The Michigan Wolverines have been one of the most impressive teams in college basketball this season and were ranked number one in the Associated Press Top 25 two weeks ago before losing to Indiana.
The Wolverines will try to continue their strong play as they take on their rival Michigan State Spartans in East Lansing. The Wolverines are coming off of a tough loss against Wisconsin in overtime, while the Spartans are coming into the game after a 78-65 win over Purdue.
For the first time since 1998, Michigan comes into the game ranked higher than the Spartans. The last time the two teams met was in February of last year when Michigan State defeated the Wolverines 64-54 for the 12th time in 13 games.
"I don't feel threatened," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo told the team's official website. "I think it's the way it's supposed to be, the way it should be and I think the good news is; I don't think we've really come down much -- we've maintained something for 16 years now, and that's pretty tough to do."
Trey Burke has been fantastic all season for the Wolverines, leading the team in scoring and assists with 18.2 points and 7.1 dimes per game. Burke has 19 points on Saturday in the loss to Wisconsin, shooting just 8-of-21 from the field. Michigan will need to rely on him to play well to defeat the Spartans.
"When I first got here one of the things that people were talking about was Michigan-Michigan State," said Wolverines coach John Beilein, who is in his sixth season. "I said 'wouldn't it be great if both teams could be really, really good?' I think we've moved more in that direction, and they've certainly have been that way for a long time."
The Wolverines have gone 8-3 in the Big Ten and were very hot before losing two of the past three games, losing only once to Ohio State since starting the season. The team has three losses now but they are still in good position to take the top spot in the Big Ten, as they are only one game behind Indiana and can gain a game on the Spartans by beating them.
The team has been one of the highest scoring in the country, averaging 77 points per game, ranked 20th in Division I. The rebounding has been mediocre, ranking 116th in the nation, but the team has been stellar passing the ball and they rank sixth in the nation with a 49 percent field goal percentage.
Last year the Wolverines went 24-10 and finished tied for first in the Big Ten with a 13-5 record. Michigan had a disappointing finish to the season, losing in the first round 65-60 to Ohio.
Michigan State is averaging just under 70 points per game, but the team has played some solid defense over the past week, holding Minnesota to 50 points in a win on Feb. 6. The team is shooting the lights out, ranked 35th in field goal percentage, while the rebounding is at 68th in the country.
Junior Keith Appling has been the key for the Spartans, leading the team in scoring and assists with 14 points and four dimes per game. The Spartans have won three straight games and are 14-0 at home, while the Wolverines are coming off of a tough loss and are 4-3 on the road this season.
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