This game is huge no matter what but, adding to the importance, first place in the Big Ten will be on the line Friday night when Michigan comes to the Breslin Center.
Thanks to Michigan State’s comeback
and overtime escape at Rutgers and Michigan’s home win over Nebraska on Tuesday, MSU, UM, and the Huskers are 9-1 in conference as we move to the second half of the Big Ten season.
This will be the first meeting between the rivals since a 79-62 Spartan win closed out the 2025 regular season last March. This was the Spartans’ “defend the logo” game, which ended in a shoving match between MSU’s Tre Holloman and Michigan’s L.J. Cason and Phat Phat Brooks. Cason, however, is the only player from that trio who will be on the floor when the teams renew the rivalry. Holloman shocked Spartan fans by transferring to NC State while Brooks wound up at Central Michigan.
Both teams, however, have adjusted quite well to those departures and others. The Spartans’ Jase Richardson and Michigan’s Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf competed against each other last year but are all in the NBA now. Despite these departures, to this point, both teams are even better than they were last season. The Spartans are 19-2 overall while Michigan has suffered just a single loss – a home upset against Wisconsin – alongside their 19 wins.
Let’s take a closer look at the Wolverines.
Michigan Overview
After blowing out Oakland to start their season, Michigan had a couple of close wins against Wake Forest and TCU before going on an absolute tear. Over their next ten games, the Wolverines’ smallest margin of victory was 18 points and they scored over 100 points six times en route to a 13-0 start.
Although Michigan has still been very impressive since that opening run, things have tightened up just a bit lately. UM got to 14-0 with a two point win at Penn State (something the Spartans can relate to) and then suffered the loss to Wisconsin. Michigan responded by winning their next five, each by double digits. However, instead of winning by 30 or 40 like they were regularly in the beginning of the season, these recent victories were only in the 10-14 point range.
This set up Tuesday’s showdown against previously unbeaten Nebraska, where Michigan came back to claim a 75-72 win in Ann Arbor.
As one might expect, a team doesn’t get to 19-1 without assembling some impressive statistics but Michigan has been almost unreal so far this year. Special thanks to Mike Sautter of HurrDat Sports who presented the following before the UM-Nebraska game:
- Michigan has the best two-point field goal percentage in the nation at 64.3%.
- According to KenPom, they are 8th in adjusted offensive efficiency (126) and second in adjusted defensive efficiency (90.1).
- UM is second in effective field goal percentage defense, first in defensive field goal percentage, and fifth in blocked shot percentage.
- And if all of this wasn’t enough, according to Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg, Michigan averages 1.5 ten point runs per game.
Michigan Rotation
The Wolverines go nine players deep and send out the following transferliscious starting lineup:
- #23 F – Yaxel Lendeborg, 6-9, SR, JC and UAB transfer, first year at UM, 14.4 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 51.4% FG
- #21 F – Morez Johnson, 6-9, SO, Illinois transfer, first year at UM, 13.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 68.7% FG
- #15 C – Aday Mara, 7-3, JR, UCLA transfer, first year at UM, 10.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 67.7% FG
- #3 G – Elliot Cadeau, 6-1. JR, UNC transfer, first year at UM, 10.3 ppg, 5.2 apg, 45.1% FG
- #4 G – Nimari Burnett, 6-5, SR, Texas Tech & Alabama transfer, third year at UM, 8.6 ppg, 47.4% FG
This is obviously a very balanced scoring attack and Michigan can strike from inside and out. Mara’s size can be a problem for most defenders. Johnson also does a lot of damage near the basket and, while certainly not a high-volume shooter from deep, has hit on four of his 10 three point attempts this year. The Wolverines’ bigger three points threats are Burnett (39.2%) and Cadeau (41.6%) who is a much improved shooter from his North Carolina days.
Lendeborg, however, is Michigan’s best player and can score from anywhere on the floor. He’s also their most experienced, having played three years in junior college and two years at Alabama-Birmingham before joining Michigan this season.
Cadeau has experienced Duke-North Carolina but, with four of UM’s five starters in their first year in Ann Arbor, it will be interesting so see how they respond to the intensity.
Like the Spartans, Michigan gets a lot of production from their bench:
- #42 F – Will Tschetter, 6-8, SR, 4.8 ppg, 39.4% FG
- #2 G – L.J. Cason, 6-2, SO, 7.5 ppg, 47.5% FG
- #11 G – Roddy Gayle, 6-5, SR, Ohio State transfer, second year at UM, 9.0 ppg, 48% FG
- #1 G – Trey McKenney, 6-4, FR, 9.9 ppg, 47.2% FG
McKenney is a familiar name to Michigan State fans, having spurned the Spartans to sign with UM. The freshman has carved out a significant role in Ann Arbor in playing 20 minutes per game and helping the Wolverines stretch the floor with his 36% three point shooting.
Michigan Coaching
Dusty May is in his second year as head coach at UM and has wasted little time in improving the Wolverines. Michigan went 27-10 last year, tied for second place in the Big Ten regular season standings, won the Big Ten tournament, and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Michigan fell to Auburn in the Big Dance and came up one game short of an Elite Eight matchup with the Spartans that would have exploded the college basketball scene in the state.
May was relatively inexperienced, but successful, as head coach before coming to Ann Arbor. He recorded 126 wins in six seasons at Florida Atlantic and took the Owls to the 2023 Final Four.
May was an assistant at six different programs, beginning in 2005, before breaking in as the head coach at FAU in 2018.
Keys to the Game for MSU
Let’s start with turnovers. Again. It seems like this has been a bit of a recurring theme in recent previews. The Spartans can’t have a night like they did at Nebraska or the first half on Tuesday at Rutgers. Especially with Michigan’s ability to go on runs.
I hate it, but Michigan is a very good team and they are probably going to have some spurts on Friday. If nothing else at Rutgers, the Spartans showed that they won’t fold in the face of adversity but a bunch of turnovers combined with UM’s explosiveness has the potential for A LOT of adversity.
Matchups. And which team’s best player is going to play the best? Lendeborg seems to get the most attention for Michigan, and deservedly so. But he’s not necessarily a guy that’s going to “go off”. His season high is 29 and he’s scored over 20 three times but it seems like he’s generally a very consistent producer in the 12-17 point range. Here’s guessing that Coen Carr will primarily match up with Lendeborg. If MSU can keep Lendeborg somewhere around his average – and if Coen’s stat sheet can come somewhat close to Lendeborg – then these might be a good signs for MSU.
And, for MSU, Jeremy Fears is coming off a monster second half to help save the Spartans at Rutgers. Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper have certainly been stellar, but Fears is who really makes MSU go. Cadeau has been very good for UM, but Michigan State should have the advantage here. However, they’ll need start to finish production from Fears. If he doesn’t really show up until the second half, then it’s going to be really tough for the Spartans.
Rebounding and the Bigs. If MSU can hold their own with Lendeborg, and Fears has the game we know he can, then the key matchup might be in the interior with the 7’-3” Mara. Cooper likely starts out on Mara while Kohler matches up with Johnson – who scored 17 against the Spartans in Champaign last year when he was with Illinois. Mara has a size advantage, but Cooper’s physicality should provide a challenge. Given how often Michigan blocks shots, it might be tough for Kohler and Cooper to create good interior looks.
Finally, Michigan is first in the Big Ten in defensive rebounding while MSU is second in offensive rebounding. This could be the battle that decides the game.
Tip off is at 8 PM Eastern Friday on Fox. Go Green!
