Michigan Basketball: How to watch, odds, 3 predictions for Michigan State

Johns and Wagner will deliver

If Franz Wagner hadn’t gone 2-of-14 against Ohio State, the Wolverines likely would have won the game. It was a strange performance. Wagner had been playing much better recently and you expected him to come through in a big game and he just didn’t.

He is still a freshman though and battling through the Big Ten for the first time. Yet, he was solid in the first meeting at Michigan State and you just get the feeling he won’t have two bad games in a row.

The fact that the Spartans will need to pay more attention to Johns might help too. He only scored eight points against the Buckeyes but he was 3-of-5 from the field and 2-of-3 from the 3-point line.

Simpson needs to look for him more and Michigan basketball has to make sure he gets more than five shot attempts. Johns doesn’t have to shoot a ton, but Simpson shouldn’t be shooting more than he and Wagner, which is what happened against the Buckeyes.

This time around, much like against Rutgers, both guys will hit some shots and if so, that will be a very good sign for the Wolverines.