Michigan basketball vs Michigan State: 3 keys for Wolverines in top-15 rivalry matchup

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Michigan basketball is set for its biggest game of the season on Friday as the No. 12 Wolverines host No. 13 Michigan State in a battle for first place in the Big Ten.

The Wolverines hold a half-game lead over the Spartans, with whoever wins Friday taking the lead for the regular-season Big Ten title with roughly three weeks left.

Here are three keys for who wins this first of two rivalry matchups this year, with the rematch taking place March 9 in East Lansing.

Playing in the half-court

Michigan State likes to run the floor, with 17.5 transition points per game; in Big Ten play it also adds more than 13 points per game on second-chance points. That’s more than 30 points the Spartans average beyond the traditional halfcourt setting.

Michigan Wolverines center Vladislav Goldin blocks a shot by Rutgers Scarlet Knights center Lathan Sommerville during the first half at Jersey Mike’s Arena, Feb. 1, 2025.

Michigan likes to play at a quick pace, too, at the second highest tempo in the Big Ten, according to KenPom. But the Wolverines need to find a way to slow MSU from getting in transition on one side of the ball, while finding a way to “tilt the floor,” as the U-M coaches like to call it, when they have the ball and are trying to get downhill.

If Michigan can make MSU compete in the halfcourt, the goal will be to force the Spartans as far from the basket as possible. Michigan State is shooting just 29.1% on 3-pointers (it’s slightly better at 32% in league play, though that’s still just 16th among 18 teams); the more U-M can make the Spartans settle from the outside, the better it figures to bode for their results.

ON THE OTHER SIDE: Michigan State continues tough week vs Wolverines. Tom Izzo wouldn’t want it any other way

“Protecting the paint, keeping them off the line,” assistant coach Kyle Church said. “Huge, huge focuses for us.”

Leaning on Area 51

The matchup of the bigs is also one of the most intriguing aspects of this contest.

Michigan Wolverines center Danny Wolf (1) celebrates…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/michigan-basketball-vs-michigan-state-111001004.html

Author : Detroit Free Press

Publish date : 2025-02-21 11:10:00

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