It’s an important week for Michigan basketball, one which not only represents the halfway point of the Big Ten season, but is the two-thirds mark of the entire year − by week’s end, U-M will have played 21 games with 10 to go.
Michigan (18-1, 8-1 Big Ten) finds itself in wonderful position, ranked No. 2 in the nation in the most recent USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll released Monday, Jan. 26.
There are four Big Ten teams ranked inside the top 10 including No. 5 Nebraska (20-0, 9-0), No. 8 Michigan State (18-2, 8-1) and No. 10 Illinois (17-3, 8-1).
Purdue (17-3, 7-2) dropped from No. 4 to No. 12 after losing twice last week.
Leading into two-game swing, Michigan coach Dusty May called it a “monster” week given the Wolverines have to play the two other highest rated teams in the league − undefeated Nebraska at home on Tuesday, Jan. 27 (7 p.m., Peacock), before traveling to East Lansing for a primetime game Friday (8 p.m., Fox).
“It’s the biggest game of the year, because it’s the next game,” May said Monday, trying to downplay any added pressure. “But it’s a team that’s disciplined, as connected and as any team that we’ve seen all year, so we’re excited to see how we stack up against an undefeated Nebraska team.”
U-M ripped off a pair of home wins last week defeating Indiana 86-72, then discarding Ohio State 74-62 behind a game-closing 24-12 run. That makes four consecutive victories for the Wolverines by double figures since a home loss to Wisconsin.
“We have to avoid the urge to hunt anything individual, as far as accolades, stats,” May said. “Just continue to share everything. And if we do that, we’re a really, really good basketball team. If we’re out there playing with any agendas at all, then we’re just pretty good, and we’d have to rely on things going well for us.
“We know what we’re doing when we’re at our best, so it’s getting back to that level of commitment.”
Michigan is No. 2 on the NCAA’s NET rankings, and a firm 1-seed in bracketology projections, with the start of the NCAA Tournament less than two months away.
Michigan State, meanwhile, is surging. The Spartans are No. 9 in NET rankings, and has the No. 1 defense in KenPom this season (Michigan is No. 2 on defense). MSU is a projected 3-seed in bracketology projections.
It’s coincided as point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. has taken his game to another level, playing like an All-American in recent weeks, including the first Big Ten game with at least 17 points and 17 assists in league history.
Coach Tom Izzo’s team has now won six consecutive games by double figures after suffering its lone loss of Big Ten play in early January, 58-56 at Nebraska.
College basketball rankings for coaches poll
Here is the top 10 from the Jan. 26 edition:
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Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan No. 2 in coaches poll rankings, Michigan State at No. 8
Reporting by Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
