Michigan State basketball: 3 keys to victory at Michigan

Michigan State basketball is looking to complete the season sweep of Michigan and here’s what the Spartans need to do.

Game two in the heated rivalry between Michigan State basketball and Michigan is finally here. The Spartans dominated game one 81-62, but the Wolverines have revenge on their minds. There is a lot at stake as Michigan wants to play the role of spoiler while MSU wants to prove they are the far better team this season.

Here are my three keys that will help ensure it’s MSU that comes away with the victory.

1. Stop Dug McDaniel

Michigan star guard Dug McDaniel did not play in the first meeting in East Lansing as he was serving a road game suspension at the time. He is the guy for Michigan’s offense and arguably their best player. He is their leading scorer at 16.8 points per game and is someone that can get hot fast.

Michigan likely can’t win this game unless Dug plays extremely well. That’s why it’s so important for Michigan State to contain him. Dug also is the focal point of this offense, so if he’s playing poorly that will impact the rest of their offense.

Thankfully for MSU, the guards’ defense is one of their strong suits. All of the Spartan guards are capable defenders and will likely guard Dug at times. I think MSU’s guards will be up to the take and will do an excellent job containing him all game.

2. Get off to a fast start

This goes without saying for every game, but it’s even more important on Saturday. Michigan State needs to get off to a fast start. The Wolverines are one of the worst second half teams in the Big Ten. Conversely, they are actually a really solid first half team. So if MSU can have even a slim lead at the half, it’ll have a great chance of winning.

But getting off to a fast start is also important as it will likely kill Michigan’s hopes. Michigan doesn’t have anything else to play for this year other than being a spoiler to other teams’ seasons. This game is the biggest game left on their schedule, so they undoubtedly will be highly motivated and ready to go. But if Michigan State can jump out to an early lead, that could quickly end Michigan’s chances of winning this game.

As mentioned, Michigan has nothing to play for. The Wolverines’ season is going nowhere whether they win or lose. So their motivation to push hard for a comeback will be gone very fast if MSU jumps out to an early lead.

3. Get out and run

The Michigan State offense operates so much better when they are effectively running in transition. We saw it in action earlier this week in their win at Penn State as MSU dominated the Nittany Lions in transition.

When the Spartans get out and run, everything opens up for this offense, including getting their post players involved. The Spartans don’t have many options down low with their bigs in a traditional post up sense, but they can get their bigs involved in transition. We saw this with Carson Cooper who got a few easy buckets in transition against Penn State, which helped him get to 10 points. This is the best and easiest way to get our bigs some points they desperately need.

Also, I don’t think Michigan has the depth to hang with MSU. So the more tired Michigan State can make them, the better. The Spartans have plenty of depth when their starters need a break, but Michigan doesn’t really have that right now. So the faster the pace is in this game, the better it is for MSU.

The Spartans have a chance to sweep the season series with Michigan for the first time since 2019. In a season when Michigan is very bad and Michigan State basketball still has work to do to guarantee its NCAA Tournament spot, this is a game the Spartans absolutely must win. It doesn’t have to be pretty, but as long as they win you won’t hear any complaints from me.