Michigan State under coach Tom Izzo may very well be one of the nation's best college basketball coaches come tournament time. As noted by SI's David Gardner, not only has Izzo led his team to the NCAA Tournament since 1998, but in those 18 seasons, his Spartans have reached nine Elite Eights and seven Final Fours.

Those seven semifinals appearances during that stretch are more than other Hall of Fame coaches Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams managed, who each have five. Izzo also owns the distinction of having the most wins as a lower seeded team than anyone else in tournament history with 13 victories as the underdog.

That might seem like some great history to back Michigan going into their Final Four matchup with the No. 1 seeded Duke Blue Devils, but as Gardner points out, the semifinals have been a different story for the Spartans, who have gone just 1-5 in their previous six appearances.

Their Final Four mettle will be tested in the face of Duke super freshman Jahlil Okafor, who is in line to be a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. While some might see his tournament run to be inconsistent, the ACC Player of the Year has posted team-highs of 21, 26, and 28 points against Robert Morris, San Diego State, and Notre Dame during this year's tournament.

Okafor has also received plenty of help, especially during their last victory against Gonzaga. The trio of Okafor, Tyus Jones, and Justise Winslow combined for 40 points, 16 rebounds, and eight assists last weekend.

Michigan State will also be tested by another kind of history. Coach K owns an 8-1 record against Izzo, including an 81-71 win at the Champions Classic earlier this season.

This has been yet another unprecedented run for the Spartans, but their high-profile showdown against Duke on April 4 at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis should be their biggest test yet.

Tip-off is scheduled at 6:09 p.m. to be broadcast by CBS. To watch a live stream link for the upcoming match up, click here.