Michigan’s starting five consists of only one player who’s ever been a part of the Michigan State rivalry. And when graduate guard Nimari Burnett took to the podium Thursday ahead of the game, he got right to what this will mean for him.
“Number one for me,” Burnett said Thursday when asked how this rivalry compares to the ones he’s been a part of. “I’ve been a part of some great rivalries. One particularly in the SEC, but this one trumps it all. I’m super excited for, as I always am, and I’m 0-4 against this team in general, 0-2 at the Breslin. Looking to change that tomorrow.”
Burnett, one of the few holdovers from the Juwan Howard era along with graduate forward Will Tschetter, is more versed in the in-state rivalry than most of the Wolverines’ transfer-ridden roster. Tschetter arguably bests Burnett, having played in five losses and one win against the Spartans.
The most fresh, stinging wounds happened last year. So throw senior guard Roddy Gayle Jr. and sophomore guard L.J. Cason — who notably was involved in a scuffle at the end of the meeting in Breslin Center last year — into the list of Michigan players seeking a long-awaited win in this rivalry.
“I didn’t really, didn’t understand the intensity and kind of the passion that it was until we played in it last year,” Gayle said. “Obviously, being in the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry, that was something that I looked up to, and also just kind of seeing it.
“But the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry is so much more. Just the level of intensity you need to bring to that game. The tougher, more physical and more connected team is going to be the one that wins, no matter location, no matter where it is and who’s coaching. That’s just how it’s been forever.”
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