"Pops knew his boy wasn't ready for them SPARTAN DAWGS!!" - Draymond Green ecstatic as Michigan State pulls off a stunning upset to reach Sweet-16
Draymond Green is one of the most outspoken athletes in professional sports and is never shy to let the world know his opinion. This is especially true when he believes he has something to brag about, as the Michigan State alum is currently doing.
Following the No. 7 Spartans' 69-60 upset victory over No. 2 Marquette in the East region of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, Green took to Twitter to rub some salt into the wounds of Marquette fans.
It’s crazy that, the dad asked to not be shown and they found him…. With that being said… pops knew his boy wasn’t ready for them SPARTAN DAWGS!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 buddy tucked his tail @DwyaneWade @juanonjuan10
The tweet is likely referring to Marquette guard Tyler Kolek and his father, Kevin, who have often been shown on the broadcast. The father revealed that he did not want to be shown on the broadcast, but this did not stop the CBS cameras from finding him in what seemed like an intentionally hidden area of the arena.
It was not one of Tyler Kolek's better games, as he finished with just seven points in 29 minutes. While he added five assists and four rebounds, he also turned the ball over six times and shot just 2-for-8.
Michigan State's NCAA Tournament outlook
There were not huge expectations for Michigan State (21-12) coming into the tournament after going just 6-9 in Quad One matchups. Their 70.3 points per game ranked 206th out of 363 Division I teams, and they did not stand out defensively.
However, they have found ways to win through the opening two games of the tournament, doing just enough in each matchup. After knocking off second-seeded Marquette and with first-seeded Purdue being eliminated by Fairleigh Dickenson in the opening round, the East region is up for grabs.
The Spartans will now shift their attention to third-seeded Kansas State (25-9), who are the favorites in the region. The Wildcats have played some impressive basketball thus far, with standout guard Markques Nowell looking like one of the stars of the tournament. He recently produced a 27-point, nine-assist performance and must be at the top of the Spartans' game plan.
Regardless, Michigan State must focus on itself and its play. The Spartans will look to get a bounce-back performance from their perimeter shooting after connecting on just 2 of their 16 attempts from beyond the 3-point arc against Marquette. After shooting the third-best rate in the country at 39.4% this season, there is fair reason for optimism.
If the Spartans can get a bounce-back shooting effort and continue competing, there is plenty of reason for optimism for Michigan State.
The game is yet to be scheduled but will take place this week in New York at Madison Square Garden.