Jase Richardson shines as Michigan State tops Ole Miss, moves on to Elite Eight
In the immediate aftermath of Michigan State's second-round win over New Mexico last weekend, head coach Tom Izzo was asked during his on-court interview for any thoughts about the forthcoming matchup with sixth-seeded Ole Miss in the Sweet 16. Izzo, who was previously unaware that the Rebels had beaten third-seeded Iowa State to advance to the South Regional, quickly harkened back to the 2019 Final Four and his matchup with Texas Tech, another team coached by Chris Beard, who is now the head man at Ole Miss. That night, the Red Raiders knocked off Michigan State, 61-51, to reach the national championship game. Beard's group played ferocious defense to limit the Spartans to just 31.9% shooting and force them into 11 turnovers. The effort and intensity impressed Izzo and stayed with him, so much so that he told the sideline reporter he expected more of the same when Michigan State faced Ole Miss on Friday night for a berth in the Elite Eight.
