The fans are ready, coaches are ready and the players are ready for tomorrow’s tussle at Crisler. All year both teams have had the ups and downs of losing games they should have not and poor shooting tough losses and now the two teams meet. Michigan will host the first game against Michigan State at 3;45 tomorrow with first place position to the winner of the game. Michigan State has turned the page on the three-game losing streak with a 4 game winning streak and Tom Izzo will need to open his bag of tricks if he is to defeat the Wolverines.
Michigan State is like the mash unit with Nick Ward, Joshua Langford missing the game with injuries and Lyle Ahrens is also questionable for tomorrow’s game. The Spartans have maybe a stronger bench than the Wolverines but with these injuries, it brings MSU even with the Wolverines who have a young bench. Look for Cassius Winston and Xavier Tillman to work longer on the floor and Zavier Simpson will reunite the rivalry with Winston as he has kept the Spartan guard in check over the past two years.
The Spartans will need to play their up-tempo game and turnovers for MSU have hurt them all season and the Wolverines will be working their defense to produce these turnovers. Look also for MSU to try to control the boards as the Wolverines are not a great rebounding team overall however if Michigan is hot on the 3 points tries then you will not have to worry about the Spartan rebounds.
The Wolverines will need to keep a tight defense on the Spartans and be able to stay out of foul trouble as Michigan’s bench is younger and less experienced than MSU’s. Three-point shots are Michigan bread and butter and if they can have the likes of Jordan Poole and Ignas Brezdeikis hitting 3’s all night with help from Jon Teske it will make life easier for the Wolverines.
Michigan will be looking for their 4th straight win over Michigan State and with Michigan being the slight favorite the Spartan’s would like no better than to beat the Wolverines on their own court with the rematch coming back to East Lansing to close the regular season. Also, note the 1989 National Championship will be honored by Michigan which will excite the sellout crowd and team.