NCAA tournament bubble watch: No. 2 Michigan, Michigan State showdown about more than bragging rights

Playing in a conference as deep and competitive as this season’s version of the Big Ten has its pros and cons. Falling into the latter category, it’s easy for even a name-brand program with an accomplished coach to find itself in an early hole. On the plus side, the schedule provides ample opportunities to overcome bad losses with quality wins.

All of which brings us to Thursday's featured bubble watch game, with major conference tournaments just around the corner and Selection Sunday only 10 days away.

Michigan State at No. 2 Michigan

7 p.m. ET, ESPN

With schedules now in make-up mode due to earlier COVID-19 stoppages, teams are going to have their endurance tested down the stretch. So it is for these Great Lake State rivals as they close the regular season with a home-and-home series starting Thursday night in Ann Arbor. They’ll meet again Sunday in East Lansing. The Wolverines, ranked second in the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll, need to win one of them to lock up the Big Ten regular-season title at the expense of the Spartans, whose late charge back into NCAA tournament contention could still use another boost.

MSU’s win Tuesday night against Indiana fell more in the column of damage avoidance, but a top-tier win against the Wolverines, in addition to recent triumphs over Ohio State and Illinois, would ease some pressure on the Spartans heading into the Big Ten tournament. More consistent contributions from Josh Langford and Gabe Brown have helped MSU’s recent push. The Wolverines, however, figure to be a bit cranky after seeing their normally free-flowing offense stifled by Illinois just two nights ago. They could use some early buckets from the perimeter to make Hunter Dickinson’s life easier on the low blocks.

Follow colleges reporter Eddie Timanus on Twitter @EddieTimanus

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