(Photo: Robin Buckson, Detroit News)
Des Moines, Iowa — Both are No. 2 seeds with gaudy records, about to face unheralded 15 seeds. Both pummeled most opponents, and under normal circumstances, they might be popular Final Four picks.
Michigan and Michigan State chased each other all season, the Spartans ahead, the Wolverines trying to catch up. They chased each other all the way here, to the heartland, for first-round NCAA Tournament matchups Thursday.
The question for the Spartans (28-6) and Wolverines (28-6) isn’t whether they’re good enough to make a run. By ranking and reputation, they’re arguably better than anybody not named Duke, North Carolina, Virginia or Gonzaga.