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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Entering the week, Michigan basketball sat near the bottom of the Big Ten and needing a big conference win for program morale, a chance to move up the standings and for a boost to their NCAA Tournament resume.
On Tuesday, the Wolverines watched an opportunity slip away against rival Ohio State in a 61-58 loss.
Michigan didn’t have to wait long for another shot at a rival however, as Michigan State visited the Crisler Center on Saturday.
The Spartans (15-7 overall, 8-4 overall) enter the contest tied for second in the Big Ten, while the Wolverines (13-9, 4-7) currently sit near the bottom of the standings at 12th.
Both clubs struggled offensively in the first half, but Michigan was able to take a 29-23 lead into halftime due to aggression on the offensive glass, solid three-point shooting and by overall out-hustling the Spartans.
The Wolverines outplayed Michigan State in the second half as well, and defended Spartan star Cassius Winston well on their way to a …. win.
1. HOWARD’S FIRST WIN OVER IZZO
Juwan Howard was somewhat emotional after Michigan failed to beat the Buckeyes. But this win was bigger than a victory on Tuesday would have been. Michigan State is the face of the conference, and arguably the bigger rival for the Wolverines in basketball. It will also give Michigan a bigger boost in the eyes of the selection committee than a win over Ohio State would have. In addition, Howard moves his career record versus Izzo back to .500 at 1-1. A big win for the head coach as well.
2. LIVERS LOOKS GOOD IN RETURN
Isaiah Livers returned to the starting lineup on Saturday, much to the delight of the home crowd at the Crisler Center. The junior looked good in his return too, as he finished with 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting and added 4 rebounds. Livers may not solve all of the Wolverines’ problems, but they’re a different (and better) team with him on the floor.
3. TESKE STRUGGLES, MAKES PLAYS LATE
Jon Teske was virtually nonexistent in the first half, which is a big problem for your 7-foot center. The senior has seemed to disappear for long stretches of games throughout the season. However, Teske picked up his play in the second half and ended up making a sizeable impact on the game, finishing with 7 points and 8 rebounds. Still, Teske was only 2-of-8 from the floor for the game, and that needs to improve drastically.
4. LIMITING THR WOLVERINE-KILLER
Cassius Winston has had Michigan’s number for the past several meetings, and he seemed to always make the “winning plays” in this rivalry. But on Saturday, Michigan defended him about as well as possible. Winston did score 20 points and dish out 6 assists, but the Wolverines forced him to shoot just 5-of-18 from the floor and 3-of-8 from the three point line. Howard and his coaching staff had a good plan, and the players executed on defense.
5. A MASSIVE WIN
It was mentioned above, but it’s worth repeating: This was a huge win for Michigan. On a basic level, Howard gets his first win over the in-state rival and a college basketball legend in Tom Izzo. On a bigger scale, this win makes the Wolverines a little more comfortable on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament. It’d be irresponsible to say this victory secures Michigan’s spot in the Big Dance, but it’s a massive feather in the cap on Selection Sunday.