Big Ten Basketball: A look at Michigan and Michigan State’s first month of 2019-20

Michigan and Michigan State each started this season at different viewpoints. But have one surpassed the other through November?

Michigan State and Michigan fan bases are not too thrilled with their football teams entering December as both programs failed to meet their fan’s high expectations. Even though the Spartans won their last two games, their fans are not too happy with going 6-6 and playing in a lower-tier December bowl game. The Wolverines did win nine games this season and are ranked in the top 25 but after losing at home to Ohio State and more than likely playing in the Holiday Bowl as opposed to a New Year’s Six bowl game, the Michigan fan base is disappointed in their football teams season.

However, there is hope as both basketball teams are playing really well and here is why both fan bases should be thrilled about their basketball programs for the month of December.

There are many things that have transpired during the month of November for both Michigan and Michigan State basketball. The Spartans have numerous things to be thankful for as well do the Wolverines who have many things to be thankful for entering December non-conference play and the upcoming ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights for both teams as their fans may have been too busy stressing out about their football teams to fully notice and appreciate the progress and early season achievements of their basketball teams.

Michigan State

• Won two out of three games in the tough and competitive Maui Invitational
• Defeated Top 15 ranked Seton Hall on the road in the Gavitt Games Tipoff
• Five of their first seven games were against Kentucky, Georgia, UCLA, Seton Hall, and Virginia Teach and enter December at 5-2 and still ranked No. 3 in both the AP and Coaches Poll the last two weeks of November.
• The Spartans for their difficult schedule and ability to win the majority of their games in November was ranked No. 1 in the Pomeroy college basketball rankings for the vast majority of the month of November.

Michigan

• The Wolverines beat two top 10 ranked teams in Gonzaga and North Carolina in back to back games.
• Michigan won the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis tournament after winning three impressive games in beating quality competition in all three tournament games.
• They have started the season undefeated at 7-0 and look to be one of the few select teams to go from being not ranked in the top 25 one week and being ranked in the top 10 the following week.
• Michigan has risen to the occasion with a 1st-year college head coach in Juwan Howard and has the rest of the nation noticing that this Wolverine team is possibly a Final Four contending team.

Michigan State and Michigan have a great rivalry going on as of the past decade but they should cheer on one another. In non-conference play, the better the Big Ten teams play overall will only benefit Big Ten teams coming seeding time for the NCAA Tournament. Both teams have huge games coming up in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Michigan State hosts top-5 ranked Duke and Michigan travels to play at Louisville who could be ranked No. 1 when the new polls come out this week. If the Spartans and Wolverines win their big game this week, then both fan bases should be ecstatic moving forward.

As mentioned earlier, both fan bases are disappointed to various degrees with their football team’s overall record this season. However, both fan bases at this point of the season though early, should be looking at their teams making the Final Four in Atlanta this upcoming April.

Both teams are capable and both programs have and will continue to play very tough non-conference games. They will be battle-tested for Big Ten play and both fans should expect great things this season from their teams to brighten up the holiday season.