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chrissolari.bsky.social
Michigan State football/men's basketball reporter for Detroit Free Press, Heisman/Naismith award voter. Work found at https://www.freep.com/staff/2648040001/chris-solari/
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Via Shawn Windsor: Michigan State basketball's Jase Richardson changing the ceiling for the Spartans www.freep.com/story/sports...

Guard play pushes Michigan State basketball into Big Ten lead www.freep.com/story/sports...

Find someone who makes you smile like @chrissolari.bsky.social does Shawn Windsor. Here is 10-plus minutes of MSU basketball analysis you might actually enjoy. www.lansingstatejournal.com/videos/sport...

Izzo says if MSU can shoot the ball better and cut turnovers, "we can be really good." Feels the Spartans can get back to running more as well.

Michigan State basketball stuns Crisler with 75-62 win over Wolverines to take Big Ten lead www.freep.com/story/sports...

Izzo on Holloman's three straight 3s: "For me, it was like heaven to see shots fall." Had 11 of his 18 points after halftime.

Izzo says he felt MSU was going too fast in the first half and hurried itself with turnovers that led to touchdowns. "Those are bad turnovers." Spartans committed two in the second half after giving it away nine times in the first.

Izzo said he thought MSU had a chance at halftime because he felt like the Spartans should've been down 15 instead of four the way they played in the first 20 minutes.

MSU coach Tom Izzo at the podium inside Crisler Center. Starts by saying "I'm not sure I've had a seven-day span like we've had" and credits his assistants for getting the Spartans' ready on short rest. "We beat a damn good team today. They are hard to guard."

Michigan AD Warde Manuel at the podium talking about Wolverines basketball coach Dusty May's contract extension as MSU fans leaving Crisler shout "go green, go white" after the Spartans' 75-62 win.

No. 13 MSU goes on a 9-0 run over the final 4-plus minutes to beat No. 12 Michigan 75-62 and reclaim first place in the Big Ten.

First National Bank of Fears. Huge bucket. MSU back up 9 with inside 2 to play.

Final media timeout with 3:16 to play. MSU up 68-62 at Michigan and hanging on while trading bucket for bucket after a 6-0 Wolverine run cut the Spartans' 12-point lead. Good one going on here.

THAT is what they need Jeremy Fears to do and be. Aggressive and attacking into the defense, getting to the basket. Layup through contact gives MSU a 62-51 lead with 7:39 left at Michigan.

Richardson with a FT, and MSU with its biggest lead at nine, 60-51.

Four fouls on Kohler. MSU up 8 with nine minutes to play.

Holloman on an absolute heater right now. The two assists to Cooper and Richardson, now three straight 3-pointers for the junior guard. MSU up 57-49 with 10:43 to play. Holloman has 18 points and three assists.

What a pass and what a finish by Richardson on the breakaway spin move layup. Timeout UM, MSU up 46-42 with 13:13 left.

Third fouls 7 seconds apart for both Kohler and Zapala. Michigan up 42-40 on MSU with 16:00 to play.

Fears atones for bricking a 3 for a shotclock violation by draining his next attempt from deep, and MSU back up 40-38 with a 6-0 run to open the half.

Richardson opens the half with a 3, and MSU cits it back to a 1-point deficit.

HALFTIME: Michigan 38, MSU 34

What an absolutely terrible foul on Jeremy Fears. You can't do that. That's MSU's 10th and gives Michigan two FTs.

MSU with its ninth turnover of the half after a 3 from Michigan's Donaldson extends the Wolverines' lead to 32-25, now inside 2 1/2 to play before break as Kohler joins Cooper with 2 fouls.

Scratch that, stat crew initially gave Zapala the foul that is on Fears. Two fouls on Cooper still. Wild sequence with a bad lob too high for Carr from Holloman that turned into a U-M dunk and then another miss at the other end by Carr. MSU down 28-23 with 3:54 before half.

Big momentum follow by Carr. He's been attacking the offensive boards. Now a tech on Michigan's bench. Holloman misses and makes the second. Back to a three-point MSU hole.

Now a 3 from Burnett. U-M's run up to 15-0 as MSU has gone ice cold, missing its last seven shots and making just 1 of its last 12. Wolverines seize a 23-16 lead with 7:19 left 1st half.

Now a 12-0 Michigan run. Spartans down 20-16 Rhythm on offense is completely off-kilter.

Fidler's turn to try and slow down Wolf.

Wolf with some big plays, a step-back over Cooper, a rattled-in 3 over Kohler and then a slick dribble off a save and a behind-the-back dish to Gayle for a layup and foul on Kohler. FT pending, but Michigan on a 7-0 run and MSU's lead down to 16-15 at 11:02 1st half. Led by 8 not even 2 mins ago.

Too high up here and a bad angle to gauge it for certain, but looked maybe like Kohler got the block on the Burnett shot that was ruled a goaltend. Anyone? Refs aren't reviewing it, so I'm just guessing the angle I'm at with the backboard/rim didn't give me the best view.

Goldin misses an alley-oop attempt, but Carr doesn't at the other end to put MSU up 11-6. Long stretch before first timeout. Two offensive boards after for Carr.

Richardson is really playing at a high level out of the gate.

MSU forces a post from Goldin turnover on Michigan's first possession, and Richardson capitalizes with a 3. Underway in Ann Arbor.

Yep, this is a true road game crowd tonight at Crisler. Nothing at all like last year when MSU invaded U-M. Boos are boisterous and loud as the Spartans take the court, cheers echoing as the Wolverines arrive moments later.

MSU starters: Fears, Richardson, Akins, Kohler, Zapala. Michigan starters: Donaldson, Burnett, Jones, Wolf, Goldin.

Izzo points to Michigan's turnover problems (14.4 per game) and says whichever team takes care of the ball best will win. Adds he wants MSU to play "at warp speed. I wanna get the ball going up and down."

MSU coach Tom Izzo on pregame show says Michigan's Danny Wolf "is kind of the Magic Johnson of theirs" with how he handles the ball as a taller player.

Refs tonight for MSU at Michigan: Jeffrey Anderson, Paul Szelc, Larry Scirotto.

Calm before the storm at Crisler. Tipoff at 8 between MSU and Michigan in a battle for first place in the Big Ten.

Michigan State basketball big men prepare to face 'unique' unicorns of U-M's two 7-footers www.freep.com/story/sports...

Michigan State basketball makes quick pivot, with top spot in Big Ten at stake at U-M www.freep.com/story/sports...

Spartan Speak podcast: After Illinois and Purdue wins, MSU hoops riding high into Michigan game www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/sports...

Eli Bickel, three-star North Branch OL, picks Michigan State football for 2026 www.freep.com/story/sports...