Harris says facing Izzone will be 'fun'

ANN ARBOR - Manny Harris has heard all about the Izzone.

Michigan's freshman guard and scoring leader expects the Michigan State student section to taunt him and his team Sunday at Breslin Center, but Harris said that won't hurt his focus.

"I hear a lot of stories about the Izzone and how crazy it is, but I just look at it as an opportunity and fun," Harris said before the Wolverines practiced Friday at Crisler Arena. "We haven't really had a chance to shut a student section up at the end of a game, but we have a perfect opportunity to go there, win and leave them with some sad faces."

Harris said his confidence is always strong, but admitted Tuesday's three-point loss at No. 11 Wisconsin did help the team's mental outlook.

"It gives us a lot of confidence knowing we can play with the best of them," he said.

Michigan fell to 5-14 overall and 1-6 in the Big Ten with the 64-61 loss, but Harris broke out with a career-high 26 points.

First-year Michigan coach John Beilein said Harris has gained his teammates' trust and they relied on him Tuesday.

"Manny gave them great confidence," Beilein said. "When we fought back from an early deficit, he made a couple shots and those are big things for us to find (who can do that)."

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said he recruited Harris and admires how the Detroit Redford product plays.

"I love Harris," Izzo said. "He'd fit into any system. He's about as good a competitor as we've had (recently) in the state."

While the Wisconsin game served as a confidence-booster, Harris hopes Sunday's game has a different ending.

"We had a close game with a top-ranked team, but we couldn't get over the curb," Harris said. "This is the game we can let people know we can make some stuff happen."

INJURY UPDATE: Ron Coleman has missed Michigan's last four games after injuring his ankle in a loss against Indiana and his status remains a question for Sunday.

The senior had not previously missed a game in his college career.

Beilein said before Friday's practice he had hoped Coleman would be ready to participate fully, but expected less after checking with trainers.

Jevohn Shepherd has started in Coleman's place.

BLOCKS LEADER: The Wolverines feature the leading shot-blocker in the Big Ten.

Ekpe Udoh has blocked a shot in all but one of Michigan's 19 games and has 17 multi-block games.

He leads the league with 2.89 blocks per game and his 122 are eighth on Michigan's career blocks list.

As a team, the Wolverines are also first in the Big Ten, with 5.26 per game.

GREAT EIGHT: Michigan is winless in seven games against ranked teams this season. MSU is ranked 10th.

CRISLER ANNIVERSARY: Michigan announced it will recognize the program's 40 years at Crisler Arena on Thursday against Minnesota.

Cazzie Russell, Rudy Tomjanovich and other members of the 1967-68 Michigan basketball team, the first to play in the arena, are expected to be present.

Michigan is 478-130 overall and 240-98 in Big Ten games in the building.

ALLEN AILING: MSU freshman guard Chris Allen, coming off a 17-point night in Thursday's win at Northwestern, missed most of practice Friday because of a groin pull.

He sustained the injury in Thursday's shootaround but was able to play. He is expected to play in Sunday's game.

FOOTBALL CARRYOVER? The MSU-Michigan rivalry took a nasty turn in football this season, with some taunting from the Wolverines following their 28-24 win at Spartan Stadium, followed by an angry outburst two days later from MSU coach Mark Dantonio.

Dantonio, among other things, made fun of the height of U-M running back Mike Hart, who had mocked the Spartans in his postgame press conference.

MSU coach Tom Izzo said the basketball series is a "respect rivalry" and that he doesn't expect the football situation to have any lingering effect. He also said he agreed with everything Dantonio said, and that the Wolverines' behavior "got out of hand."

Asked about Dantonio's comment on Hart, Izzo joked: "Thank God they've got all tall guys, and I'm a short coach."

Later, Drew Neitzel was asked if he's taller than Hart.

"We're not gonna get into that," Neitzel said. "You guys are just trying to get me in trouble."

FRIENDLY NEIGHBOR: Izzo welcomed Beilein to MSU in the fall, showing him around the Spartans' practice facility. Beilein spent a couple hours chatting with Izzo and looking around.

Izzo was good friends with Beilein's predecessor, Tommy Amaker, and he has been on good terms with Beilein for a long time.

Gone are the days of Izzo obsessing over U-M - specifically, the illicit recruiting tactics that eventually led the Wolverines to scandal and probation in the late 1990s.

"I've got to the point in this rivalry where I want to win more than ever because it's important to us," Izzo said. "But the hatred I had in the first couple years (has faded). ... I still have those feelings deep down, but I don't let it affect me like it used to."