Ranking Michigan State basketball’s top 3 most hated rivals

1. Michigan Wolverines (68-63 since 1950)

About 10 years ago, I wouldn’t have considered Michigan the Spartans’ No. 1 rival, but with the way John Beilein renewed the rivalry, it has been as heated as any matchup in college basketball.

For years, the Wolverines were nothing more than a doormat in the Big Ten and the Spartans beat up on them consistently before Beilein took over. And then things got closer and the talent gap closed. He coached Michigan back to relevance and they have been to two national title games since. That’s something the Wolverines hadn’t done since the Fab Five.

Michigan is always going to be the most hated team for Michigan State fans, but when the Wolverines were bad, it was tough to really consider this an “intense” rivalry.

Times have changed.

Now the Wolverines just have those guys that drive MSU fans nuts. Mo Wagner, Nik Stauskas, Zack Novak, Ignas Brazdeikas, Jordan Poole and while they weren’t bad dudes, guys like Trey Burke and Derrick Walton Drove Spartan fans nuts.

Add Charles Matthews, DJ Wilson and Tim Hardaway Jr. to the list of guys who just drove fans nuts. Michigan has come a long way from not contributing to the rivalry on the hardwood.

The Wolverines and Spartans just don’t like each other. And that’s only going to get worse with Juwan Howard in charge.