In a normal time, the second matchup of the Michigan State Spartans and University of Michigan Wolverine's men’s basketball teams would dominate headlines. This has been no normal time.
The Michigan State community was attacked in a senseless act of violence, the all too familiar scene of a mass shooting in a America.
This game marks the first return to action for Michigan State athletics since the shooting. Coach Tom Izzo has called the return to play as a way to “honor” the victims.
Perhaps it’s fitting that the game features these two in-state rivals.