Michigan Basketball beats Michigan State: 3 takeaways for Wolverines

Michigan basketball needed a defining win for its NCAA Tournament resume and it got one with a win over Michigan State. Here are the key takeaways.

After losing to Purdue, things could have gone one of two ways for Michigan basketball. The Wolverines could have lost to Michigan State too and fallen back to the pack in the Big Ten or they could separate themselves from the pack. With a 10-point win, they did the latter.

A loss to the Spartans Saturday would have sent Michigan to a 3-3 record in the league. Of course, losing to a pair of top-5 opponents is nothing to be ashamed of, but still, the Wolverines would have been among a huge pack of teams at 3-3.

Now, after getting their second-straight double-digit win over Michigan State, the Wolverines are tied for third. Only Ohio State and Purdue, two teams Michigan basketball led games against, before losing, are ahead in the standings. Both are unbeaten, two games ahead of UM.

Yet, the win ties Michigan with the Spartans and also gives the Wolverines the tiebreaker over Michigan State. The two teams will not meet again in the regular season. On the other hand, Michigan will have a chance to even the score with the Buckeyes and Boilermakers.

The best thing about the win, is that the Wolverines did it in a lot of ways. Wagner’s incredible offensive effort was a big part of it, but only part. His play, along the with the play of his teammates on defense was the other key factor.

Right now, it’s hard not to be excited as a Michigan basketball fan. And with that in mind, here are three important takeaways from the Wolverines 82-72 win over Michigan State.