3 Keys to Victory for MSU Basketball against Michigan
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The biggest game of Michigan State's season is almost here.
Seventh-ranked MSU (19-2 overall, 9-1 Big Ten) is headed into a heavyweight battle against No. 3 Michigan (19-1, 9-1). The 197th all-time meeting between these two schools on the hardwood is set to be one of the most anticipated chapters yet.
As the record indicates, the Wolverines are very, very good. There have been points where it has felt like the UM is the best team in the country. Michigan has looked much more vulnerable in January, though. It's coming off a three-point home win over No. 5 Nebraska, but the Wolverines trailed for much of that game, and the Cornhuskers were without two of their top three scorers.
Michigan State, of course, also narrowly avoided defeat against lowly Rutgers on Tuesday. The past doesn't really matter much for this game, though. It'll be a big challenge no matter what. But for MSU, these three things feel like musts if the Spartans want a rivalry win.
Big Stay out of Foul Trouble
This is a serious must. Michigan might have the best frontcourt in the country, with its top three scorers all being either forwards or centers. Yaxel Lendeborg (14.2 points per game), Morez Johnson Jr. (13.9 points), and Aday Mara (10.9 points) all either play at the four or the five often.
Michigan State is going to struggle a bit to match that size. The Spartans absolutely need to have Jaxon Kohler and/or Carson Cooper on the floor as much as possible. Playing without fouling is critical in any college basketball game with the five-foul limit. Arms must remain straight up when defending in the post, and Kohler and Cooper must be sure to set their feet and square up when setting a screen.
Control the Pace
MSU would be wise to try to control the pace of this game as best it can. The Spartans love to try and score on the fastbreak, and are quite good at it, but when an immediate opportunity is not there, Michigan State is perfectly content with nearly using the entire 30-second shot clock to find a shot.
Michigan... not so much. On KenPom, the Wolverines' adjusted tempo is 11th in the country; MSU's is 277th. The average UM possession only lasts 14.7 seconds, the fourth-lowest number in college basketball. Forcing Michigan to run its full, half-court offense as much as possible would play into the Spartans' strategy.
Limit Turnovers
Michigan State also needs to do a better job of protecting the basketball. This was a severe problem against Rutgers, where the Spartans turned it over 15 times. During Big Ten play, the Spartans are dead last in the conference in turnover percentage (20.4%).
Against a team as good as Michigan, MSU simply cannot afford to give possessions away. A lot of this responsibility needs to fall on the Spartans' bigs, who have struggled with handling and passing out of double teams all season.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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