Dusty May didn’t take much time to celebrate Michigan men’s basketball’s 86-83 win over rival Ohio State on Sunday. His attention had already turn ahead to the next rival on the Wolverines’ docket.

“I almost felt guilty that I immediately turned the page last night,” May told reporters on Monday. “I didn’t even realize it, but the staff was laughing because I was walking back from doing press and I was talking about one of the actions and how are we going to defend this action that Michigan State runs.”

No. 12 Michigan (20-5, 12-2 Big Ten) is set to host No. 14 Michigan State (20-5, 11-3) on Friday, in a matchup between the first and second-place teams in the Big Ten standings. The Spartans have a tough game against third-place Purdue on Tuesday night, in a week that will have massive ramifications on determining the regular season conference champion.

Even before Michigan’s win over Ohio State in Columbus, May said he had already received text messages from former Wolverine players who were set to attend Friday’s showdown with Michigan State in Crisler Arena.

“People are obviously very, very excited,” May said. “We know what it means, but we also have to focus on us playing really good basketball against a quality team.”

In football, Ohio State is far and away Michigan’s biggest rival. However, in basketball, it’s the in-state rivalry that has emerged as the most important for the Wolverines.

“In the locker room — Ian Burns, Harrison Hochberg — Michigan is very important to them. Jace Howard, the guys who grew up [with Michigan] were already talking about this game on Friday,” May said. “It felt good to win a rivalry game on the road in Columbus, but they were already turning the page as well with all focus turning towards the Spartans on Friday.”

It’s an interesting matchup of head coaches. Michigan State’s Tom Izzo just passed Indiana legend Bob Knight for the most Big Ten Conference wins in the league’s history. Meanwhile, May — a graduate of Indiana and former student manager for Knight — is in the midst of his first season as a Big Ten head coach.

Friday will serve as May’s introduction as a member of the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry, but he’s admired it from afar in the years prior to 2024-25.

“It was obvious the amount of intensity and passion for the game, and it was typically two really good basketball teams going tooth-and-nail, competing,” May said of his prior, outside impressions of the rivalry game. “Usually, both of them were in championship contention, so it seems like it’s always a big, nationally-televised game.”

While the intensity and bitterness of the rivalry steals the headlines, May said his group is focused remains on preparation and execution in the midst of the natural emotion that comes from playing against a rival program.

“Our focus has to be on us playing basketball,” May said. “The rivalry is great for everyone else, but if we’re consumed with all the extra stuff then we’re not focused on what we need to do, as far as getting back in transition defense, knowing personnel, tendencies, things like that.

“So, obviously, we know the importance of the rivalry, but we’re not going into it, I guess, relying on our fans, relying on anyone else to win us the game because it’s a rivalry. Like, we have to put in the work, we have to prepare and we have to perform at a high level in that environment.”

Michigan and Michigan State will tip off at 8 p.m. (ET) on Friday, Feb. 18 at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, with FOX carrying the televised broadcast.

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