Halftime Analysis: Michigan at Rutgers

Halftime breakdown of Michigan basketball’s trip to “The RAC”, home to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Rutgers is 17-0 at home this season.

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Fresh off their third straight win, Michigan traveled to Rutgers on Wednesday in an attempt to be the first team to defeat the Scarlet Knights on their home floor.

Rutgers is 17-0 this season at “The RAC”, while the Wolverines are just 2-5 in true road games this season. Further complicating matters, it was announced shortly before tip that starting forward Isaiah Livers would miss tonight’s game due to the lower leg injury he suffered against Indiana.

However, Michigan got off to a fast start, doubling up the hosting Scarlet Knights for a 16-8 lead in the early-goings. Rutgers settled in and got the home crowd excited with a run to get back into the game, and took a 31-28 lead into halftime.

POSITIVES:

  • Michigan has shot the ball much better in February than they did in January, and that trend continued in the first half tonight. The Wolverines shot 48 percent overall (12-of-25) from the floor. That’s an encouraging sign, especially on the road, where Michigan has really struggled to shoot the ball.
  • Zavier Simpson played well in the first half, stepping up in a big way with the absence of Livers. The senior point guard had 12 points and knocked down a pair of three-point shots early in the game. Simpson impacted the game in other ways as well, collecting 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. He’ll have to continue his strong play in the second half.
  • The Scarlet Knights bullied Michigan for 26 offensive rebounds the first time these two teams played a couple of weeks ago at Madison Square Garden. The Wolverines have rebounded much better this time around, limiting Rutgers to just 3 offensive rebounds in the first half. That’s a massive improvement for Michigan, and one they need to maintain in the second half.

NEGATIVES:

  • After that early surge to start the game, the Wolverines gave the lead away partially due to turnovers. Michigan totaled six giveaways in the first half. It will be tough to pull out a road victory if the ball security doesn’t improve in the subsequent 20 minutes of play.
  • While the Wolverines shot the ball well overall, their three-point shooting left much to be desired. Michigan hit just 3-of-13 shots from deep in the first half, a porous 23 percent. The Wolverines have found success getting to the rim, but they’ll need to hit some outside shots in order to pull off the upset.