Michigan Basketball: 3 things to watch vs Michigan State
Michigan Basketball takes on Michigan State in one of college basketball’s premier rivalries on January 8th. Michigan is currently on a two-game skid and has not won since December 18th. The Wolverines will head into Crisler Center as big underdogs to top 10 Michigan State.
To most who watch college basketball, this Michigan vs Michigan State is probably a bigger rivalry in basketball than Michigan vs Ohio State because of the sheer dominance the two have bestowed upon the Big Ten the last decade.
While Michigan State had a down year last year, the Spartans have come back full force and have shredded everyone they’ve faced. They currently sit 13-2 with their two losses coming to #1 Baylor and #6 Kansas. Michigan basketball on the other hand is having a horrendous start to the year, losing multiple times to NR opponents and dropping out of the top-25.
There’s not a lot to expect from Michigan, while the talent is there the coaching is not. While it’s good to be optimistic about the Wolverines, we’ve been optimistic all year and they’ve given us a 7-6 record. Reality has to set in and we need to realize this team is simply not a well functioning unit collectively.
1. Can Michigan hang in there for the whole game?
The key to Michigan basketball even thinking about beating Michigan State is being able to hang in there with them all game. Michigan has a tendency to go cold randomly, and if they do against Michigan State it’s going to be a death wish.
The Wolverines are shooting a little better statistically, and in every metric match up well with the Spartans, so this could very well be a good game. However, we know that coaching which is a major factor is not on Juwan’s side.
We saw a Michigan State give Michigan a run for their money last year when Michigan was the far superior team, so imagine what they’ll do when they are the superior team. Michigan needs to limit turnovers, which they’ve been okay at and they need to take high percentage shots. While that sounds painfully obvious, for whatever reason it’s not to them.