EAST LANSING >> There’s a lot of new material on the scouting report as Michigan State preps for today’s showdown with rival Michigan. New coaches, new players and especially a new system — all changes Tom Izzo has coached against before as six different coaches have led his rival across 30 years.

There’s one unique wrinkle to this Dusty May-led squad that Michigan State hasn’t seen before, at least this season. As No. 14 Michigan State (21-5, 12-3 Big Ten) visits No. 12 Michigan (20-5, 12-2) in a battle of the Big Ten’s first- and second-place teams 8 p.m. today, winning could hinge on how Michigan State contends with a Michigan offense centered around two 7-foot centers

“Especially to do it in a day and a half or something, it’s different,” Izzo said Wednesday, “and that’s part of the challenge.”

Utilizing two transfers in Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin, Michigan has cashed in on its height advantage all season. Wolf, who sometimes takes over the point, averages 12.9 points and 10.0 rebounds with 3.6 assists to boot. A lot of those helpers come from passing to the other big guy on the court, Goldin, whose 15.7 points per game lead his team. The duo goes by the moniker “Area 50-1” in reference to their jersey numbers.

A big kid who puts the ball on the floor isn’t an alien to Michigan State — Magic Johnson was among the first, in case you forgot. But what Michigan runs is different, especially compared to offenses today. Its four-five pick and roll forces opposing bigs to match the speed and intensity of Wolf while trying to get through a 7-foot-1, 250-pound Goldin. Few teams can defend so much size so cleanly, and those big men are a big part of why Michigan is leading the Big Ten. It’s a big deal.

“We haven’t seen that kind of combo probably at all this year,” center Carson Cooper said Wednesday. “So for us, it’s gonna be a test of our togetherness as four and five men, as forwards, to kind of adapt to their level play style and their skill level, with being able to shoot and the strength and power of golden down there in the center.”

More than any other matchup this season, today’s game will require Michigan State’s own big men to defend with athleticism, wit and poise. Whereas its guards have set the tone defensively against all types of teams, Michigan’s offensive style puts the responsibility elsewhere. For centers Cooper and Szymon Zapala, as well as forwards Jaxon Kohler and Xavier Booker, their defensive efforts will be crucial.

“They gotta guard some people,” Izzo said. “They gotta move their feet a little bit better, because (Goldin) puts the ball on the floor so well for a big guy, and you have to be stronger and tougher inside. Goldin is big and strong in there, and he’s real big in fact. But I think the biggest thing is whether they can move their feet and stay in front of people. That’s what we’ll find out.”

Michigan’s big offense comes with its costs — namely, turnovers. An average of 14.4 turnovers is the worst in the Big Ten by about 2.2. It’s the 20th worst of all 355 Division I teams. Izzo likened it to his team’s poor three-point shooting, an Achilles heel that a team wins in spite of. There’s a reason that Michigan owns such a poor statistic and is nonetheless atop a Power Four conference.

Today’s game will see Michigan State assistant coach Saddi Washington return to Ann Arbor for the first time since joining the Spartans. He coached at Michigan for eight seasons, though just five players — three deep on the bench — were there with him last season.

How Michigan State contends with Michigan’s two towering bigs will be central to how it fares, but Izzo cautions the Wolverines aren’t a two-man show. That includes hyper-efficient shooter Nimari Burnett and versatile point guard Tre Donaldson.

“Those guys have been good together, but they got other players on their team besides those two guys,” Izzo said. “And it’s a very old team for the most part. They don’t have all that experience in here, but I think it’s really helped that Goldin has played for (May) before. That’s always nice to be able to build around someone that can tell everybody else what you’re doing with your system.”

Michigan State might not have the same familiarity with Michigan’s offense, but it will look to dismantle it in the biggest rivalry game in five years. The last time both teams were ranked for this game was Jan. 5, 2020 — funny enough, ranked 12th and 14th. Michigan State won, 87-69, at Breslin Center in Juwan Howard’s introduction to the rivalry. Izzo has beaten the past three Michigan coaches in their rivalry debuts.