The countdown to tip-off has already begun, and we’re mere hours away from the biggest Michigan vs. Michigan State basketball game in years.
Michigan is 19-1 on the season and fresh off a top-five win over Nebraska while Michigan State is 19-2 and coming off an overtime win over a bad Rutgers team. Vegas has the Wolverines favored by 1.5, but Tom Izzo isn’t going to let Dusty May march into the Breslin Center and steal a win on his 71st birthday.
Here’s why I think the Spartans win.
1. Jeremy Fears
Is one player enough of a reason? When he’s playing as well as Jeremy Fears has over the past month, yes. He’s currently the best player on one of the best teams in the Big Ten and the top defensive unit in the country. He’a good enough to change an entire game — just ask Rutgers.
Over the past month, Fears is averaging over 18 points and over eight assists per game. He’s become the Big Ten Player of the Year front-runner — defensive player of the year, too.
We saw Fears feed off the crowd’s energy for the rivalry game a year ago, and it only took a few seconds into that game for him to really feel himself. I’m expecting much of the same in this one, only he now has the ability to take over. I’ll take the team that’s led by Fears.
2. Clunker out of the system at the perfect time
Michigan State got its clunker out of the way at the exact right time.
With the Spartans on cruise control for a few weeks with six straight double-digit Big Ten wins, it felt like nothing could go wrong. That’s always dangerous for a team, though. All teams need to face adversity once in a while to remind them that they’re still human and beatable. Rutgers taught Michigan State that lesson three days ago — just in time for the huge rivalry showdown.
Getting that ugly game out of the system right before facing Michigan is huge because the team is hungrier than ever to make sure that doesn’t happen again, especially not against the Wolverines.
We’ll see a much more poised and motivated team on Friday night.
3. The Breslin will be a powder keg
There may be no louder venue in the country than the Breslin Center on Friday night. It doesn’t get nearly enough credit for how tough of a place it is to play — just ask Vegas who the favorite is.
When that first Coen Carr dunk rocks the rim, the crowd is going to erupt and these Wolverines haven’t seen an environment quite this hostile. That’s going to show as the Wolverines will make some mistakes they normally wouldn’t because the atmosphere will have them rattled.
They’ll settle in, but the Breslin Center crowd is going to fuel the Spartans and work against Michigan in a very clear way.
Plus, the crowd is going to have a little extra energy due to the fact that it’s Izzo’s birthday.
That place will be ready to explode from the get-go. A little Michigan State momentum will go a long way.