SPARTAN FANS ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE BASKETBALL SERIES AGAINST MICHIGAN

Time to update our 10-season retrospective on the basketball series between Michigan State and Michigan. First, let's compare programs outside of the rivalry games. We look at overall season records, placement in the conference standings, and performance in the post-season. (We choose a ten-year viewpoint because our number-system operates in "base ten", not because it's a convenient time-frame to make our team look good. We are not "cherry-picking" time-frames.)

Here is a review of the past 10 seasons of men's basketball at Michigan State University and University of Michigan. The following summarizes the success of each season from 2006-2007 to 2015-2016:

MICHIGAN STATE

• 2007:  23-12, Seventh place, NCAA Second round
• 2008:  27-9, Fourth place, NCAA Sweet Sixteen
• 2009:  31-7, First place, NCAA Final Four
• 2010:  29-9, First place, NCAA Final Four
• 2011:  19-15, Fourth place, NCAA First round
• 2012:  29-8, First place, NCAA Sweet Sixteen
• 2013:  27-9, Second place, NCAA Sweet Sixteen
• 2014:  29-9, Second place, NCAA Elite Eight
• 2015:  27-12,Third place, NCAA Final Four
• 2016:  29-6, Second place, NCAA First Round

MSU TEN YEAR TOTAL = 270-96 (.738)

Ten Winning Seasons, Ten NCAA Tournaments

Seven seasons with top three league finish

Three Conference Regular Season Titles

Three Conference Tournament Titles

Three Sweet Sixteens

One Elite Eight

Three Final Fours

MICHIGAN

• 2007:  22-13, Seventh place, NIT
• 2008:  10-22, Ninth place, no post-season tournament
• 2009:  20-13, Seventh place, NCAA Second round
• 2010:  15-17, Seventh place, no post-season tournament
• 2011:  20-13, Fourth place, NCAA Second round
• 2012:  24-9, First place, NCAA First round
• 2013:  26-7, Fourth place, NCAA Final Four
• 2014:  28-9, First place, NCAA Elite Eight
• 2015:  15-16*, Ninth place, no post-season tournament
• 2016:  23-13, Eighth place, NCAA First Round

UM TEN YEAR TOTAL = 203-132 (.606) 

Seven Winning Seasons, Six NCAA Tournaments

Two seasons with top three league finish
Two Conference Regular Season Titles
Zero Conference Tournament Titles
One Elite Eight
One Final Four

MSU has had three seasons with double-digit losses during the past decade, while UM has had only three seasons without double-digit losses. Overall, the Spartans lead the Wolverines in EVERY CATEGORY listed above.

Now we take a look at the last 25 games in the series. Our 25-game span covers 14 years, a time-frame that offers a good mid-range view of the series. Some would like a shorter viewpoint, so we've broken those 25 games into five sequential five-game sets. (You can get a good sense of the series by viewing it in five-game intervals.)

Here are the outcomes of the last 25 games between MSU and UM in Men's Basketball, listed in chronological order with the winner and final margin (bottom = most recent):

LAST 25 GAMES:  MICHIGAN STATE vs MICHIGAN

(1-26-03) UM by 2

(1-17-04) MSU by 17

(2-24-04) MSU by 3

(1-27-05) MSU by 11

(2-12-05) MSU by 15

• MSU 4-1 in games
• MSU +44 points

(1-25-06) UM by 5

(2-18-06) MSU by 19

(2-13-07) MSU by 15

(2-27-07) UM by 11

(1-27-08) MSU by 15

• MSU 3-2 in games
• MSU +33 points

(2-10-09) MSU by 12

(1-26-10) MSU by 1

(3-07-10) MSU by 16

(1-27-11) UM by 4

(3-05-11) UM by 7

• MSU 3-2 in games
• MSU +18 points

(1-17-12) UM by 1

(2-05-12) MSU by 10

(2-12-13) MSU by 23

(3-03-13) UM by 1

(1-25-14) UM by 5

• UM 3-2 in games
• MSU +26 points

(2-23-14) UM by 9

(3-16-14) MSU by 14

(2-01-15) MSU by 10

(2-17-15) MSU by 13

(2-06-16) MSU by 16

• MSU 4-1 in games
• MSU +42 points

Michigan scored a pair of three-game win streaks from 2011 through 2014, each of which included a one-point UM victory. If those one-point wins had been switched, the Wolverines would have lost eight of the last ten, rather than winning four of the last ten. That's a very small margin for arrogant boasting!

Here are a few other things we can conclude from reviewing the list of actual games played:

• Over the last 10 games, MSU leads, 6-4 (and the Spartans have outscored the Wolverines by 68 points).
• Over the last 15 games, MSU leads UM 9-6 (outscoring them by 86 points).
• Over the last 20 games, MSU leads UM 12-8 (outscoring them by 119 points).
• Over the last 25 games, MSU leads UM 16-9 (outscoring them by 163 points). The Spartans have had at least one double-digit victory during all but two calendar years since that time (2003, 2011).
• The Wolverines have won by double-digits over the Spartans only one time since Monica Lewinsky became a household name, and that one game was nine years ago.
• Four of the last six UM wins have been by five points or less.
• The last seven MSU wins have been by double-digit margins.
• 14 of the last 15 MSU wins over UM have been by double-digit margins.

It seems like ages ago when the Michigan fan-base was trumpeting their pride in a (dare I say it?) FLUKEY pair of three-game win-streaks against Michigan State in Men's Basketball. These folks reached fever-pitch when they could claim "six-out-of-the-last-nine" wins over MSU. We always respected the fact that UM won those games, but we thought it was a bit premature to start talking about John Beilein taking over the State and forcing Tom Izzo into retirement.

Each of those three-game win-streaks included a one-point victory, and all the wins were by single-digits. We couldn't help but notice that most of those six victories came with one or more Spartans injured and unavailable, usually from the starting lineup. And four of the six wins were in games played in Ann Arbor. But mathematically, there was nothing we could do to shut down their noise except wait for our team to get back on the winning track against the Wolverines.

The rivalry series is back in order!

Four straight (double-digit) wins by Michigan State

have left Michigan with no more win-streaks to shout about.

We summarized the last 25 games between the two teams (above) to see the macro-picture of the rivalry series. Now we take a micro-picture of the "streaks" by both teams over that 25-game span, covering the last 13 years. Take a look at the list below to see every streak up to 25 starting from the present day.

The last 25 games are arranged in reverse-chronological order, with the most recent game at the top. The bolded text shows what the streak is, for either team, as of TODAY. There is no longer any need to cherry-pick the number of games to be described, as all 25 are listed below. Those who wish to count up the last four, or the last 13, or the last 22, or whatever, may simply refer to this list:

1. MSU - 1 of the last 1 (2-6-16) MSU by 16
2. MSU - 2 of the last 2  (2-17-15) MSU by 13
3. MSU - 3 of the last 3  (2-01-15) MSU by 10
4. MSU - 4 of the last 4  (3-16-14) MSU by 14
5. MSU - 4 of the last 5  (2-23-14) UM by 9
6. MSU - 4 of the last 6  (1-25-14) UM by 5
7. MSU - 4 of the last 7 (3-03-13) UM by 1
8. MSU - 5 of the last 8  (2-12-13) MSU by 23
9. MSU - 6 of the last 9  (2-05-12) MSU by 10
10. MSU - 6 of the last 10  (1-17-12) UM by 1
11. MSU - 6 of the last 11  (3-05-11) UM by 7
12. Tied  - 6 of the last 12  (1-27-11) UM by 4
13. MSU - 7 of the last 13  (3-07-10) MSU by 16
14. MSU - 8 of the last 14  (1-26-10) MSU by 1
15. MSU - 9 of the last 15  (2-10-09) MSU by 12
16. MSU - 10 of the last 16  (1-27-08) MSU by 15
17. MSU - 10 of the last 17  (2-27-07) UM by 11
18. MSU - 11 of the last 18  (2-13-07) MSU by 15
19. MSU - 12 of the last 19  (2-18-06) MSU by 19
20. MSU - 12 of the last 20  (1-25-06) UM by 5
21. MSU - 13 of the last 21  (2-12-05) MSU by 15
22. MSU - 14 of the last 22  (1-27-05) MSU by 11
23. MSU - 15 of the last 23  (2-24-04) MSU by 3
24. MSU - 16 of the last 24  (1-17-04) MSU by 17
25. MSU - 16 of the last 25  (1-26-03) UM by 2

The Wolverines have no more win-streaks in recent history! The best claim they can make is that the series is TIED over the last 12 games.

There is only one "streak" going back 25 games

in which Michigan State does not lead Michigan.

- - - Over the last 12 games, the series is tied, 6-6 - - -

The other 24 "measuring-sticks"

ALL FAVOR THE SPARTANS.

We call for an end to the prideful boasting and arrogance from Ann Arbor. Congratulations to them and their team when they win a game or two, and for bringing their program up to "par" with the rest of the conference. We don't need to laugh at them for having a down season now and then, but they really ought to shut up about their rare and narrow wins over MSU.

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