Jeff Riger: Wolverines Dominate State After Sweeping State!
They have not made the NCAA tournament yet, nor have they gone to a final four or probably even dreamed about cutting down the nets and singing "One Shining Moment" but Michigan is alive. They still have a chance to do all those things as they cruise past instate rival Michigan State on Saturday 70-63 at Criser Arena. The win marks the first time since 1997 that Michigan has swept Michigan State in a season and now the general thought is that the Wolverines have closed that almost insurmountable gap between them and the very successful Spartans. Now I would not go that far, but one that that is certain is that Michigan, at least for 2011 is the best basketball team in the State and that is something coming into the season nobody would have thought to be possible. The Wolverines started the Big Ten portion of their schedule winning just one of their first seven games while MSU was coming off two consecutive final four appearances and were ranked preseason number two in the country.
So what happened? Well Michigan jumped out to a 15 to 3 lead and never gave it up. MSU would make it close, cutting the deficit to two points in the 2nd half with the ball, however the Wolverines would respond by going on a 7-2 run and crushing all hopes of a Spartan comeback. After the game Michigan would sing "The Victors" at center court, something that John Beilein said he had his team visualize doing in the week leading up to the contest. With the victory Michigan is now the 4 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and will take on Illinois on Friday while Michigan State is the 6th seed and will battle Iowa on Thursday. As electric as the crowd was and as elated as Michigan fans were after the game, this one victory does not erase a previous 18 and 4 record that Michigan State had owned over Michigan. Nor does it erase a certain senior day in 2000 when Mateen Cleaves dished out 20 assists and the Spartans rolled the Wolverines 114-63 in East Lansing. And it for sure does not erase the fact that MSU has been college basketball's giants while U of M has been an embarrassment, but at least the Wolverines can say that they were the best in 2011 and that for the time being is a start.
Check out the videos below of a happy Michigan locker room after the game.
