ST. LOUIS — When did Jaqawn Raymond, Middle Tennessee State’s starting point guard, feel certain that his 15th-seeded Blue Raiders would defeat No. 2-seeded Michigan State and pull off one of the biggest upsets in N.C.A.A. tournament history?
“When there was about — zero seconds on the clock,” he said after the game, complete with a dramatic pause and a serious smile.
One could hardly blame him for basking in the moment. Michigan State, an elite program fresh off a Final Four run, is led by Tom Izzo, one of college basketball’s great coaches, and is anchored by point guard Denzel Valentine, one of its best players.