(East Lansing) – Twelve wins next season would be considered a step in the right
direction for the Michigan men’s basketball team.
Fast forward to Jan. 26, 2003 and you’ll find the Wolverines on top of the Big Ten
with a perfect record and winners of 12 straight.
The Wolverines (12-6 overall, 5-0 Big Ten) are where many expected to see the MSU at
this point of the year, but the Spartans (10-7, 2-3) have stumbled out of the blocks and
have not met theirs or anyone’s expectations yet.
The two intrastate battles will meet Sunday afternoon at Crisler Arena in the 153rd
meeting. However, this game has bigger implications than just another win in the Big Ten.
MSU has regained basketball supremacy in the state of Michigan over the last 5 seasons.
The Spartans have won the last eight contests against the Wolverines, which included a
51-point blowout in during the 2000-01 season.
Are the tides turning? It’s hard to say this early, but one thing is for sure the
rivalry is heating up and both teams are ecstatic for the only regular season meeting
between the two schools.
Michigan is led by senior forward LaVell Blanchard. The 6-foot-7 forward is averaging
17.8 points per game and is pulling down 7.2 rebounds per game. If there’s one thing,
Blanchard can pass on to his younger cohorts, it’s to never give up.
If his shots aren’t falling, he won’t hesitate to keep shooting. Need proof?
Just look back at the Wisconsin game where he knocked down four straight 3’s to help
lead Michigan to the win.
Freshman guard Daniel Horton has also been quite a surprise. The 6-foot-3 freshman is
pouring in 15.8 ppg and dishing out 4.4 assists per game.
Horton has already been name Big Ten Player of the Week twice and is the only Wolverine
freshman to earn the honor more than once.
Forward Bernard Robinson Jr. rounds out Michigan’s "Big Three." The trio
combines for more than 64 percent of Michigan’s offense.
The 6-foot-8 junior averages 12.6 ppg and rips down 6.2 boards a game.
Besides these three players, Michigan is primarily led by freshmen. Guard Lester Abram
and center Graham Brown round out the starting lineup and another freshman Chris Hunter is
putting in quality minutes off the bench.
With all that youth it means two things. They have a lot of energy and that turns into
quickness. The other thing is because of their inexperience at the college level, it means
they make mistakes. During the 12-game win streak, the youngsters have been nothing, but
impressive.
MSU will try to counter the quickness with its strength and defensive pressure. Against
Penn State, the Spartans locked down and played on of their finest defensive games all
season. MSU held Penn State to just 23.4 percent from the field, with most shots coming
with less than 5 seconds on the shot clock.
MSU head coach Tom Izzo tinkered with the starting lineup again, and had the Spartans
leading scorer, sophomore guard Chris Hill coming off the bench. Hill answered with 20
points off the bench and Izzo got solid defense from sophomore Tim Bograkos, who got the
start.
The Spartans also got some much needed help from the interior. Senior forward Al
Anagonye has put together a 12-point, 11-rebound performance against Minnesota and an
11-point, 5-rebound performance against Penn State.
Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.