The Michigan Wolverines open 2020 with a road game at Michigan State on Sunday. What can they do to get a huge win over their rival?
Michigan Basketball was one of the biggest surprises in the first half of the season, while the Spartans might have been one of the bigger disappointments. They try and show they are both still at the top of the Big Ten when they meet on Sunday afternoon in East Lansing.
The Wolverines are coming off two easy non-conference wins after a brutal seven games stretch that saw them lose three times. The Spartans have quietly won six straight games and are the only Big Ten team to win on the road so far this season. Even with their five wins, they haven’t looked as dominant as the experts thought they would. They barely got by Rutgers and Northwestern in their first two conference games.
Michigan will be playing their second straight game without starting forward Isaiah Livers who is out indefinitely with a groin injury. He was off to a great start and was one of the best three-point shooters in the conference and it will be tough for the Wolverines to replace.
The Wolverine is looking to win a true road game for the first time this season. They lost at then number one Louisville and at Illinois in their first road Big Ten game. Those two losses combined with an overtime loss at home against Oregon have made many think if the Wolverines championship in the Bahamas was a fluke.
Michigan will look to show they are no fluke and get a rare win at East Lansing when they try to avenge three losses to the Spartans from last year.
So what do the Wolverines need to do to get the win? We take a look at three keys for Michigan to get the win on the road.