Syracuse to Face Middle Tennessee State After Blue Raiders Shock Spartans

Middle Tennessee State pulled off a monumental upset of Michigan State on Friday afternoon, topping the Spartans 90-81 to set up a Round of 32 matchup between the No. 15 seed Blue Raiders and Syracuse on Sunday.

MTSU never once trailed on Friday, managing to fend off every mini-run that MSU put forth. The Blue Raiders were led by Reggie Upshaw, who finished with 21 points, four rebounds and four assists.

And while the Blue Raiders certainly looked better than a typical 15 seed, Orange fans have to be happy with the outcome, as SU now gets to avoid what many believed should have been a No. 1 seed Spartans team.

Prior to Friday, MTSU was ranked No. 123 by Kenpom. The Blue Raiders are 25-9 on the season and qualified for the NCAA Tournament after winning the Conference USA tournament last weekend.

If you're looking to compare the two, SU and MTSU have had one mutual opponent this season: the Charlotte 49ers. The Blue Raiders topped the 49ers, 73-72, on the road on Jan. 14, while the Orange got the best of Charlotte in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in November. Syracuse won that game with ease, 83-70.

The tipoff time for Sunday's contest has not yet been announced, but what we do know is that a ticket to the Sweet 16 in Chicago will be on the line.