The Michigan State-Michigan showdown at the Breslin Center is still a few days away, but the verbal exchanges around it have already begun. In what will be a fight for Michigan supremacy, Spartans head coach Tom Izzo has struck the first blow ahead of the game, as he shared his raw and blunt emotions for Dusty May’s Michigan Wolverines.

As the head coach of the Spartans since 1995, Izzo has been a part of several back-and-forth battles between the Wolverines and the Spartans. And as per his recent interview, the Hall of Fame coach doesn’t have much affinity for the rivals: “I hate them, of course, I hate them. They hate us, you know? You got friends down there, what do you think I’m getting, Valentine’s Day cards or Birthday cards? It is the way it is, guys.”

The Michigan State head coach further emphasized that, despite the rivalry, his respect for his opposition isn’t compromised: “The keyword is respect, and I do respect them a lot. So, that’s all that matters. When I die, I don’t care if anybody likes me or not. I care if they respect me, so that’s the way I look at the rivalry.”

Izzo has been remarkably successful in the Wolverines-Spartans rivalry over the last few years. Notably, he has guided the Spartans to victories in all four of the last games against the arch-rival. Moreover, he has a 36-16 record against the Wolverines after a tumultuous start to the rivalry in his initial years as head coach.

“I had my time when I hated them and didn’t respect them, and it cost me. So, I got smarter and younger. If a day comes when you like your rival, it’s time to get out. But if a day comes you don’t respect your rivals, shame on you,” Izzo boldly stated in the interview.

However, under head coach May, the Wolverines are thriving this season. The team, built on a rapid pace and shooting from the paint, is one of the most prolific offensive teams of the season, averaging 91.7 ppg. Thereby, with such an elite offensive force, May and the Wolverines will seize their chances and look to hand the Spartans their first defeat in this rivalry since the 2022-23 season.

Notably, the Spartans are not lagging and have the perfect defense to disrupt the Wolverines’ attacking play. With Jeremy Fears Jr.’s two-way style and Carson Cooper’s elite defense, Michigan State has just conceded an opp ppg of 62.8, and Tom Izzo will look forward to them to counter the Wolverines’ menace.

Both teams hold different cards and strengths going into the matchup. Thus, it will be a trial by fire for both teams, and, except for the Spartans’ home advantage, neither will leave any room for the other to capitalize on. For Dusty May, he is looking to avenge the two defeats that Izzo handed him last season, while for the Spartans’ head coach, it would be interesting to see how he strategizes and tackles the Wolverines’ offense.

Who are Tom Izzo and Michigan State’s major threats to deal with in the Wolverines’ clash?

Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans are going into the clash with just 47.1% of winning chances in their favor, per ESPN. It may be because of the Wolverines’ better consistency, dropping just one game while the Spartans lost two. But the contest is quite tight, and on the court, performance would mean much more than percentages.

Izzo has plenty of Wolverines players to worry about. The forward duo of Yaxel Landeborg and Morez Johnson Jr. has accounted for the bulk of Michigan’s scoring, averaging 14.2 and 13.9, respectively. Complemented well by center Aday Mara and guard Elliot Cadeau, Dusty May’s side is capable of capitalizing on offense from any position on the court. And not to forget Mara’s strong defensive prowess, averaging 2.6 blocks per game.

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To tackle this, Izzo would have to rely on his center, Carson Cooper, to protect the center while Jeremy Fears Jr. and Coen Carr can take care of the wings and the perimeter. For Izzo, the strategy would be simple: play to the strengths, make strong defensive stands, and capitalize on the mistakes the Wolverines make courtesy of their high-risk, high-reward aggressive style.

The Wolverines and the Spartans are currently in the top 10 of the AP rankings and are coming into this game with five and seven consecutive wins, respectively. While the Wolverines lead in third, the Spartans hold the seventh seed. So, it will also be a battle to keep their seedings intact throughout the season and maintain their respective winning momentum. With so much on the line, who is in the front seat going into the matchup?