MSU, UM No. 3, 4 seeds in NCAA tourney

Michigan State has received a No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region and will open the NCAA tournament against Valparaiso on Thursday in Auburn Hills, Mich.

The Spartans (25-8) are coming off a loss to Ohio State in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament.

Valparaiso (26-7) received a No. 14 seed after defeating Wright State to win the Horizon League tournament.

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Michigan won't have far to travel as it begins the NCAA tournament.

The fourth-seeded Wolverines (26-7) will face No. 13 seed South Dakota State (25-9) on Thursday in a South Regional matchup at The Palace of Auburn Hills, located about an hour's drive from Michigan's campus.

This game features two of the nation's top guards in Michigan's Trey Burke and South Dakota State's Nate Wolters.

Burke was the Big Ten player of the year and a unanimous first-team all-Big Ten selection by the league's media and coaches. Wolters, the Summit League player of the year, averages 22.5 points and 5.8 assists per game.

South Dakota State won the Summit League tournament to earn the conference's automatic NCAA bid for the second straight year.

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NCAA TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

FIRST ROUND
At UD Arena
Dayton, Ohio
Tuesday, March 19

Liberty (15-20) vs. N.C. A&T (19-16), 6:40 p.m.

Middle Tennessee State (28-5) vs. Saint Mary's (Cal) (27-6), 9:10 p.m.

Wednesday, March 20

LIU Brooklyn (20-13) vs. James Madison (20-14), 6:40 p.m.

Boise State (21-10) vs. La Salle (21-9), 9:10 p.m.

EAST REGIONAL
Second Round
Thursday, March 21
At Rupp Arena
Lexington, Ky.

Marquette (23-8) vs. Davidson (26-7)

Butler (26-8) vs. Bucknell (28-5)

At HP Pavilion
San Jose, Calif.

Syracuse (26-9) vs. Montana (25-6)

UNLV (25-9) vs. California (20-11)

Friday, March 22
At UD Arena
Dayton, Ohio

Indiana (27-6) vs. LIU Brooklyn-James Madison winner

N.C. State (24-10) vs. Temple (23-9)

At The Frank Erwin Center
Austin, Texas

Miami (27-6) vs. Pacific (22-12)

Illinois (22-12) vs. Colorado (21-11)

Third Round
Saturday, March 23
At Rupp Arena
Lexington, Ky.

Marquette-Davidson winner vs. Butler-Bucknell winner

At HP Pavilion
San Jose, Calif.

Syracuse-Montana winner vs. UNLV-California winner

Sunday, March 24
At UD Arena
Dayton, Ohio

Indiana-LIU Brooklyn-James Madison winner vs. N.C. State-Temple winner

At The Frank Erwin Center
Austin, Texas

Miami-Pacific winner vs. Illinois-Colorado winner

At The Verizon Center
Washington
Regional Semifinals
Thursday, March 28

Indiana-LIU Brooklyn-James Madison-N.C. State-Temple winner vs. Syracuse-Montana-UNLV-California winner

Miami-Pacific-Illinois-Colorado winner vs. Marquette-Davidson-Butler-Bucknell winner

Regional Championship
Saturday, March 30

Semifinal winners

SOUTH REGIONAL
Second Round
Thursday, March 21
At The Palace of Auburn Hills
Auburn Hills, Mich.

Michigan (26-7) vs. South Dakota State (25-9)

VCU (26-8) vs. Akron (26-6)

Friday, March 22
At Wells Fargo Center
Philadelphia

Georgetown (25-6) vs. Florida Gulf Coast (24-10)

San Diego State (22-10) vs. Oklahoma (20-11)

At The Sprint Center
Kansas City, Mo.

Kansas (29-5) vs. Western Kentucky (20-15)

North Carolina (24-10) vs. Villanova (20-13)

At The Frank Erwin Center
Austin, Texas

Florida (26-7) vs. Northwestern State (23-8)

UCLA (25-9) vs. Minnesota (20-12)

Third Round
Saturday, March 23
At The Palace of Auburn Hills
Auburn Hills, Mich.

Michigan-South Dakota State winner vs. VCU-Akron winner

Sunday, March 24
At Wells Fargo Center
Philadelphia

Georgetown-Florida Gulf Coast winner vs. San Diego State-Oklahoma winner

At The Sprint Center
Kansas City, Mo.

Kansas-Western Kentucky winner vs. North Carolina-Villanova winner

At The Frank Erwin Center
Austin, Texas

Florida-Northwestern State winner vs. UCLA-Minnesota winner

At Cowboys Stadium
Arlington, Texas
Regional Semifinals
Friday, March 29

Kansas-Western Kentucky-North Carolina-Villanova winner vs. Michigan-South Dakota State-VCU-Akron winner

Georgetown-Florida