Whenever the MSU and Michigan men's basketball teams have met during the last decade, the stakes have rarely been anything more than bragging rights. The Spartans have won 13 of their last 15 meetings and usually have a spot in the NCAA Tournament wrapped up by the time "that school down the road" comes up on the schedule.
But tonight's game (9 p.m. at Breslin Center) features much bigger implications than the rivalry has seen in a while. With both teams jockeying for position in the middle of the Big Ten and clawing hard for a spot in the tournament, MSU is seeing things through maize-and-blue colored glasses for a change.
"It hasn't had maybe the aura (in past years)," MSU men's basketball head coach Tom Izzo said. "(But) it's still the rivalry game, still as big a game that I'll coach in."
For the Spartans (17-8 overall, 4-6 Big Ten), the stakes are obvious. They're trying to snap their first four-game losing streak in more than five years. They're playing their first of four straight home games — they'll likely need to win at least three to get in the tournament.
But tonight's game may mean even more to the Wolverines. Their record is respectable — 17-8 overall, 5-5 in the Big Ten — but has the substance of a political debate with Jessica Simpson. Their most notable victories came against Illinois and Purdue, they're only 2-6 on the road and they've been pounded by most of the elite teams they have played. A win tonight would provide serious stability for a postseason bid.
U-M's win against Minnesota on Saturday showed why it's dangerous. Guard Dion Harris, the Wolverines' leading scorer, hit shots from all over the court en route to a career-high 27 points, and forward Brent Petway added a career-high 18, including several momentum-changing dunks.
But that game also showed why U-M has struggled. The Wolverines trailed the Golden Gophers by nine at halftime and needed a near-perfect second half just to win by two. That recurring inconsistency has been the Wolverines' biggest problem.
"If you don't think this is a talented Michigan team, then you haven't seen them," Izzo said. "Have they had breakdowns? Sure they have. You question how Harris can go 0-for-10 one night and score 29 and look like an NBA first-round pick the other night.
"The way I have to look at it is, whatever they did once, they can do again."
