So far, this has been an up-and-down year for Coach Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans. The team has one win against ranked opponents, an early season double overtime victory over the Kentucky Wildcats. Their losses against Gonzaga and Alabama were not especially damaging because each of those programs is enjoying success this season. However, losses to teams like Notre Dame and Northwestern are not the type of performances that Spartans fans have grown accustomed to.
Currently, the Spartans are on the outside looking in on College Basketball’s Top 25 rankings. This is an unusual position for a program that has made eight Final Four appearances under their current head coach. The expectations in East Lansing are that the team will compete for a Big Ten Championship every season, qualify for March Madness, and make a deep tournament run. Anything less would be unheard of.
The Oakland Golden Grizzlies are off to a 2-10 start. A win against Michigan State could turn their season around.
The Oakland University Grizzlies, on the other hand, have not qualified for the NCAA Division 1 Basketball Tournament since 2011. Over the years, only five players who hailed from their university have gone on to play in the NBA. To put it simply, expectations in Auburn Hills are not the same as they are in East Lansing.
On Wednesday, the Grizzlies will get an opportunity to make their best statement of the season when they engage in a road contest against the heavily favored Spartans. Let’s take a closer look at what the Oakland Grizzles must do in order to pull off the upset.