After a dismal road trip where the Wolverines were outscored by 49 points over two games, Michigan returns home to host Michigan State on Saturday night. It’s an 8 p.m. national broadcast on FOX and scheduled Maize Out in Ann Arbor.
The sort of night that should be one of the best of the season but simply isn’t. Michigan is 8-17 and has lost seven of its last eight games by double figures. The get-in price on secondary ticket markets starts at $35, which means there will likely be as much green and white in attendance as the Crisler Center has seen in years.
Michigan State arrives in Ann Arbor after winning seven of its last nine games. The Spartans have an underwhelming NCAA Tournament resume short on signature wins, but their computer rankings have been sterling all season long. They are ranked 15th nationally in adjusted efficiency, a whopping 19 spots ahead of the next-best team with nine or more losses.
They are a balanced unit that has outscored Big Ten foes by 5.5 points per 100 possessions with the No. 6 offense (1.11 PPP) and No. 5 defense (1.05 PPP) in the league.
In this preview
- Hall vs. Nkamhoua matchup is pivotal
- Post-up offense was OK, ball screen offense needs to be better
- Take away the easy stuff
- Bottom Line
Preview
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