Michigan Basketball: Why Wolverines will be better than Michigan State in 2020-21

Can Michigan Basketball be better than rival Michigan State for the 2020-21 season?

Although Wisconsin and Maryland kept their hands on the belt as well as regular-season champions, all other Big Ten basketball teams consequently fell below Michigan State last year, including their interstate rivals: the Michigan Wolverines. But despite Michigan State’s superiority from a big picture standpoint, the pair split their regular-season matchups, with the Spartans taking the initial game during early January, only for the Wolverines to bounce back and secure a win for themselves a month later.

Thanks to a career-high 32 points from Cassius Winston, Michigan State coasted to a home victory, rarely meeting any serious opposition from Michigan as they went on to win 87-69. But once supported by a loud and exuberant yellow sea roaring behind them, the Wolverines secured an upset victory behind 11 three-pointers and a solid 16-point, eight-assist, and four-rebound game from Xavier Simpson.

But once closing last year’s book and preparing to bind together next year’s, Michigan State’s bears some notable losses which include not only Winston but also Kyle Ahrens and Conner George. Xavier Tilman and Aaron Henry may depart the program as well, but their futures remain still undecided at this point with the NBA Draft pushed back. As for the Wolverines, they lose Simpson and John Teske, who combined for 24.5 PPG last year. The team also still awaits a decision from junior forward Isaiah Livers.

But regardless, most basketball minds expect both programs to play at high levels next year, likely warranted by each team’s returning players as well as incoming players. But once critically examining these factors as well as a few others, Michigan Basketball begins to separate themselves from their rivals, giving reason to forecast a new winner during both head-to-head matchups and across the conference standings.