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2000 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game

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See also: 2000 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament

2000 NCAA tournament championship Game
National championship game
Florida Gators Michigan State Spartans
SEC Big Ten
(29–7) (31–7)
76 89
Head coach:
Billy Donovan		 Head coach:
Tom Izzo
1st half2nd half Total
Florida Gators 3244 76
Michigan State Spartans 4346 89
DateApril 3, 2000
VenueRCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana
MVPMateen Cleaves, Michigan State
FavoriteMichigan State by 4
RefereesJames Burr, Gerald Boudreaux, David Hall
Attendance43,116
United States TV coverage
NetworkCBS
AnnouncersJim Nantz (play-by-play)
Billy Packer (color)
Bonnie Bernstein and Armen Keteyian (sideline)
← 1999
2001 →

The 2000 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game was the finals of the 2000 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament and it determined the national champion for the 1999–2000 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The game was played on April 3, 2000, at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana and matched No. 1-seeded Michigan State against No. 5-seeded Florida.

The Spartans defeated the Gators, who were appearing in their first championship game, 89–76, earning the Spartans their second national championship. As of 2024, this is the last time a team from the Big Ten won the national championship.

Participants

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Florida Gators

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Main article: 1999–2000 Florida Gators men's basketball team

The Gators were the SEC regular season champions, winning a share of the title with a 12–4 conference record. They earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament where they advanced to the Final Four and then made the school's first ever appearance in the NCAA championship game where they lost to Michigan State.

Round Opponent Score
First Round No. 12 Butler 69–68 OT
Second Round No. 4 Illinois 93–76
Sweet Sixteen No. 1 Duke 87–78
Elite Eight No. 3 Oklahoma State 77–65
Final Four No. 8 North Carolina 71–59
Championship No. Michigan State 76–89

Michigan State Spartans

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Main article: 1999–2000 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team

The Spartans finished the regular season 13–3 to win a share of the Big Ten regular season championship for the third consecutive year. They also won the Big Ten tournament championship for the second consecutive year. As a result of their strong finish in the regular season, the Spartans were awarded the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament. From there, the Spartans cruised to their third consecutive Sweet Sixteen with wins over Valparaiso,[1][2] and Utah.[3][4] MSU continued their national championship push by reaching their second consecutive Final Four with wins over Syracuse[5][6] and Iowa State.[7][8] MSU won every game by double digits despite playing the best possible seed in each round. In their Final Four matchup, Michigan State faced off against Big Ten foe, Wisconsin, beating them in a close game, 53–41.[9]

Round Opponent Score
First Round No. 16 Valparaiso 65–38
Second Round No. 8 Utah 73–61
Sweet Sixteen No. 4 Syracuse 75–58
Elite Eight No. 2 Iowa State 75–64
Final Four No. 8 Wisconsin 53–41
Championship No. 5 Florida 89–76

Starting lineups

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Florida Position Michigan State
Justin Hamilton G Charlie Bell
Teddy Dupay G Mateen Cleaves 1
Brent Wright F Andre Hutson 2
Mike Miller 1 F Morris Peterson 1
Udonis Haslem C A. J. Granger
 Players selected in an NBA draft  (number indicates round)

Source[10]

Game summary

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Michigan State senior Mateen Cleaves limped his way to the Most Outstanding Player (MOP) of the 2000 NCAA Tournament. Cleaves sprained his ankle with 16:18 to play in the second half, and this was after Florida had trimmed Michigan State's double digit halftime lead to 50–44. Cleaves returned about four minutes later, and immediately helped lead the Spartans on a 16–6 run to put the game out of reach.[11] The lone top-seed remaining would bring order to a tournament filled with upsets as they salted away the victory for the school's second national championship (1979). Michigan State coach Tom Izzo earned his first title in his second straight final four appearance. Morris Peterson led the Spartans with 21 points.[12]

As of 2024, Michigan State's 2000 team is the last Big Ten team to win a national championship.

References

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  1. ^ "2000 Michigan State vs. Valparaiso Round of 64". ncaa-basketball-tournament.pointafter.com. Retrieved April 4, 2016.[permanent dead link‍]
  2. ^ "Spartans One Step Closer To Final Four – Michigan State Official Athletic Site". www.msuspartans.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  3. ^ "2000 Michigan State vs. Utah Round of 32". ncaa-basketball-tournament.pointafter.com. Retrieved April 4, 2016.[permanent dead link‍]
  4. ^ "Men's Hoops Moves Past Utah Into Sweet 16, 73–61 – Michigan State Official Athletic Site". www.msuspartans.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  5. ^ "Michigan State 75, Syracuse 58". enquirer.com. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  6. ^ "Michigan State Moves To Elite Eight – Michigan State Official Athletic Site". www.msuspartans.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  7. ^ "Michigan State 75, Iowa State 64". enquirer.com. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  8. ^ "Spartans Return To Final Four – Michigan State Official Athletic Site". www.msuspartans.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  9. ^ "Spartans Beat Badgers At Their Own Game, 53–41 – Michigan State Official Athletic Site". www.msuspartans.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  10. ^ "Michigan State vs. Florida Box Score (Men), April 3, 2000". Sports Reference. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  11. ^ Drape, Joe (April 4, 2000). "N.C.A.A. BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT: CHAMPIONSHIP GAME; Spartans No. 1 From Start to Finish". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  12. ^ "2000 NCAA National Championship: (MW1) Michigan State 89, (E5) Florida 76". CNN Sports Illustrated. CNNSI.com. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved March 6, 2008.
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