Fab Five Takeaways: Michigan Beats MSU, Wins Big Ten Title — But Isn't Done

No. 2 Michigan Wolverines basketball (19-2, 14-2 Big Ten) disposed of Michigan State (14-11, 8-11) in a game in which the Maize and Blue never trailed to secure the outright regular-season Big Ten title, with the final score being 69-50.

Here are five takeaways from the game.

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Michigan sophomore wing Franz Wagner bounced back from a rough outing against Illinois (two points) with a stellar showing against rival Michigan State — which is the expectation for a Wagner wearing Maize and Blue.

Despite this one being lopsided, with the Wolverines leading by 28 in the second half before garbage time, it was a clumsy game for much of the first half. Even Wagner, who didn't score a point in the game's first 13 minutes, got off to a slow start.

But he exploded from there, scoring 19 points in the next 20 minutes and running the offense. He was outstanding in ball-screen actions, was aggressive getting downhill and made the Spartans pay by nailing threes (4-of-6) when they went under screens. Michigan needed somebody to step up and take over, and Wagner was that guy to serve as the catalyst on both ends.

Defensively, Wagner had his hands in passing lanes — notching one steal — was stout in help-side position and limited MSU junior forward Aaron Henry, who turned it over four times, to 6-of-15 from the field.

Other than the aforementioned Henry, who scored 14 points on 15 shots, the Spartans just didn't have the firepower to hang with the No. 2 team in the country. It resulted in a an embarrassing blowout loss for Tom Izzo's group.

It was 30-26 with just under three minutes to play in the first half, with the Spartans matching Michigan's intensity and making enough shots, but once the Wolverines got going offensively, Izzo was out of buttons to push. Henry had a couple emphatic dunks, but rattling the rim doesn't give his team more than two points. The Spartans won the highlight film early, but Michigan was going to win the game — and did.

Michigan responded to a Henry elbow to Wagner's face — which was rightfully called a flagrant foul — by closing out the half on a 9-2 run. Then, in the second half, Izzo's club was outscored 21-4 from the 17:39 mark until 6:20. There were no more adjustments MSU could make — Michigan, a 12-point favorite coming in, was just better on this day, and there was nothing Izzo, Henry or anyone else in Green and White could do about it.