Prior to Sunday's 64-54 victory by the Michigan State Spartans over their arch-rival, the University of Michigan Wolverines, the Skunkbears had beaten MSU three straight times. Some Michigan fans had gotten full of themselves and spouted the usual drivel about how things will be restored to their "rightful order" of Michigan dominating MSU. Sunday's game, which was more one-sided than the score would indicate, certainly puts the kabosh on that nonsense.
For one thing, Michigan has not won a Big Ten basketball title since 1986, while the Spartans have won a national championship and been to six Final Fours since 1999. Michigan basketball is far more competitive and respectable now than it was in the down years of 2000-2008. The Wolverines have been to the NCAA Tournament twice in the last three years, and are likely to make it this season, too. But the corn-n-blue has a long way to go to be as dominant as MSU.
Sunday, Spartan forward Draymond Green, partially hobbled by a sprained knee, scored 14 points and snagged 16 rebounds -- as many as the entire Wolverines team. Indeed, the Spartans outrebounded Michigan 40-16 and scored many of their points on second or third chances after grabbing offensive rebounds. Michigan, as it often does, took a lot of 3-point shots (22) but only made 7 of them.
Many Michigan fans feared their team would tail off considerably at point guard after sophomore Darius Morris left the team to enter the 2011 NBA draft. But freshman point guard Trey Burke has turned into a phenomenal player, helping Michigan fans to forget Morris. Still, while Burke has been a pleasant surprise, sophomore forward Tim Hardaway Jr. has regressed badly. Some people believe there might be tension or poor communications between the two.
Meanwhile, the Spartans have exceeded expectations, with senior Green leading the way, freshmen such as Branden Dawson and Travis Trice showing flashes of brilliance, and slimmed down Derrick Nix dominating in the low post.
Both the Wolverines and Spartans play four of their final eight conference games at home. MSU must face the conference's best team, Ohio State, twice. The Spartans and Wolverines might meet again in the Big Ten Tournament in March. Meantime, Spartan fans are feeling good about their team rebounding from a hideous loss at Illinois on Jan. 31 with a good old fashioned butt-kicking of a rival.
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