Michigan coach Dusty May led the No. 3 Wolverines to an epic 75-72 win over the previously unbeaten No. 5 Nebraska Cornhuskers at Crisler Center on Tuesday evening. The win improved the Wolverines to 19-1 for the season and catapulted them back to the top of the Big Ten standings.
After the thrilling win over Nebraska, Michigan will turn its sights on the rivalry game against No. 7 Michigan State at the Breslin Center on Friday.
Dusty May Prepares Michigan for MSU Challenge
During his postgame news conference, May had no time to revel in the win over one of his team’s biggest rivals for the conference title, as he prepares for an even bigger rivalry game against Michigan State.
“I mean, this game prepares us for that one,” May said. “We know how difficult it’s going to be. All of us in the locker room that were here last year, we certainly can attest to that. Like I said, there certainly isn’t going to be anything easy about Friday night. It’s a game that means a lot for a number of reasons.
“Obviously, the rivalry, the fans, I think we’re both capable of winning a Big Ten championship. Obviously, a lot is on the line, and we’ve got to find a way to get on the road and play a little bit better and get over that hump.”
After losing to Nebraska in early January, Michigan State (19-2) is on a seven-game winning streak. The Spartans are one of three teams, alongside the Cornhuskers and Wolverines, favored to compete for the Big Ten title.
Tom Izzo Wary of Michigan Challenge
The Spartans were pushed to the limit by the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (9-12) on Monday evening, who led for most of the second half, before an overtime heave by Michigan State closed out the game 88-79 in overtime.
During his postgame news conference, coach Tom Izzo did not mince words about his team’s performance ahead of the Michigan challenge.
“Got a quick turnaround now, but we’re going to try to learn on the way home on the plane,” Izzo said. “I’m going to have guys watch film, and when we get home tomorrow, it’s move on to Michigan. But we got to learn from this game because there were some things we did early that were not very good.
“To win championships, or to win a lot of games, you got to be good. But then, every now and then, you got to be lucky. Tonight, we’ll put that one on the lucky side. We were lucky.”
The outcome of Friday’s Big Ten marquee matchup between May’s Michigan and Izzo’s Michigan State will likely determine the destination of the Big Ten regular-season title, with Nebraska still on the fringes of the title fight.
