Michigan Basketball: 3 keys for the Wolverines to beat Michigan State
By Adam Childs
The Michigan basketball team will try again to clinch their first Big Ten Championship since 2014 when they host the Spartans on Thursday. It is another quick turnaround for the Wolverines as they will play for the second time in three days.
Michigan is coming off its worst loss of the year as Illinois came in and beat the Wolverines by 22 on Tuesday. The Illini controlled the whole game and Michigan couldn’t solve their defense.
It was a disappointing game as the Illini were without their top player in Ayo Dosunmu. The Wolverines looked lethargic and out of sync for the majority of the game and they could never get anything going.
Even with the loss the Wolverines are still in great shape to win the regular-season championship, but will now have to beat their in-state rival to do it. Both games are important no matter the outcome, but the Wolverines could take a lot of the drama and pressure out of the season finale if they can pick up a win on Thursday.
While winning the Big Ten on Tuesday would have been nice, clinching it against your rival is a little sweeter. The Spartans are playing better, but have struggled throughout the Big Ten slate and Michigan needs to take advantage.
Michigan State has a lot to play for as they try and battle back into the NCAA tournament and you know they would like nothing more than to spoil the Wolverines season.
As we get ready to watch back-to-back games against these bitter rivals, we take a look at the three keys for Michigan to win and secure the conference title.