The last time Michigan and Michigan State squared off at Crisler Center, the Wolverines were playing for a Big Ten regular-season title.
Fast forward 10 months and plenty has changed. The Wolverines are reeling, unranked and find themselves on the outside of NCAA Tournament projections with an underwhelming resume.
But none of that diminishes the significance of Saturday’s game. The in-state rivalry is always important, even more so for a Michigan team that’s in desperate need of a signature win and is fighting to turn its season around as it enters a brutal three-game gauntlet.