'There's no such thing as being tired:' MSU, UM still with work to do ahead of rivalry matchup
Mar. 4—For the better part of the last couple weeks, it's been fair to say both Michigan State and Michigan have had specific goals.
For the Spartans, it's been about clawing their way back into the NCAA Tournament picture, picking up a handful of huge wins to try and extend their 22-year streak to 23 in a season that has been anything but easy.
For the Wolverines, it's been about locking up their first Big Ten championship since 2014 and securing a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Little else has likely entered their minds, and while each team is still trying to mark those goals off the list, COVID-19 has created a quirk in the schedule that offers up a little spice to the final push for each team.
There won't be a Big Ten title on the line like there was two years ago when the rivals met on the final day of the regular season, but facing each other in back-to-back games — beginning Thursday night in Ann Arbor and culminating Sunday in East Lansing — over a four-day period will do nothing but ramp up the intensity of a series that has hardly been lacking in that category.
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"I don't think you have to remind them, but I also think it's such a different year," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said on Wednesday. "Everybody knows the rivalry, but in all honesty (the emotion) lasts a little bit of time. When you play in front of your fans, maybe it lasts a little longer, but that only carries you through the first couple minutes of the game and then it's dog eat dog. Reality sets in quick.
"So, I think anytime you play in a rivalry game, it doesn't just count one. That's pretty normal. But I also think that we've been in a position of playing so many big games, and now we might be playing the best of the best. They've had a hell of a year and have earned the right to be called a Final Four contender and a No. 1 seed. I have been there before and it's something that is earned, and they've earned it."
There's no doubt Michigan (18-2, 13-2 Big Ten) has earned its standing this season. The loss Tuesday night to Illinois aside, the Wolverines have proven they're one of the best teams in the nation, overcoming a three-week COVID shutdown and barely missing a step.
The loss to Illinois, another one of the country's top teams, was ugly, but it hardly is an indictment of the Wolverines' season.
"I'd say everybody's due to have what I would consider an off night," Izzo said of Michigan's loss.
Michigan State (14-10, 8-10) has earned its place, too, though it's not as lofty as Michigan's and not a position the Spartans have been in often. The win over Indiana on Tuesday bolstered the resume, but getting a win in one of the final two games against the Wolverines would lock up an NCAA bid. Fail there, and the Spartans will likely need at least one win next week at the Big Ten tournament.
"That's exactly what we talked about five or six games ago," Izzo said, reflecting on a three-game run that included wins over Indiana, Illinois and Ohio State. "We did have one of those elephant in the room meetings and talked about it later down the line. I didn't make a big deal about it then because I didn't want all that pressure on the players. But, we do believe here that pressure is a privilege."
And that privilege has returned. The first win over Indiana opened some eyes and the back-to-back top-five wins over Illinois and Ohio State changed the direction of the season. Michigan State was worn out in the loss at Maryland on Sunday and fought through fatigue to get past Indiana on Tuesday, something that will continue to be a factor against Michigan.
The question is, how much will be left in the tank against not only a rival, but arguably the best team in the country?
"I just keep telling my guys there's no such thing as being tired," Izzo said. "That's kind of the battle cry we've used and somehow, someway you've got to reach down. True champions, great players, they find a way to rise to the occasion and we're asking a lot of these players. But I'm pleased with where they are and we'll only find out (Thursday) night."
The question surrounding the Wolverines is how much the loss to Illinois will affect how they enter the final two games of the season. Michigan has been remarkably consistent this season, which made the one-sided nature of the loss to the Fighting Illini surprising, to say the least.
"Right now, I'm not even thinking about Thursday," Michigan coach Juwan Howard said postgame. "I'm thinking about what just happened ... it's still fresh in my mind this one. Any loss that you encounter throughout the season, it always hurts."
Could the Wolverines have already been thinking about a Big Ten title? Were they thinking about Michigan State. Had thoughts wandered to the postseason?
"I hope that wasn't in people's heads," Isaiah Livers said. "That would make a lot of sense why what happened during the game but other than that, I didn't hear much chatter about it. Guys were locked in, focused. We did a lot of talking, we didn't do a lot of acting on the court. You could see that watching the game getting blown out on national TV.
"We're going to bounce back. 'Competitors only,' like Coach Howard said. We're going to get back in the lab, watch film and learn from our mistakes."
Recent history in the series probably doesn't matter. Michigan State had won four in a row in the series before Michigan's win in early February last year. Add in the fact the rosters have changed significantly and it's tough to know what will happen until the teams take the court.
The matchups favor Michigan. Hunter Dickinson, the 7-foot-1 freshman, has been dominant at times while the Wolverines keep coming with Livers, Franz Wagner and Eli Brooks as well as point guard Mike Smith and forward Chaundee Brown, a pair of transfers who have made a seamless transition.
The Spartans have taken longer to come together, but Aaron Henry has been outstanding in recent weeks while senior Joshua Langford and junior Gabe Brown are making timely shots. And a more physical style of defense in the post has paid off, something that could be critical in defending Dickinson.
It all adds up to a game that might be hard to predict, but certainly won't be lacking in intrigue. And, when these teams come together, there will be no shortage of emotion, regardless of what's at stake or what has taken place to this point.
"They're going to be locked in either way, and I think we are, too," Izzo said. "Michigan is going to be fired up if they had won or lost, and probably so will Michigan State. It will be interesting to see who can bring it, who can sustain it for 40 minutes."
Twitter: @mattcharboneau
Michigan State at No. 2 Michigan — Tip-off: 7 p.m. Thursday, Crisler Center, Ann Arbor — TV/radio: ESPN/WJR 760, WWJ 950 — Records: Michigan State 14-10, 8-10 Big Ten; Michigan 18-2, 13-2 — Outlook: This is the first of back-to-back games to close the regular season after the Feb. 6 game was postponed because of Michigan's COVID shutdown. ... In the last 10 games, Michigan State junior Aaron Henry is averaging 18.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists, while shooting 48.3%. ... Michigan's Hunter Dickinson, a seven-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, leads UM in scoring (14.4), rebounding (7.7), blocks (31) and field-goal percentage (.600).
