Photos by: Aaron J. Thornton
Both the Michigan and Michigan State Men’s Basketball teams are having outstanding seasons ahead of their first meeting of the year this Friday. The much anticipated game feels destined to live up to the hype as the latest chapter between the in-state rivals carries even more weight with both programs ranked in the top 10 nationally.
The No. 3 ranked Wolverines are riding high after a hard fought 74-62 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes last Friday night, a game that remained tight until point guard Elliott Cadeau sparked the decisive run. Cadeau scored his first points of the contest on a timely three pointer with eight minutes left in the second half, shifting momentum and helping Michigan pull away.
That victory pushed the Wolverines to an impressive 18–1 record, though their path to Friday’s showdown against the Spartans is far from easy. Michigan must first navigate a major test on Tuesday against the undefeated No. 7 ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers (20-0), a matchup that will further reveal just how battle tested this Wolverines squad truly is.
No. 10 ranked Michigan State has been equally dominant, improving to 18-2 with a lopsided 91-48 triumph over the Maryland Terrapins over the weekend. The Spartans were led by their point guard Jeremy Fears who had a game high 17 points and 17 assists.
The Spartans also have a game in front of them before hosting the Wolverines. They’ll travel to Piscataway, NJ to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (9-11), an opponent that is struggling to find wins and sitting in the bottom half of the conference standings.
When the two in-state rivals finally collide on Friday, Michigan State will be chasing its fifth straight win and its eighth victory in the last 10 meetings against Michigan, despite sitting lower in the national rankings. This will be the third match up between the Head Coaches Dusty May of the Wolverines and Tom Izzo of the Spartans. Coach Izzo is in his 31st year with MSU and is currently undefeated against Coach May who is looking for his first win against the Spartans since taking over Michigan last season. With rankings, momentum, and pride all on the line, the stage is set for a classic showdown.
