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No. 19 Michigan entered Sunday’s showdown with the rival Buckeyes licking their wounds after a disappointing loss at home to Wisconsin on Thursday.
The Wolverines didn’t get the answers they were looking for however in a 77-63 defeat in Columbus.
Michigan and Ohio State have mirrored one another for the majority of the season. Both teams got off to fast starts to rise into the nation’s Top 5, before both endured mid-season slumps which dropped them out of the national rankings.
Heading into Sunday’s game, both the Wolverines and the Buckeyes had won seven of their past nine games.
In the first half, both teams struggled offensively, but Ohio State’s three-point shooting was the difference as the Buckeyes took a 32-29 lead into the locker room.
After a 9-2 surge to start the second half gave Michigan a 38-34 advantage, it was all Ohio State from there. The Buckeyes were lights out from three-point range (6-of-9) in the second half to overwhelm the Wolverines to a 14-point victory.
1. Michigan’s momentum has been halted
Heading into this week, Michigan was riding a five-game winning streak and coming off a stretch of seven wins in eight games. That momentum came to a screeching halt this week with back-to-back losses to Wisconsin and Ohio State to push the Wolverines back down to 9-9 in Big Ten play on the season. With remaining games against Nebraska at home and Maryland on the road, Michigan is likely staring at a .500 record in league play in Year 1 of the Juwan Howard era. The Wolverines were being projected as high as a 5-seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament before this week, but are now likely to be slotted as a 7 or 8-seed in the Big Dance barring an upset of Maryland in the season-finale and a deep run in the Big Ten tournament.
2. three-point defense sinks Wolverines again
The difference in the game between Wisconsin and Michigan was the Badgers effectiveness from three-point range. The Wolverines had the same problem on Sunday as the Buckeyes shot 11-of-21 from deep while the Wolverines were a lousy 7-of-26 from the perimeter. Michigan has been streaky at best — and more often just straight poor — in its three-point shooting this season, and when they shoot the ball like they did today they are ripe to get beat by anybody. This is a major concern as tournament play approaches.
3. teske, livers struggle mightily
There’s not much left to say about Jon Teske. The 7-footer finished the game with one rebound — absolutely inexcusable — and his poor offensive play in the post continued with a 3-of-8 shooting performance and 8 points. More alarming was the poor performance by Isaiah Livers, who shot just 2-of-11 from the floor and finished with just 6 points. The junior was also beaten off the dribble on multiple occasions against the Buckeyes — not a good sign for one of the Wolverines’ best defenders. It’s impossible to say just how healthy Isaiah Livers is right now, but it’s fairly clear he’s not at 100 percent, and his play this week reflected that.
4. double-double for franz
Franz Wagner has been playing outstanding basketball for the Wolverines for the past couple weeks, and that strong play continued on Sunday. The freshman finished with a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. He also made an impact defensively with a pair of steals and a blocked shot. Wagner was 7-of-12 from the floor, and his 4-of-8 shooting from three-point range kept Michigan alive in the second half until Ohio State’s barrage of triples took the game out of reach. After an up-and-down start to his college career, coming off the preseason wrist injury, the freshman has lived up to billing as a highly-rated prospect. Wagner and senior point guard Zaver Simpson — who also played well against the Buckeyes — will need more help to get the Wolverines rolling again as the season’s end draws near.
5. More questions than answers moving forward
It’s been tough to get a read on this team all season long. The Wolverines opened 7-0, looked like one of the best teams in the country and climbed as high as No. 4 in the national rankings. Michigan then suffered through a four-game losing streak during a stretch in which they lost seven of ten games. The Wolverines then responded by winning seven of their next eight games to thrust themselves into the thick of a race for a top-4 seed in the Big Ten tournament, before losing two in a row to sink those hopes. Given all that’s happened this season, I see Michigan’s floor as a team that finishes 10-10 in conference play and loses it’s opener in both the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments. I see their ceiling as a team that regains some mojo and pulls off an upset to reach the Sweet 16 before being ousted. Only time will tell how the end of this season is written.