Michigan State vs. Bryant: 2025 NCAA Tournament Preview & Predictions

by BettingPros Staff |
Mar 16, 2025

The 2025 NCAA Tournament is officially here! The March Madness Bracket is set, and first-round NCAA Tournament matchups are in place. It’s time to make your picks and predictions for the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament! We’re here to help as we’ll have picks and predictions for each of the first-round 2025 NCAA Tournament games. Here are our NCAA Tournament previews and predictions for Michigan State vs. Bryant.

2025 NCAA Tournament Preview & Predictions: Michigan State vs. Bryant

Here are the odds for this opening-round matchup of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Let’s dive into our preview and predictions for this first-round NCAA Tournament matchup.

Michigan State 2025 NCAA Tournament Preview

It's remarkable to see in this day and age a successful team that only gets 23 percent of its points (356th-lowest) from deep. Michigan State doesn’t have the most efficient offense, ranking 29th offensively in KenPom and outside the top 40 in their final month of play on BartTorvik. But the Spartans still found ways to win, and that's all that matters.

Michigan State does have impressive shot volume, transition play, and defense. Let's start with shot volume. While the Spartans may not take many threes, Michigan State can get to the rim, ranking 13th in near-proximity shooting percentage. Their top-50 free throw rate and offensive rebounding percentage help their numbers when they aren't efficient with shooting, and they are relatively solid at ball control. Over 20% of their points come in transition, which is one of the highest rates in the nation, so an opponent that slows it down and forces MSU to play in the halfcourt might lead to problems for Sparty.

Defensively, Michigan State can be menacing, allowing minimal second-chance looks, limiting opponents to 28% from deep, and ranking as the third-best defense in the nation over the last month. MSU’s team profile comps also bode well, as eight of the nine most similar teams reached at least the Sweet 16, with two of them making the finals — one of those teams being the 2009 Michigan State squad. It's also important to note that Tom Izzo's squad is up to 36% shooting from deep over their final nine games — a much more respectable number than 30.8%.

This is a tough team to handicap. Michigan State might have one of the largest ranges of outcomes among any tournament team. Their nonconference play wasn't the most impressive, but the Spartans finished the year strong and have one of the best coaches in the tournament. Izzo in March holds a lot of weight, but without any perimeter shooting, it’s unclear what this team's ceiling can be.

Bryant 2025 NCAA Tournament Preview

The Bryant Bulldogs enter March Madness as the America East’s premier team, boasting a 22-11 record and a top-150 KenPom ranking that shows their potential danger. Under second-year head coach Phil Martelli Jr., Bryant has established a distinctive identity built around breakneck pace and elite rim protection. Their offense thrives in transition while excelling at converting second-chance opportunities, ranking among the nation’s best in offensive rebounding efficiency.

Defensively, they’ve been transformed into a formidable unit that opponents struggle to score against near the basket. The team revolves around versatile star Earl Timberlake, a 6’6″ force who dominates interior scoring at the mid-major level, supported by sharpshooter Rafael Pinzon, the team’s leading scorer, and veteran defender Connor Withers. Bryant uses high-major defensive principles and a remarkable pace to earn respect from foes but still ranks outside the top 300 in Haslametrics’ paper tiger metric. I’m not sure they will keep it close against the elites of DI hoops but their overall quality of play could keep things interesting.

Check out all of our 2025 NCAA Tournament Bracket & Betting Coverage >>

2025 NCAA Tournament Game Previews

March Madness is officially here! The 2025 NCAA Tournament Bracket has been announced, and the teams are lining up for the Big Dance. Let's take a look at the early odds, previews, and predictions for the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

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