Michigan State Basketball: Spartans Have a Budding B1G Rivalry with Maryland

They’ve only played twice as Big Ten foes, but Michigan State and Maryland have already laid the foundation for what could—and should—be one of the league’s most entertaining rivalries for years to come.

Of course, it’s been all Terrapins thus far. They’re 2-0 versus Michigan State.

The first one wasn’t easy for the flagged-shorts, who needed double overtime to down the Spartans, 68-66, in East Lansing on Dec. 30. But the second one was a breeze, as coach Mark Turgeon’s team steamrolled Tom Izzo’s guys, 75-59, this past Saturday in College Park.

"One of the poorer performances by a Michigan State team, we were awful," Izzo said after the loss, per MLive’s Kyle Austin. "We didn't make layups. We didn't guard. And I thought [it was] one of the better performances by the Maryland team."

It’s game on for Michigan State—Izzo might as well add the Terps to the list of mortal enemies, starting at the top with Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin. Saturday’s loss wasn’t just a loss, it was the beginning of the Spartans-Terps epic.

"Great win," Turgeon said, per The Associated Press (via ESPN). "That's what I've been waiting for. I don't think we've played our best basketball recently, and our guys stepped up and really played well."

The Big Ten is known for being a rough conference, but the pushing and shoving—not to mention dagger-shot mentality—were at a slightly higher level than that of an every-day, run-of-the-mill league matchup.

Michigan State and Maryland played as if they really didn’t like each other.

They’ll either settle the score during the Big Ten or national tournament. And if that doesn’t happen, the Spartans will have to wait until next season to get even.

It Still Stings

Korie Lucious’ buzzer-beater in 2010 will go down as one of the greatest buckets in Spartans basketball history. Assisted by Draymond Green, Lucious hit a three-pointer as time expired to knock off a Greivis Vasquez-led Maryland squad, 85-83, to advance to the Sweet 16.

It was just one shot taken almost five years ago, but it was memorable. It’s probably safe to assume that the Terps will remember Lucious’ montage-worthy game-winner and use it for motivation.

Why wouldn’t they?

Why It Works

Think about the big picture: Midwest versus the East Coast. It’s perfect. The two regions are quite proud of their basketball pedigrees, so having Michigan State and Maryland—two of college hoops’ top-tier programs—regularly squaring off will certainly provide must-see TV.

Michigan State’s been to seven Final Fours and won two national titles—six Final Fours and one title under Izzo—while Maryland has one championship and two appearances in the national semis.

There aren’t many leagues that can boast such a resume versus resume battle. In the past, college hoops fans had to wait until March for a potential Spartans-Terps collision—now they get to see it at least once per season.

Talent Level

Rivalries thrive because of talent. Two schools can hate one another, but that competitive dislike means nothing if they don’t have enough players to make it interesting.

That said, the Terps recruited a nice 2014 class, and those hauls will get better now that they’re in the Big Ten.

According to 247 Sports, Maryland had the league’s No. 2-ranked recruiting class in 2014, highlighted by Melo Trimble, who absolutely demolished Michigan State with 24 points this past Saturday, and Jared Nickens, who hit a pair of back-breaking three-pointers against the shell-shocked Spartans.

Izzo’s always recruited well, some years better than others, so Michigan State versus Maryland should always feature some of the best in the Big Ten. Big-time players versus big-time players make a rivalry, and it’s clear that this developing duel will deliver in that regard.

“Today was really special,” said Trimble—who abused the Spartans by sinking eight of 11 attempts from beyond the arc—per Roman Stubbs of The Washington Post. “I knew it was just that kind of game.”

As long as Maryland has Trimble-like athletes, the Spartans will always be in for "that kind of game."

Follow Bleacher Report’s Michigan State Spartans basketball writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81