Michigan Basketball: Spanking the Spartans in championship fashion

For the 15th time in program history, Michigan basketball stands atop the gargantuan Big Ten as the regular-season conference champions.

The feeling was the polar opposite from Tuesday night’s forgetful waking at the hand of the Illini. Michigan basketball controlled the Spartans from the word go on Thursday night to secure the title of the most brutal conference in the nation. It’s a titanic achievement for a bunch that was expected to finish in the middle of the pack entering the year by some pundits.

The seniors got a pleasant surprise with John Beilein in attendance for the decisive victory. The players looked his way and signaled to him with a hand gesture to let him know that his hard work with them paid off. The guys were more than grateful to return the favor once the buzzer sounded for the last time on senior night in Crisler.

Michigan’s defense had another stupendous outing in this one. It held Michigan State to a head-turning 0-9 from deep. 50 points is their second-lowest output on the entire season as well.

The talent gap between where both clubs currently stand was evident throughout and could provide a similar result when they meet up again in the Breslin Center on Sunday.

Aaron Henry ended up being the lone Spartan in double digits for Tom Izzo’s bubble squad. Once Henry went out with two fouls in the first half the Wolverines figured out how to break the barriers on how to trounce all over the Spartans. They never let them get in a zone to keep the margin within arm’s reach.

For Michigan offensively, Franz Wagner bounced back in a big way following an abysmal showing against Illinois. He has now scored at least 19 points in three of his last four ball games. Hunter Dickinson continues to thrive as he enjoyed hitting the double-digit mark for the sixth time in his last seven overall.

Brandon Johns provided a nice lift off the bench with Dickinson and Austin Davis getting in foul trouble. He isn’t a pure center by any means, but when coach Howard dials up his number, the junior doesn’t hesitate to get a little dirty for his coach and teammates.

Those are the things that don’t show up on a stat sheet and are examples of why this crew is so extraordinary playing with each other.

With the home and home about to conclude on Sunday, the two potentially may face each other for a third time next week in Indianapolis at the tournament.

Michigan basketball is locked in as the one seed while Michigan State will finish under .500 for the first time ever under Izzo. It’s truly a rarity for a rivalry that has been at the forefront of college basketball over the past decade.