Spartans' Freshmen Face Hometown Test

0:00On March 24th, Michigan State Freshman Jordan Scott and Cam Ward are heading back to their home region for the Sweet 16. The three-seed Spartans face the two-seed Connecticut Huskies in the East region semi-final on Friday, March 27th at Capital One Arena in Washington. Tip off is at 9.45 pm on CVS, with the Spartans at 27 wins and 7 losses and the Huskies at 31 and 5. Both players hail from the DMV area, Scott from Reston, Virginia, and Ward from Upper Marborough, Maryland. Neither has played at the arena before, except Ward and Kid Half-Time games years ago. It's a homecoming after last year's tournaments sent other Spartans to their hometowns too. The Freshman showed some nerves in early tournament wins over North Dakota State and Louisville, with limited minutes and a few mistakes. Coach Tom Iso called them out playfully, but praised their potential, saying, experience will make them better fast. Iso plans to use Ward on defense against Yukon's big-forward Alice Caravan, while Scott helps contain their quick guards.

1:05Their families have deep basketball roots, like Scott's mom who played and coached at high levels. This matchup gives the duo a chance to shine in a big spot near home, building on those first tournament lessons as Michigan State eyes a final four.