It’s Michigan vs. Michigan State, a time-tested feud that generates enough raw hatred to fill a Great Lake and turn “The Mitten” into a clenched fist. Both sides are ranked in the top 15 and jostling atop the Big Ten standings. It’s a Friday night fight that totally sells itself.
How to watch No. 14 Michigan State at No. 12 Michigan
This is looking like Michigan’s best effort since 2020-21, when it danced as a No. 1 seed and reached the Elite 8. At 81.6 points per game, it’s also the program’s highest-scoring offense since its Fab Five iteration more than three decades ago. By contrast: Last season, the team was 3-17 in the conference. Here’s looking at you, Dusty May.
The Wolverines have won six straight and 12 of their last 14. They get to the foul line, have markedly improved their rebounding and turnover rates and find ways to seize tight games. Last week, Roddy Gayle Jr. led a bench eruption to mount a double-digit comeback against Purdue. And on Sunday, Vladislav Goldin had the steely third-chance bucket to edge out Ohio St.
Danny Wolf has been superb — averaging around 17 points, 11 boards, three assists and two blocks in his last five outings. There were too many giveaways earlier in the season, but the fleet seven-foot passer has put together a really delightful highlight reel this year:
But Michigan St. will be ready to scrap on Friday. The turnaround in East Lansing has also been remarkable. It’s still February and the Spartans already have their most Big Ten wins in four full seasons. Tom Izzo’s team moves the ball, makes its free throws and leads the conference in blocked shots. Opponents have looked wholly disoriented from behind the arc at just 28 percent shooting.
Six Spartans took at least four shots in Tuesday’s win over the Boilermakers. No one took more than eight. Jase Richardson is coming on as a starter. Four-year fixture Jaden Akins is tenacious, if inefficient. And Jaxon Kohler has one of the best rebounding rates in the country. He had six offensive rebounds in Saturday’s triumph over Illinois.
The vibes are great for the green and white, but Friday marks the second of four-straight ranked conference matchups. “It’s the gauntlet of schedules, but what an opportunity,” Izzo said Tuesday. He became the winningest coach in Big Ten history earlier this month.
Last 20 head-to-head: Since a Big Ten Tournament win in March 2014, Michigan State has gone 13-7 against its hated rival.
(Photo of Jaxon Kohler: Adam Ruff / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
