
Michigan plays No. 1 seed Kansas on Friday (7:37 p.m. EDT) in Arlington, Texas. It will be its 12th Sweet 16 berth.
After beating the Rams, Wolverines guard Tim Hardaway Jr. sat on a table at press row being interviewed by WWJ-AM’s Matt Shepard and David Merritt. Blaring on the public address system was “Sweet Little Sixteen” by Chuck Berry.
Berry sang: “All the Cats want to dance with…Sweet Little Sixteen.”
Hardaway smiled, bobbed to the beat of the music, and life was good.
