Trey Burke and Mitch McGary celebrate Michigan's win over Michigan State (MGoBlue.com)

From the beginning of this afternoon’s rivalry matchup, something felt different. This game would not end in a 23-point blowout like it did three weeks ago in East Lansing. No, this game would be war.

Michigan State came out hot in the first half, making five of 11 shots from downtown and rebounding exactly half of their own misses. But Michigan, not to be embarrassed at home, hung tight.

Adreian Payne and Gary Harris were the cogs for Izzo’s offense, combining for 19 points on 14 shots, including 3-of-5 from deep, but Trey Burke teamed up with Glenn Robinson III and Tim Hardaway, Jr. to put up 23 points on just 14 shots of their own in the opening stanza.

There was one difference though.

While Michigan State made it rain from deep, leading to a 31-28 halftime advantage, Michigan did work inside, throwing down four dunks while missing all six of their three-point looks, the exact opposite of what anyone could expect from these two teams.

Presumably the biggest reason for that disparity was the loss of Nik Stauskas for Michigan. Stauskas, the Wolverines’ best three-point shooter, got an inadvertent elbow to the eye and started gushing blood while Michigan successfully ran a fast-break before the refs noticed. He was immediately taken to the locker room and returned the bench briefly in the first half, but did not come back out for the second half, playing only four minutes total.

The game had to go on, though, and Caris LeVert was called upon to replace most of the Canadian’s minutes, which would include a defensive assignment on Michigan State’s freshman sharpshooter Gary Harris.

Throughout the first half, no team could pull away, but the Spartans held a comfortable five- to seven-point lead for the majority of the 20 minutes before a huge 4-0 run for Michigan to go into halftime.

After the break, it was again Trey Burke getting it done for Michigan, as the Wolverines took a slight lead early and played lock-down defense, allowing fewer than 10 points 13 minutes into the half. Jordan Morgan and Mitch McGary were also huge, combining for 14 points, all in the post, early on, to pad the lead.

Michigan’s offense never hit full speed, making only 42 percent of their shots (and zero three-pointers), but their defense, led by Morgan’s staunch play down low and a few big charges drawn in the first five minutes of the half, was the unexpected upside for the Wolverines.

Slowly but surely, the Maize and Blue built a lead – five points, then seven points, then double digits – as the game went on, and the crowd became louder and louder.

Michigan dominated the paint against the Spartans (MGoBlue.com)

But Michigan State was not going down without a fight. Late in the second half, as Michigan’s lead reached a high of 10 points, the Spartans needed a boost in a big way. They got it in a crazy sequence that saw the Spartans score seven straight points in under one minute to cut the lead to three, and a Gary Harris three with 1:51 remaining cut Michigan’s lead to two. Just as Michigan seemed to have the game locked down, it started to fall through their hands.

In the furious final minute then, Michigan State ended up tying the game at the free throw line and gaining possession with about 40 seconds left and the score knotted at 56. All of a sudden, Michigan’s lead was gone and a huge win seemed unlikely with the momentum swing.

Then Trey Burke showed once again why he is perhaps the best player in the country, picking Keith Appling’s pocket clean with 26 seconds on the clock and throwing down a breakaway dunk to give Michigan the lead with 22 seconds to go.

On Michigan State’s next possession, Derrick Nix collected the ball in the post and was fouled by Hardaway with eight seconds left. With the arena blaring, however, the usually-reliable Nix missed the first free throw but made the second to cut the lead to one. LeVert then inbounded the ball to McGary, who was promptly fouled for a one-and-one opportunity.

McGary, despite making two clutch free throws earlier in the second half, missed the front end, and Adreian Payne got the rebound out of a scrum and called a timeout to give Michigan State the last look with five seconds remaining.

Keith Appling, whose shooting woes continued today, inbounded to Gary Harris, who was hounded by Hardaway and threw the ball to the wing.

Burke was there for the steal. Game over.

There was no denying who the best player on the floor was, as superstar sophomore point guard Trey Burke put up a routine 21 points, eight assists, and five steals to just two turnovers. His free throw shooting (5-of-6) was huge again, and despite going 0-for-3 from downtown, he always seemed to make the right pass in the clutch, play tough defense on Michigan State’s talented guards, and draw fouls at key times.

Unlike in past losses though, Burke got some help today from some unlikely faces, and just about every Wolverine contributed in some way.

McGary dominated fellow freshman Matt Costello in the paint over a short stretch midway through the second half, and Morgan played tough defense all day in the post and provided a vocal presence, slapping the floor on one occasion after a big bucket in response to the Spartans’ doing the same a number of times. Perhaps the biggest unsung hero of the game, though, was Caris LeVert, who played a whopping 30 minutes and scored eight big points while playing strong defense on Harris throughout. LeVert’s two steals were also huge, and even though Harris scored 16 points total, it took him 16 shots to get there, due in large part to LeVert’s efforts.

Nothing seemed to go as scripted today, and no one expects to have a key scorer miss the majority of a game from injury, but Michigan seemed to have just enough answers to get it done. And even though the defense has been average at best throughout Big Ten play, the Wolverines got it done on that end of the court and will certainly keep this tape for future reference.

Despite allowing Izzo’s big, tough squad to rebound nearly half of their misses, Michigan got it done by holding onto the ball (with only seven turnovers) and capitalizing on the Spartans’ 18 cough-ups. It was a different story from the debacle three weeks ago, and a win that Michigan will certainly look to build upon as they fight for seeding in the Big Ten and Big Dance after sending MSU to their third straight loss.

In the end, home court rules in college basketball, and nowhere bigger than at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor. Today, Michigan showed you why.

#4 Michigan vs #9 Michigan State
Sunday, Mar. 3 | 4pm ET | CBS
23-5 (10-5)	Record	22-6 (11-4)
Slippery Rock 100-62 IUPUI 91-54 Cleveland State 77-47 Pittsburgh 67-62 Kansas State 71-57 NC State 79-72 Bradley 74-66 W. Michigan 73-41 Arkansas 80-67 Binghamton 67-39 West Virginia 81-66 E. Michigan 93-54 C. Michigan 88-73 Northwestern 94-66 Iowa 95-67 Nebraska 62-47 #9 Minnesota 83-75 Purdue 68-53 Illinois 74-60 Northwestern 68-46 #10 Ohio State 76-74 OT Penn State 79-71 Illinois 71-58	Wins	#7 Kansas 67-64 Texas Southern 69-41 Boise State 74-70 Oakland 70-52 Louisiana-Lafayette 63-60 Nicholls State 84-39 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 76-44 Loyola (IL) 73-61 Tuskeegee 92-56 Bowling Green 64-53 Texas 67-56 Purdue 84-61 Iowa 62-59 Nebraska 66-56 Penn State 81-72 #11 Ohio State 59-56 Wisconsin 49-47 Illinois 80-75 #18 Minnesota 61-50 Purdue 78-65 #4 Michigan 75-52 Nebraska 73-65
#15 Ohio State 56-53 #3 Indiana 73-81 Wisconsin 62-65 OT #8 Michigan State 52-75 Penn State 78-84	Losses	#23 Connecticut 62-66 Miami 59-67 #9 Minnesota 63-76 #7 Indiana 70-75 #1 Indiana 68-72 #18 Ohio State 60-68
76.0	Points Per Game	69.6
62.1	Scoring Defense	59.9
794-for-1,605 (49.5%)	Field Goal %	698-for-1,492 (46.8%)
657-for-1,567 (41.9%)	Def. Field Goal %	592-for-1,509 (39.2%)
221-for-562 (39.3%)	3-point %	140-for-404 (34.7%)
187-for-571 (32.7%)	Def. 3-point %	157-for-494 (31.8%)
320-for-454 (70.5%)	Free Throw %	413-for-581 (71.1%)
11.4	FT Made/Game	14.8
35.6	Rebounds Per Game	37.5
30.5	Opp. Reb. Per Game	30.5
14.8	Assists Per Game	13.6
9.7	Turnovers Per Game	13.5
5.8	Steals Per Game	8.3
2.6	Blocks Per Game	4.0
G – Trey Burke (18.8) G – Tim Hardaway Jr. (15.2)	Leading Scorer	G – Keith Appling (13.4) G – Gary Harris (13.2)
F – Mitch McGary (5.6) F – Glenn Robinson III (5.5)	Leading Rebounder	F – Adreian Payne (7.3) F – Derrick Nix (6.4)

Three weeks ago, the Michigan Wolverines travelled to East Lansing for what was supposed to be the biggest game in the history of this in-state rivalry. Both teams were in a battle for first place in the Big Ten, bragging rights were on the line, and the winner would certainly gain all the more traction when it comes to seeding for the Big Dance. Unfortunately, viewers tuning in from around the country in the hopes of a scintillating matchup were left wondering if they had watched the right game after Michigan State took Michigan to the woodshed, dominating the Wolverines in all facets of the game.

Since then, both teams have had their hiccups, however, with Michigan losing to Penn State last Wednesday and the Spartans coming off consecutive losses for the first time all season. If any game could be more important than that blowout in East Lansing, it’s today’s showdown (4pm on CBS) at the Crisler Center. The Big Ten title might be out of reach for both teams now, but seeding for both the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Tournament are vastly important. Here are three keys for Michigan if they hope to bounce back:

1. Mix it up on D: In the first tussle between these teams, Michigan State scored at will from anywhere on the floor, with Gary Harris pouring in five threes and the rest of the team combining to shoot nearly 55 percent from inside the arc. For Michigan, the defense has been lacking all season long, and it certainly has not improved recently, as Penn State put up a ridiculous 84 points on the Wolverines on Wednesday. Michigan State is going to try to bully around Michigan’s smaller lineup in the post again and will start both Derrick Nix and Adreian Payne.
2. To counter, watch for Michigan to throw a variety of looks at Tom Izzo’s squad in the hopes of causing some confusion and perhaps turning Michigan State over, which they are susceptible to at times. At this point, Michigan would be hard-pressed to play worse defense than their man-to-man outfit has been recently, and I expect to see some 1-3-1 and 2-3 zone series. Against Illinois, Michigan was decently successful playing a hyper-aggressive trapping man defense on certain possessions, forcing the Illini out to half court a number of times with double teams, so that is an option to throw out as well. In the post, the Wolverines would again be wise to double team Nix and Payne, particularly forcing Nix over his left shoulder, and rotate when the ball is passed out to the perimeter. Overall, Michigan simply needs to move their feet quickly, cut off the drive, and cover the open man. Easier said than done, but doable.

1. Protect the Rock: Uncharacteristically for a John Beilein-coached team, Michigan has had some turnover issues of their own in recent losses, coughing the ball up a combined 31 times in the losses to MSU and PSU. Both teams feasted off the Wolverines’ sloppy play and were able to control the flow of the game throughout. Today, Michigan needs to run their offense and make smart decisions at all times. At times, it seems that Michigan is rushing everything too much, especially on the road, and needs to calm down. If a look isn’t there, give the ball to Trey Burke and set the offense back up. When the fast break is open, run, but when the Spartans are back on defense and playing physical, protect the ball, drive, kick to the open man, or draw a foul.

1. Get Everyone Involved: Michigan is at its best when Trey Burke is not the only player who shows up, as evidenced by the first game in this series. Tim Hardaway, Jr. has been in a bit of a funk lately, and all of the freshmen have hit bumps in the road at one time or another. Burke can and will score his points, but if shots aren’t falling for the wings and the posts aren’t mixing it up inside, it could be a very long day again for the Maize and Blue. The freshmen are young, but they need to play composed in huge games like this if Michigan is going to make a run at any point in the postseason. Look for Burke to get it going early on but then drop some dimes to Hardaway and Stauskas from downtown and Robinson III over the top of the defense. If three or four Wolverines reach double digits, they should win the game. The good news for Michigan is that Michigan State is struggling with the same issue, as Keith Appling has gone ice cold lately and the surrounding cast has been inconsistent at best. The team with more double digit scorers today wins.

Prediction: Much like the first matchup between these rivals, I really don’t know which way this game will fall, and that could be a very bad indication today. For some reason though, I think Michigan will turn the bad publicity into positive energy and stay undefeated at home. Winning on the road is very difficult in the Big Ten, and both these teams are well aware of that this year. The Wolverines need to protect home court today if they want to stay in the mix for a top seed in both postseason tournaments, and I expect them to do that today. Burke leads the way with 20 and 10 assists while Mitch McGary bounces back in a big way on the glass and four Wolverines reach double figures in a 71-62 win.

#4 Michigan vs #8 Michigan State
Tuesday, Feb. 12 | 9pm ET | ESPN
21-3 (8-3)	Record	20-4 (9-2)
Slippery Rock 100-62 IUPUI 91-54 Cleveland State 77-47 Pittsburgh 67-62 Kansas State 71-57 NC State 79-72 Bradley 74-66 W. Michigan 73-41 Arkansas 80-67 Binghamton 67-39 West Virginia 81-66 E. Michigan 93-54 C. Michigan 88-73 Northwestern 94-66 Iowa 95-67 Nebraska 62-47 #9 Minnesota 83-75 Purdue 68-53 Illinois 74-60 Northwestern 68-46 #10 Ohio State 76-74 OT	Wins	#7 Kansas 67-64 Texas Southern 69-41 Boise State 74-70 Oakland 70-52 La.-Lafayette 63-60 Nicholls State 84-39 Ark.-Pine Bluff 76-44 Loyola (IL) 73-61 Tuskeegee 92-56 Bowling Green 64-53 Texas 67-56 Purdue 84-61 Iowa 62-59 Nebraska 66-56 Penn State 81-72 #11 Ohio State 59-56 Wisconsin 49-47 Illinois 80-75 #18 Minnesota 61-50 Purdue 78-65
#15 Ohio State 56-53 #3 Indiana 73-81 Wisconsin 62-65 OT	Losses	#23 Connecticut 62-66 Miami 59-67 #9 Minnesota 63-76 #7 Indiana 70-75
77.0	Points Per Game	69.7
60.4	Scoring Defense	59.2
695-for-1,396 (49.8%)	Field Goal %	600-for-1,283 (46.8%)
554-for-1,340 (41.3%)	Def. Field Goal %	500-for-1,283 (39.0%)
198-for-487 (40.7%)	3-point %	123-for-345 (35.7%)
157-for-491 (32.0%)	Def. 3-point %	130-for-415 (31.3%)
261-for-372 (70.2%)	Free Throw %	350-for-490 (71.4%)
10.9	FT Made/Game	14.6
36.3	Rebounds Per Game	37.4
30.0	Opp. Reb. Per Game	30.8
15.3	Assists Per Game	13.8
9.3	Turnovers Per Game	13.7
5.7	Steals Per Game	8.6
2.8	Blocks Per Game	3.7
G – Trey Burke (18.2) G – Tim Hardaway Jr. (16.0)	Leading Scorer	G – Keith Appling (14.1) G – Gary Harris (12.7)
F – Mitch McGary (6.1) F – Glenn Robinson III (5.5)	Leading Rebounder	F – Adreian Payne (6.8) F – Branden Dawson (6.5)

In the Big Ten, there’s simply no rest for the weary – or for the wounded. After dropping two of three supremely difficult challenges over the past week and a half, a stretch that included two road games and two top-10 matchups, Michigan takes to the road once again tonight (9pm on ESPN) to close out a brutal four-game stretch in East Lansing, where they face the surging Spartans.

Time and time again, it seems Tom Izzo’s hard-nosed squads project to finish in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten throughout the non-conference season, then inevitably rebound by the time January rolls around to be right in the thick of things. This year is no different, as Michigan State actually leads the conference outright with a 9-2 mark after dropping two of their first eight games of the season.

For the first time since Magic Johnson was a freshman in this matchup, both teams enter the game ranked in the top 10 in the country. Who will have what it takes to pull it out? Here are a few keys to the game if Michigan is to have the answer:

1. Battle Down Low: Since Jordan Morgan injured his ankle early on in Columbus nearly one full month ago, Michigan has simply not been the same team on either end of the floor. The redshirt junior has never been one to put up big numbers, but his presence on the court, especially against big, physical teams down low, cannot go understated. Morgan, when healthy, is one of this team’s best rebounders and one-on-one defenders, and even though Mitch McGary has admirably boosted his level of play recently, Michigan needs Morgan to be healthy tonight. The fact of the matter is that all three of the Wolverines’ losses have come when Morgan played four or fewer minutes.

If Morgan is not healthy, which is still in question, Derrick Nix and Adreian Payne could spell doom for Michigan. Those two big men combine to score nearly 19 points a game and grab 14 rebounds as well, and even though neither is incredibly consistent, Glenn Robinson III simply cannot match up defensively with either of them.

Perhaps most impressive about Izzo’s talented front court this year is the way in which they shoot free throws. Nix gets to the line more than any other Spartan besides Keith Appling and is making 73.6 percent of his attempts there while Payne leads the team in shooting 78.8 percent from the charity stripe. This could be the night where we see a starting lineup change for Michigan. McGary has to be almost a lock to start tonight, and Morgan would be a huge commodity if he can give John Beilein 20 minutes or so. With Branden Dawson also presenting a huge matchup problem for the Maize and Blue, Robinson III could be taken out of the starting lineup in favor of a true big man, whether that’s Morgan or Jon Horford.

2. Get the Freshmen Involved: Michigan’s tough stretch over the past three games has been well-documented, and while no team wants to play at Indiana, versus Ohio State, and at Wisconsin back-to-back-to-back, Michigan is simply experiencing the nature of the conference this season. Every Big Ten team is going through the meat grinder at some point, and if Michigan can pull out two of these four games, they will be in excellent position to compete for the conference title. If that is to happen, though, Michigan’s freshmen, particularly Nik Stauskas and Glenn Robinson III, need to elevate their games.

Whether Jordan Morgan plays or not, Michigan will have its hands full down low with Derrick Nix and Adreian Payne

That duo was dynamite for Beilein throughout the non-conference portion of the schedule, but over the past two weeks, they have combined to average 14 points per game while shooting an ugly 33.3 percent from the floor. To put those numbers in perspective, on the season Stauskas and Robinson III both average more than 11 points per game and shoot better than 48 percent from the field. Yes, these two are freshmen, but they are key members of a nationally-contending team. When the going gets rough, no one gets a pass, whether veterans or newbies. Look for Trey Burke to get these two involved early and often by driving and kicking and utilizing the pick-and-roll to find open teammates. If Stauskas and Robinson III reach their season average, Michigan State has no chance of winning. If they struggle to put the ball in the hoop again, Michigan could get run out of East Lansing.

3. Exploit the Weakness: Tom Izzo’s teams usually have a general blueprint from year to year. They never shoot the ball extremely well but never shoot poorly enough to be a bottom-dweller, they always play solid, physical defense, and they rebound the ball. They also turn the ball over a lot. This year, the Spartans are turning the ball over a whopping 14 times per game, and all seven guys that see more than 20 minutes cough it up more than once a night. Michigan never forces turnovers at a high clip, but if they simply take advantage of the times Michigan State will hand the ball over, the fast break will be huge. Burke and Tim Hardaway, Jr. are lethally efficient running the floor, and a hot Stauskas could torch the Spartans with wide open shots from the outside. Michigan absolutely needs to run when presented the opportunity.

Furthermore, if there is one game to use the 1-3-1 defense in, it is tonight. Obviously this obscure zone has not been seen often since Beilein’s early years in Ann Arbor, but Michigan has the athletes to use the zone effectively, and with some of the matchup problems Michigan is facing, it wouldn’t be a bad time to try it to both slow Michigan State down on offense and force turnovers. Appling and freshman Gary Harris are the only major threats to score from downtown with Travis Trice out tonight, so if Michigan can stick on those guys in the zone, the home team could have difficulties generating offense against the 1-3-1.

Prediction: It seems that every game Michigan plays these days is vastly important, and with the huge rivalry piled on top of a top-10 battle tonight, this primetime matchup is no different. The winner of this game will be in tremendous fighting position for the conference championship, and with four of Michigan’s final six games coming at home, where they have lost just once since 2011, the Wolverines need to be ready. Tim Hardaway, Jr. has been rock solid for Michigan lately and needs to lead the way alongside Burke and company, and I think he will do just that. With Zack Novak reportedly scheduled to be in the house, look for Hardaway to drop 20 while Stauskas does his best Chesterton impression with four threes as Michigan grinds out a 70-66 win.

On Saturday, Michigan traveled to Iowa City and laid an egg in a place it has had trouble winning the past few years. A 75-59 loss to the 11-8 Hawkeyes sent Michigan plummeting down the national rankings and it doesn’t get any easier tonight.

#19 Michigan v. #9 Michigan State
	Tuesday, Jan. 17 7 p.m. ET ESPN Ann Arbor, Mich.
14-4 (4-2)	Record	15-3 (4-1)
Ferris State 59-33 Towson 64-47 W. Illinois 59-55 #8 Memphis 73-61 UCLA 79-63 Iowa State 79-66 Oakland 90-80 Ark. Pine-Bluff 63-50 Alabama A&M 87-57 Bradley 77-66 Penn State 71-53 Minnesota 61-56 #16 Wisconsin 59-41 Northwestern 66-64 OT	Wins	Texas Southern 76-41 Ark-Little Rock 69-47 Milwaukee 68-55 E. Michigan 72-40 Florida State 65-49 Neb. Omaha 110-68 Central Conn. St. 89-69 #22 Gonzaga 74-67 Bowling Green 74-60 UMKC 89-54 Lehigh 90-81 #15 Indiana 80-65 Nebraska 68-55 #19 Wisconsin 63-60 OT Iowa 95-61
#6 Duke 75-82 Virginia 58-70 #11 Indiana 71-73 Iowa 59-75	Losses	#1 North Carolina 55-67 #6 Duke 69-74 Northwestern 74-81
69.3	Points Per Game	76.7
60.7	Scoring Defense	60.8
449-for-974 (46.1%)	Field Goal %	496-for-1,037 (47.8%)
391-for-949 (41.2%)	Def. Field Goal %	376-for-990 (38.0%)
150-for-431 (34.8%)	3-point %	101-for-278 (36.3%)
116-for-328 (35.4%)	Def. 3-point %	109-for-361 (30.2%)
199-for-281 (70.8%)	Free Throw %	287-for-413 (69.5%)
11.1	Free Throws Made/Game	15.9
33.8	Rebounds Per Game	40.7
31.2	Opp. Rebounds Per Game	30.7
13.5	Assists Per Game	16.9
11.5	Turnovers Per Game	13.9
5.0	Steals Per Game	8.3
2.4	Blocks Per Game	4.9
G – Tim Hardaway (15.7) G – Trey Burke (14.3)	Leading Scorer	F – Draymond Green (15.8) G – Keith Appling (12.9)
F – Evan Smotrycz (6.3) F – Jordan Morgan (5.7)	Leading Rebounder	F – Draymond Green (10.0) F – Branden Dawson (4.5)

Hated rival Michigan State invades Ann Arbor ranked 9th nationally, but also on the heels of a disappointing loss of its own. After reeling off 15 straight wins, the Spartans lost at Northwestern on Saturday.

Prior to that loss, Tom Izzo’s squad was arguably the hottest team in the Big Ten. MSU opened the season with a 67-55 loss to 1st-ranked North Carolina in the Carrier Classic and then fell 74-69 to Duke in the State Farm Champions Classic. The Spartans then reeled off 15 straight wins, including a 74-67 road win over #22 Gonzaga and an 80-65 win over 15th-ranked Indiana.

But on Saturday, just like Iowa did to Michigan, Northwestern proved that no matter the records, it’s tough to win on the road in the Big Ten. Thankfully for Michigan, tonight’s matchup is in the comforts of the Crisler Center where Michigan is unbeaten so far this season.

Michigan State is led by senior forward Draymond Green who averages 15.8 points and 10 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures in all but one game (nine points against Arkansas-Little Rock) and poured in 34 against Gonzaga. The 6’7″ forward has hit 24-of-59 three-pointers (40.7 percent) and hits better than 43 percent of his twos.

Sophomore point guard Keith Appling is second on the team with 12.9 points per game, though he’s just 16-of-53 from downtown. He has been hot and cold scoring-wise this season, but has scored at least 14 points in each of the last six games, including 25 against Indiana. He also put up 22 against Duke.

The only other Spartan averaging in double figures is senior guard Brandon Wood who averages 10.1. His season high is 20 against Nebraska Omaha.

The Spartans’ best three-point shooter is freshman guard Travis Trice who has hit 22-of-50 (44 percent) so far. He doesn’t score much, but gets 19 minutes a game and did put up 20 against Central Connecticut State on 4-of-4 shooting from three.

Inside, junior center Derrick Nix (7.7 ppg) and sophomore center Adreian Payne (6.8 ppg) have had their share of inconsistencies but have been improving throughout the season as replacements for Delvon Roe.

Despite Michigan’s struggles in the last two games (including the poorly-played overtime win over Northwestern), tonight’s game figures to be a hotly contested battle. Michigan won both games last season, sweeping the series for the first time since 1997. Green will be a tough matchup for either Evan Smotrycz or Zack Novak, but he has struggled the last three seasons against Michigan, averaging just six points a game. Michigan State ranks 9th nationally in rebounds per game, which will give the Spartans an edge, while Michigan will need to feed off of the Crisler Center crowd and get a hot hand shooting the three in order to pull off a third straight win over MSU.

In a season that was supposed to be a battle just to make the NIT, Michigan basketball has performed well above expectations, having played itself to the cusp of an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament. One game stands in the way of that goal and it couldn’t write itself any better than this.

In football, the season ends with the annual battle with Ohio State. More times than not (although not as of late), it comes down to that game to decide the Big Ten champion, which team goes to the Rose Bowl, or at the very least, which team gets the better bowl game.

But in basketball, Michigan State serves as Michigan’s biggest rival and the past decade and a half has been pretty one-sided. Saturday presents an opportunity to change all that; an opportunity few thought possible five months ago.

Both teams enter Crisler Arena in need of a win to finish in the top half of the Big Ten standings, earn a first round bye in next week’s Big Ten Tournament, and put itself in prime position for an at-large bid in the NCAA.

For Michigan, the past decade and a half has been filled with strife and heartache since the Ed Martin scandal rocked the program in the late 1990s. The once proud and strong program that produced the Fab 5 and won the National Championship in 1989 has been through three coaches and just two tournament appearances since Steve Fisher was fired in ’97 (one since 1998).

A Tale of Two Programs
	Since 1997
244-202	Record	348-130
54.7	Winning %	72.8
6	Head to Head Wins	18
10	Avg. Winning Margin	17
0	Big Ten Titles	6
2	NCAA Tournaments	14
0	Final Fours	6
0	National Championships	1
*Includes this season’s previous meeting

Coincidentally, that was also the last time Michigan swept Michigan State and the point in which the Spartans began their rise to become the prominent team in the state.

Since then, MSU has been to the NCAA Tournament every season, reached the Final Four six times, and won the championship in 2000, while Michigan’s lone appearance was two seasons ago.

On Saturday, Michigan has a chance to not only sweep its hated rival for the first time since ’97, but possibly keep the Spartans out of the Big Dance for the first time since that year and take a big step towards reclaiming the state.

Head Coach John Beilein has seemingly resurrected the program that showed signs of potential during the Tommy Amaker years, but never realized that potential. Beilein came in with a different coaching and recruiting mentality – one based on recruiting high character kids that fit his system – and has Michigan playing well above its head and talent level.

He’s always managed to get the best out of his players, and with a team chalk full of underclassmen and no seniors, Beilein finally has an emerging star at point guard and a coveted number two scorer in the duo of Darius Morris and Tim Hardaway Jr. He also has a pair of Top-100 players coming in next season in Carlton Brundidge and Trey Burke, so the program is on its way up.

But the first step in that process is beating Michigan State tomorrow. In the season’s first meeting, Michigan outlasted the Spartans in East Lansing, 61-57. Zack Novak led the way with 19 points, while Morris had 17, but it was Stu Douglass who was the biggest hero, hitting with a three-pointer with 22 seconds left to seal the win. Michigan hit 10 threes in the game, shot 50 percent from the field, tied the Spartans in rebounds and committed one more turnover (13) than MSU.

A win would most likely give Michigan the fifth seed in the Big Ten Tournament and a second round matchup with Illinois, which hosts last-place Indiana on Saturday. Most importantly, a win would put Michigan at 19-12, 9-9 in the Big Ten (tied for fourth) and almost assure the Wolverines an at-large bid in the Big Dance. A loss would probably pit Michigan against Iowa in the first round of the BTT and Michigan would have to win that one and one or two more to even have a shot.

It has been a long time since Michigan basketball has had a game this meaningful, and tomorrow’s game will certainly have Crisler rocking. Following Michigan State’s win over Iowa on Wednesday, Head Coach Tom Izzo declared, “We’re gonna find a way to win Saturday and get you back to where you belong: in the NCAA Tournament.” It’s not much of a guarantee, but the Maize Out on Saturday will act as if he guaranteed he would never lose to Michigan again, and make him eat his words.

As for me, I’m going to find a way to keep my wife, who is nine months pregnant, from going into labor tonight so I can be where I belong: watching a Michigan victory over Little Brother. Go Blue!