No. 11 Syracuse (22-13, 8-10 ACC) won yet another NCAA tournament game Friday night, dispatching No. 6 TCU (21-12, 9-9 Big-12) 57-52 in the first full round of March Madness.

Friday’s win scores the Orange a date with No. 3 seed Michigan State (30-4, 16-2 Big Ten) at 2:40 p.m. on Sunday afternoon for a spot in the Sweet 16 in Omaha, Nebraska, next week.

Here are 10 facts you need to know about the Spartans before Sunday’s game.

1. No motor vehicles required

MSU’s campus is extremely bike friendly. Due to the size of the campus, Michigan State has 10 miles worth of bike lanes and over 200,000 bike parking spaces. Winters can be harsh in East Lansing, but in spring and fall, there is no better way to get around campus than on the bicycle.

2. If you’re not biking, get ready to walk

It’s no wonder why the campus is so bike friendly considering that Michigan State’s campus is the 11th largest in the nation. Situated on 5,200 acres of land in East Lansing, Michigan, this is a great way for students to keep off the “Freshman 15.”

For reference, Syracuse University sits on 721 acres of land, which is 14 percent as large.

3. First female president

Prior to her resignation on Jan. 24, Lou Anna K. Simon was the first female President in the history of the school. She served as President from 2005-2018 and has served as both an NCAA executive and chair of the Board of Directors for the Federal Reserve Bank of Detroit.

4. Longevity rules

MSU head coach Tom Izzo has been with the Spartans for 23 seasons. In those 23 seasons, Michigan State has a record of 574-224, with one NCAA championship and seven Final Four appearances. Izzo ranks seventh in active coaches for the longest tenure with one team.

5. Sit back, relax and enjoy the scenery

The W.J. Beal Botanical Gardens in East Lansing is the oldest continuously operated garden of its type in the United States. It’s home to more than 2,700 species organized by ecological groupings. It’s named after William J. Beal, a botanist who attended, gasp, the University of Michigan.

6. MSU’s most famous building

Built in 1928, the John W. Beaumont Memorial Tower is the first building in the United States devoted entirely to teaching scientific agriculture. Inside the tower is the carillon, which includes 49 different bells that play music. The first 10 bells were added in 1928, and 39 more have been added since. The bells play the MSU Shadows Daily.

The smallest bell weighs just 15 pounds. The largest? 2.5 tons.

7. He’s Magic

One of Michigan State’s most notable alumni is Earvin “Magic” Johnson, a former point guard at the school and Hall of Fame NBA player. Johnson played at Michigan State from 1977-1979 and won a national championship before he was drafted first overall in the NBA draft.

Magic had a decent NBA career. He won five championships and three MVPs. He also holds the record for most assists per game (11.2).

8. Sparty

The Michigan State mascot is one of the most iconic in all of college sports. Sparty the Spartan is consistently ranked atop the Big Ten for mascots and he often finds himself ranked in the top 10 of mascots nationally. Wearing his Greek armor and Spartan helmet, Sparty is not one to be messed with. The team was originally named the Aggies, but the school changed the mascot to Sparty in 1925.

9. Crunchy’s

The most well-known bar in East Lansing is known best for its wide selection of beer and its famous half-pound crunchy burger. The bar was ranked number six in the nation for college bars, maybe because of its unique “bucket of pizza nugs.”

10. Now that’s efficiency

According to Kenpom.com, an advanced analytics website that tracks college basketball, there are only three teams remaining in the tournament that rank in the top 15 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. Duke, Gonzaga, and you guessed it, Michigan State. The Spartans rank ninth in adjusted offense and 11th in adjusted defense in the nation.

Published on March 17, 2018 at 12:57 pm

Contact Anthony: amdabbun@syr.edu | @AnthonyDabbundo