Michigan State a No. 2 seed, Michigan a No. 3 seed in latest bracket projections

Michigan State appears to be strengthening its position ahead of the NCAA Tournament, while Michigan appears to be losing its foothold.

That's according to Joe Lunardi's updated NCAA bracket for ESPN, posted Monday. Lunardi has Michigan State (25-6) as a No. 2 seed in the Midwest, facing Nebraska-Omaha in Des Moines in the round of 64.

That's only a slight change from Lunardi's bracket on Friday, when he had the Spartans as a No. 2 seed in the East. 

North Carolina is the top seed in the Midwest.

On Saturday, Michigan State locked up a share of the Big Ten regular-season title with Purdue with a 75-63 victory over Michigan — its second victory over the Wolverines in as many weeks — to earn the top seed in this week's Big Ten tournament.

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Michigan (26-5), meanwhile, dropped a line in Lunardi's bracket, checking in as a No. 3 seed in the South, facing No. 14 Old Dominion, also in Des Moines. Lunardi has Kentucky as the top seed in that region, which also includes Duke as a No. 2 seed.

The Wolverines, who dropped to No. 10 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 on Monday, are 4-3 in their last seven games.

Lunardi's bracket lines up pretty closely with Jerry Palm's when it comes to the in-state rivals. The CBS Sports bracketologist also has Michigan State as a No. 2 seed, facing Nebraska-Omaha in Des Moines, though he has the Spartans in the West Region, where Gonzaga is the projected No. 1 seed.

Palm, like Lundardi, has Michigan as a No. 3 seed, but projects a more interesting foe to open the tournament, taking on No. 14 seed Harvard.

The Crimson are led by head coach Tommy Amaker, who coached at Michigan from 2001-2007, leading the Wolverines to three seasons of at least 22 victories, including an NIT title in 2003-04.

Like Lunardi, Palm has Michigan sharing a region with top-seeded Kentucky and No. 2 seed Duke.