Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) celebrates against 3-pointer against Indiana during the second half at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

3 Wolverines MSU Must Lock Down on Friday

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Jacob Cotsonika | Last updated Jan 29, 2026 8:00 AM ET

A heavyweight bout is coming to the Breslin Center on Friday night.

No. 3 Michigan (19-1 overall, 9-1 Big Ten) is probably the best team seventh-ranked Michigan State (19-2, 9-1) has faced all season. The Wolverines might just be the best team in the country. UM winning it all in April wouldn't feel like a big surprise with how its playing right now.

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MSU has a chance to have something to say about it, though. The Spartans narrowly avoided a humiliating loss against Rutgers on Tuesday, needing heroics to force overtime, where they eventually won, 88-79. Michigan State has an active win streak of seven and has defeated Michigan four straight times.

The Wolverines are also coming to East Lansing on a five-game winning streak, with their most recent victory being a comeback against No. 5 Nebraska in Ann Arbor. Here are their three best players:

F Yaxel Lendeborg

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The first player to know is forward Yaxel Lendeborg. He had the opportunity to go to the NBA last offseason, but instead opted to transfer to Michigan from UAB. Lendeborg, a sixth-year senior who is still eligible due to playing three seasons at the junior college level, is as experienced of a player it gets.

He's averaging 14.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. Lendeborg can do a bit of everything as an athletic 6-foot-9 forward. He can stretch the floor a bit, shooting 30.3% from deep on the year, but he's only made 17.5% of his attempts from beyond the arc in his last 10 games.

F Morez Johnson Jr.

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A theme here will be that Michigan's top three players are all in the frontcourt and are all new transfers. Next up is forward Morez Johnson Jr. , who switches between being the four- and five-man and will be a huge test for MSU's Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper.

Johnson transferred to UM from Illinois this past offseason. He's immediately become a great offensive force, scoring 13.9 points and grabbing 7.2 rebounds per game. Johnson's efficiency stands out, too. He doesn't shoot many threes (he can shoot when open, though), but his field goal percentage is way up at 69.3%, the second-best mark in the Big Ten among players who shoot at least five shots per game.

C Aday Mara

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Manning the middle is the Wolverines' new 7-foot-3 center, Aday Mara. He transferred in from UCLA this past offseason and is as good as using his frame to his advantage as anybody.

Mara averages 10.9 points per game while shooting 68.8% from the field (third in Big Ten). His defense is elite, though, averaging 7.1 rebounds and a Big Ten-high 2.6 blocks per game. Mara's weakness is free throws, though, shooting just 46.7% at the charity stripe this season.