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Michigan and Rutgers meet today at Madison Square Garden for Big Ten basketball action.
The Wolverines ended their four-game losing streak last time out with a 79-68 road win over Nebraska, which came without starting point guard Zavier Simpson. The senior returns today after missing just the one game due to a team suspension.
The Scarlet Knights enter the game ranked No. 25 in the nation and 10-2 in their last 12 games, with both losses coming on the road by five points or less.
The two teams traded blows in the opening ten minutes of play, which saw Michigan hold a slight 16-14 lead. The Wolverines stretched their advantage to as many as 10 points, but Rutgers rallied to end the half and cut Michigan’s lead to 37-34.
POSITIVES:
- Brandon Johns Jr. had a nice performance against the Cornhuskers, and he kept it rolling in the first half of this game. The sophomore got several good looks from three-point range, and he took advantage hitting 3-of-5 from deep on his way to 15 first-half points. Johns Jr. also had a tip-in as time expired to give Michigan a boost going into the locker room.
- The Wolverines enjoyed one of the better shooting halves they’ve had in a long stretch, shooting 12-of-23 from the floor and 6-of-11 from three. After a poor shooting month of January, Michigan hopes February yields better results, and so far it has.
- Zavier Simpson returned from his one-game suspension and appeared to be pressing a bit to start the game. However, the senior settled in an made an impact with 5 assists and hitting 3-of-4 attempts from the free throw line. Simpson needs to remain composed and continue to play within himself in the second half.
- Head coach Juwan Howard has emphasized better defense in recent games, and the Wolverines answered the call in the first half today. Michigan limited the Scarlet Knights to just 33 percent shooting in the first half. Rutgers did hit 5-of-8 attempts from three, so the Wolverines may need to adjust their defense accordingly in the second half.
NEGATIVES:
- The Wolverines did a poor job boxing out and grabbing rebounds in the first 20 minutes, as Rutgers enjoyed 10 offensive rebounds. The Scarlet Knights out-toughed and out-hustled Michigan in stretches of that first half, and that’s why they were able to stay in the game. The Wolverines are fortunate that Rutgers has managed to only score 7 second-chance points with that many opportunities.
- Michigan’s free throw shooting was lousy in the first half, or they would have been able to maintain their early lead. The Wolverines were just 7-of-13 from the foul line in that half. That won’t get the job done in a tight game.