Last Big Ten Team To Win Basketball National Championship
Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the United States, and the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, also known as March Madness, is one of the most exciting and widely-watched sporting events in the country. With teams from all over the country competing for the national championship, the Big Ten conference has had its fair share of success over the years. In this article, we'll take a look at the last Big Ten team to win the basketball national championship and how they did it.
Michigan State Spartans - 2000 National Champions
The Michigan State Spartans are a college basketball team that competes in the Big Ten conference. The team has a long and storied history that includes multiple conference championships, Final Four appearances, and a national championship in 2000. That year, the Spartans were led by head coach Tom Izzo and a talented roster of players that included Mateen Cleaves, Morris Peterson, and Charlie Bell.
Michigan State began the tournament as a #1 seed in the Midwest region and faced off against Valparaiso in the first round. The Spartans cruised to an easy victory, winning 65-38. In the second round, they faced a tougher challenge in the form of Utah State, but still managed to pull out a 73-61 win.
From there, Michigan State faced off against Syracuse in the Sweet Sixteen and won a hard-fought game by a score of 75-58. In the Elite Eight, they faced Iowa State and emerged with a 75-64 victory to advance to the Final Four.
In the Final Four, the Spartans faced off against Wisconsin, a fellow Big Ten team. It was a closely contested game, but Michigan State ultimately prevailed by a score of 53-41 to advance to the championship game.
The championship game was held on April 3, 2000, in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Spartans faced off against the Florida Gators, who were the #5 seed in the South region. It was a back-and-forth game, but Michigan State managed to pull away in the second half and win by a score of 89-76.
Mateen Cleaves was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament after averaging 18.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game. He was joined on the All-Tournament team by Morris Peterson and A.J. Granger, two other key players for the Spartans.
Big Ten Success In Recent Years
Since Michigan State's national championship in 2000, the Big Ten conference has had several teams come close to winning it all. In 2005, the Illinois Fighting Illini made it to the championship game but lost to the North Carolina Tar Heels. In 2013, the Michigan Wolverines made it to the championship game but lost to the Louisville Cardinals.
The Big Ten has also had multiple teams make deep runs in the tournament in recent years. In 2019, the Michigan State Spartans made it to the Final Four before losing to the eventual national champions, the Virginia Cavaliers. The same year, the Purdue Boilermakers made it to the Elite Eight before falling to Virginia in a close game.
Conclusion
While no Big Ten team has won the national championship since Michigan State's victory in 2000, the conference has been consistently competitive and has had several teams come close to winning it all. With talented players and coaches, the Big Ten will no doubt continue to be a powerhouse in college basketball for years to come.
