Michigan basketball: Joey Baker familiar with high-stakes rivalry games, playing at Breslin Center

Graduate guard Joey Baker will get his first taste of the Michigan Wolverines basketball vs. Michigan State rivalry Saturday in East Lansing (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX), and he has a unique perspective. The Duke transfer played in the sport’s most notable rivalry (Duke-UNC) and has already taken part in one game at MSU’s Jack Breslin Student Events Center.

“I think it’s fairly similar because of the close proximity of the schools, Baker said after being asked to compare. “It’s a pretty quick drive to Lansing, and so that makes it very similar to the Duke-UNC rivalry. I’m not sure how it’s different yet; I think I’ll have a better understanding after Saturday. But I’m excited. The intensity is high, no matter what, in a rivalry like this. Yesterday when we started preparation, you could feel that it was a little more intense.”

“You knew you were in for a fight,” Baker added of Duke vs. UNC, and he said he expects the same in East Lansing Saturday. He’s heard about the importance of the matchup from his teammates, coaches and even some family friends who live near MSU.

“I’ve kinda gotten a sense of how important it is and what it means,” Baker said of what’s at stake.

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Back on Dec. 3, 2019, Baker starred in Duke’s 87-75 win over MSU in East Lansing, scoring 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting from inside the arc and 1-of-1 from beyond the three-point line in just 17 minutes off the bench. That night famously included former MSU guard Foster Loyer fouling Duke guard Tre Jones, who then stepped on him as he went finished an and-one layup.

Baker won’t enter the Breslin Center sight unseen.

“I’ve thought about it a little bit,” the Michigan guard said. “It was intense, for sure, the way that they have the student section set up, surrounding the court. But as a competitor, that’s what you want. It adds fuel to the fire, makes you focus and you lean on your teammates a little bit more. It’s just you guys in there against it feels like the world.

“Having played there in a pretty good atmosphere — I know this one will be more intense and even more rowdy — I’m excited. It’ll be a lot of fun. I have a little bit of familiarity with the arena and stuff like that. I don’t think it’ll play too big of a role, but it helps, for sure. Can’t hurt.”

It’s Michigan vs. the world … to an extent, Baker added. It’s still the Wolverines vs. the Spartans on the court — no matter how vicious the fans are — and the team that is more talented and executes better will win.

“At the end of the day, you’re there to win a game,” Baker continued. “You want to beat your rival, obviously, but you can’t let that get you out of character and make you do things that aren’t going to help you win games.

“You play as hard as you can, you come to fight — it’s a war — but then you have to realize that it’s still a basketball game, you still have to execute, still need to follow the game plan. Keeping composure is a big thing, staying steady and focused on getting the win and not getting caught up in the crowd or the hoopla that goes on in a big game is a key for us.

“I love our focus. Yesterday, we came in, forgot about the past few games, and our sole objective is on Saturday, doing whatever it takes.”

Baker has had a bit of an up-and-down season so far, coming off a hip injury that required surgery and summer rehabilitation. He’s also learning the Wolverines’ system, but he’s seen a recent uptick in production.

The 6-7, 205-pounder is averaging 14.4 minutes per game, chipping in 3.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per night. His 48.6 three-point field goal percentage leads the team among those with over 6 attempts, though he has only 35 tries. He’s up to 7 points per outing the last four games and has made 7 of his last 12 triple tries.

“Not having a summer of work where you’re usually able to do two workouts a day for a few months in the summer and really get better — I definitely missed that,” Baker said of rehabbing. “And it’s taken a little bit of time to get back, getting back in the rhythm. And then learning a new system, getting comfortable in it — it takes time.

“I think some people realize that, but then people expect it just to happen right away. But it’s definitely a process, and I feel like I’ve been progressing really well, trusting my work and keeping a positive mindset and knowing that good things will happen. I think that’s what’s been going on.”