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Michigan will be going for its fourth straight win over MSU today in Ann Arbor. Head coach John Beilein talked about the rivalry and more Friday …

We break down his comments in News & Views format:

NEWS: Michigan and John Beilein are 9-7 in the last 16 meetings with Michigan State following a program rebuild and have won three straight. Beilein was asked if he felt the Wolverines were now with MSU as one of the Big Ten’s elite programs.

BEILEIN: “I think we’ve been competing … certainly rebuilding the program does happen like that. The first three years were certainly interesting for us. We tried to get this culture set, this foundation of players. Since that point, I think we’ve been pretty representative of one of the top teams in the conference.”

VIEWS: There will be ups and downs, he noted, especially with pro defections and injuries. That’s one area in which Michigan State has been so good — overcoming those to keep their NCAA Tournament streak alive. U-M’s roster was depleted a few years back to the point that Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, who was supposed to have redshirted, was forced to play.

U-M still took MSU to overtime in East Lansing before falling.