Flashback Friday: Michigan State Basketball's 2004-2005 Final Four Season

The 2004-2005 season was a memorable one for the Michigan State Spartans men’s basketball team. The team finished the season with a record of 26-7 and 13-3 in Big Ten play, finishing in second place. They received a No. 6 seed in the NCAA tournament, their eighth straight trip to the Tournament, and advanced to the Final Four, their fourth trip under Tom Izzo.

The Spartans were led by senior Alan Anderson (13.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game), juniors Maurice Ager (14.1 points per game) and Paul Davis (12.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game), and sophomore Shannon Brown (10.9 points per game) 1. They began the season ranked No. 13 in the country but struggled early in the non-conference schedule, beginning 3–2 with losses to No. 10 Duke in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge and George Washington in the BB&T Classic 1. MSU won their remaining non-conference games to finish the non-conference schedule with a record of 8–2 and ranked No. 20 in the country.

The Spartans cruised through the Big Ten, only losing three games, including a loss to No. 1 Illinois. MSU finished the regular season with a 13–3 conference record and 22–5 overall while being ranked No. 13 in the country. The Spartans lost in the quarterfinals in the Big Ten tournament to Iowa.

Michigan State received an at-large bid as a No. 5 seed in the Austin Regional of the NCAA tournament. In their first-round matchup against Old Dominion, they won by a score of 89-81. In their second-round matchup against Vermont, they won by a score of 72-61. In their Sweet Sixteen matchup against Duke, they won by a score of 78-68. In their Elite Eight matchup against Kentucky, they won by a score of 94-88. Finally, they lost to eventual National Champion North Carolina in their Final Four matchup by a score of 87-71.

In summary, Michigan State’s basketball team had an impressive run during the 2004-2005 season, finishing second in Big Ten play and advancing to the Final Four for the fourth time under Tom Izzo’s leadership.

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