Michigan State, FAU advance from Columbus to Sweet 16
Fairleigh Dickinson coach Tobin Anderson realized how much life had changed shortly after arriving at Nationwide Arena Sunday.
Ahead of the nightcap in which he and the No. 16 seed Knights would battle No. 9 seed Florida Atlantic for a spot in the Sweet 16, Anderson settled in to watch No. 7 seed Michigan State take on No. 2 seed Marquette. Or, rather, he tried to. Thanks to Thursday's historic 63-58 win against No. 1 seed Purdue, Anderson instead quickly found himself in demand.
“I'm 51 years old,” he said. “I walk out there to peek at the Michigan State game, and there's people wanting to get a picture with me. Who wants to get a picture with me 48 hours ago? My wife might get a picture of me, my kids might want a picture of me. There's people lined up to get a picture of me. And I'm old.”
No further history was made as Florida Atlantic handed Fairleigh Dickinson a season-ending, 78-70 loss, but in his first year with the program, Anderson took a team that won four games last season and came, as he put it, “within a 6-0 run” of becoming the first No. 16 seed to advance out of the first weekend.
The Knights won two games in the NCAA Tournament, defeating Texas Southern in a First Four game in Dayton on Wednesday before dispatching the Boilermakers on Friday, making them the first No. 16 team to win multiple games.
Monday morning, Anderson said he had a scheduled appearance on “The Today Show” to attend. That's how big what Fairleigh Dickinson achieved is for the program. Saturday, Anderson said he had 1,100 unread text messages on his phone, a number that he said surely had climbed since the Florida Atlantic game.
“We always talk about 6-0 runs, (and) we were one 6-0 run away from the Sweet 16,” he said. “We went toe-to-toe with a top-five team in the country, and this team is a top-25 team in the country. We went toe to toe the last few days with two great teams and didn't back down, didn't go away.
“We're not just happy to be here … but it was an incredible run, and we're proud of what we did.”
Here are some other takeaways from the two games at Nationwide Arena on Sunday.
Joey Hauser posts double-double against former team
There was no doubt as to how Marquette's fans felt about Michigan State's Joey Hauser.
The boos were prevalent as the onetime Golden Eagle was announced as a starter in a game against his former team with a Sweet 16 berth on the line. By the end, though, the only ones yelling at him were clad in green and white.
“It's so fun to hear people chanting (his name) when people weren't chanting a couple years ago,” coach Tom Izzo said. “And I think he's deserved every bit of it.”
Hauser finished with 14 points on only eight shots, was perfect on seven free throws and tied teammate Mady Sissoko for the game high with 10 rebounds. He also hit a dagger when he drilled a corner 3-pointer with 4:23 left that made it a 56-51 lead for the Spartans. Michigan State won 69-60 despite going 2 for 16 (12.5%) from deep.
“It felt good to see one go in finally, and it was what we needed there,” Hauser said. “It was a timely shot. It felt good. Felt good when it left my fingers. It was a big shot.”
The ‘Other Cinderella?’ Florida Atlantic moves on
In almost every other scenario, No. 9seed Florida Atlantic would have entered Nationwide Arena on Sunday as the people's favorite.
Instead, a team that improved to 33-3 with the win received boos from fans siding with Fairleigh Dickinson.
“We never felt like we were a Cinderella team,” coach Dusty May said. “Our league was tough this year. We went into an SEC school and won and have been in some very tough environments. We never felt like we were a Cinderella story because of our record, because of the players in that locker room.
“But we did feel we would be able to get the common fan or the extras on our side if we did play Purdue. But obviously when you're playing FDU and they're on the run they're on, they're easy to root for, especially the way they're playing.”
Florida Atlantic led for 30:28 against the Knights. Now they prepare for the Volunteers, and May had a colorful comparison when asked about the matchup.
“We're going to study Australian rugby rules and get ready for the Vols,” he said.