The Michigan State Spartans (7) came within one jump shot of beating Wisconsin for the Big Ten Tournament title, but they could not finish.

They start their NCAA Tournament against the Georgia Bulldogs (10), another team looking to put an up-and-down season behind them.

CLICK HERE to watch the game live via NCAA.com. Tipoff is scheduled for 12:40 p.m. ET in Charlotte, N.C.

After a 12-6 season in the Big Ten, Michigan State went into the final seconds of the conference tournament tied with the top seed, but they failed to score a single point in overtime. While Michigan State's late resurgence bodes well for their appearance in the Big Dance, their inconsistency does not.

Also in their corner is their coach, Tom Izzo, who is a noted "tournament coach" thanks to six Final Four appearances and one National Title. However, he rejected the notion he spends his season waiting for March to come around.

"I get paid for all 12 months," Izzo said in his pregame press conference, according to the Associated Press. "It's not just about March to me, it's about the process to get to March.

"But when we get close to March, I think every living alum thinks March is the time when we excel, and I think in a way it presents a little pressure. But I think it's one of the rare times it's really, really good pressure."

Georgia does not have the history of postseason success Michigan State does, but they are looking to make this trip count.

"I think tournament experience is important, but our goal wasn't just to get here," Bulldogs coach Mark Fox said in his pregame remarks. "Hopefully our team will have the poise to deal with the emotions of the event. It's a bigger event than they're used to, and our poise and ability to deal with that's going to be important. And those teams that have experience, that's probably a slight advantage."