Tag: Franz Wagner

Five takeaways: Wolverines fall to Buckeyes at home

Five takeaways from Michigan basketball’s 61-58 loss to rival Ohio State at Crisler Center, dropping the Wolverines to 12th in the Big Ten.

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Both the Wolverines and Buckeyes started the 2019-20 season hot, earning spots in the AP Top 5 back in December. However, the month of January was unkind to both programs.

Michigan (13-8) and Ohio State (14-7) both went 2-5 last month and now find themselves unranked and in the bottom tier of the Big Ten standings with 4-6 records in conference play.

Both teams traded scoring runs in a low-scoring first half that saw the Buckeyes shoot 41 percent from the floor while the Wolverines hit just 31 percent of their shots. Ohio State led 28-27 at the break.

The second half was five-point window, with neither team able to gain any advantage over the other. It was a 12-round fight of a game, but the knock out punch was delivered by the Buckeyes with a 61-58 final score.

1. Another loss at crisler center

Once again, the Wolverines failed to defend their home court in a winnable game. Michigan had already dropped home games to ranked opponents Oregon, Penn State and Illinois, and now you can add Ohio State to the list of visiting opponents to steal a game in Ann Arbor. Going unbeaten at home is not the expectation, but teams that are on the bubble for an NCAA Tournament berth need to take advantage of their home games against quality opponents. Michigan has failed to do so on numerous occasions this season.

2. a physical game with few whistles

This was one of the more physical games we’ve seen in recent memory at the Crisler Center, but you wouldn’t know it if you looked at the box score. The two teams combined to shoot just 19 free throws, despite the fact the style of play from both clubs defensively included impeding off-ball movement and hand-checks/body bumps on ball-handlers. This was the epitome of an officiating crew “letting the teams play”. Some on-lookers enjoy that type of play, while other (Jay Bilas included) are frustrated by it. In the end, the team willing to play tougher won, and that was Ohio State.

3. Simpson and Teske Disappoint, again

Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske are the senior captains of this team. Entering the year, both were coming off strong junior campaigns and expected to lead a young roster through the coaching transition from John Beilien to Juwan Howard. However, in my opinion, that hasn’t been the case. What I’ve seen from both seniors have been disappointing. Yes, Simpson is near the top of the country in assists, but his perimeter defense has taken a step back, his turnovers are up and he still struggles to score consistently. He also served a one-game suspension due to a violation of team rules, and cost his team tonight with a flagrant foul late in the game to give the Buckeyes two free throws at a key moment. Teske, meanwhile, has not been a good rim protector this season like he was a year ago, his three-point shooting has regressed, and he has consistently underwhelmed with his rebounding efforts.

4. Austin davis has a career game

Junior Austin Davis had perhaps the best game of his career on Tuesday night. He finished with 11 points and went 4-of-4 from the floor. He also had 3 rebounds and a blocked shot. Davis is limited as a player, but he’s played well at times this season as a backup to Teske, and the points he contributed tonight kept the Wolverines in the game.

5. Another opportunity coming Saturday

Michigan will host their other rival, Michigan State, this coming Saturday in a contest that provides the Wolverines another opportunity to add to their postseason resume. The Spartans — currently tied atop the Big Ten standings — will obviously be favored in that matchup, but if Michigan can defend home court and pull off the upset it would be a big boost to their bubble status. It’s hard to imagine the Wolverines winning that game with the way both teams have played since the turn of the calendar year, but you never know in college basketball.

Halftime Analysis: Michigan vs. Ohio State

Halftime analysis of Michigan basketball’s matchup with rival Ohio State at the Crisler Center as conference play rolls on in the Big Ten.

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After dropping four straight games late, Michigan has rebounded with back-to-back wins entering a rivalry showdown with Ohio State tonight.

Both the Wolverines and Buckeyes started the 2019-20 season hot, earning spots in the AP Top 5 back in December. However, the month of January was unkind to both programs.

Michigan and Ohio State both went 2-5 last month and now find themselves unranked and in the bottom tier of the Big Ten standings with 4-6 records in conference play.

Both clubs struggled to score in the early-goings, but the Buckeyes began asserting themselves to take a 16-9 lead with around 9 minutes remaining in the half.

The Wolverines fought tough to take a 22-21 lead with 3 minutes remaining, but enter the locker room trailing 28-27.

POSITIVES:

  • Brandon Johns Jr. continued his recent hot streak in the first half tonight. The sophomore has 8 points on 3-of-4 shooting. Johns Jr. has also pulled down 3 rebounds and had a block that led to a fast break bucket for David DeJulius. Johns Jr. is playing really good basketball right now.
  • Franz Wagner really struggled with Rutgers’ physicality on the boards, but perhaps he was challenged by the coaching staff in the days between that game and tonight’s against Ohio State. The freshman was extraordinarily active on the glass in the first half, grabbing an incredible 8 rebounds in 18 minutes of play.

NEGATIVES:

  • Michigan got quite a few clean looks on offense to start the game, but was unable to take advantage. The Wolverines opened the night 3-for-15 from the floor, and just 1-for-8 from three-point range in the opening ten minutes. Michigan closed the half shooting just 31 percent overall and 25 percent from three-point range.
  • Michigan got sloppy with the ball towards the end of their win over Rutgers on Saturday, and that trend continued into the first half tonight. The Wolverines had 5 turnovers in the first 11 minutes and finished the half with a total of 6. Ohio State scored 8 points off those turnovers.
  • Michigan struggled to defend the Buckeyes’ best player, Kaleb Wesson. The Ohio State junior got several open looks from three-point range and hit 3-of-5 attempts from deep. He’s up to 15 points already. It’s inexcusable to give one of the better shooting big men in the Big Ten the amount of good looks that the Wolverines allowed Wesson. That will need to be addressed quickly in the second half.

Five takeaways: Wolverines win at Madison Square Garden

Five takeaways from Michigan’s 69-63 win over Rutgers in Big Ten play at Madison Square Garden. The Wolverines have won back-to-back games.

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Michigan traveled to New York City on Saturday for a Big Ten showdown with Rutgers at Madison Square Garden.

The Scarlet Knights, one of this season’s biggest surprises, entered the game winners of 10 of their last 12 games and ranked the 25th-best team in the nation.

The Wolverines recently snapped a four-game losing streak with a 78-69 over Nebraska earlier this week. Starting point guard Zavier Simpson sat out of that game due to a violation of team rules, but returned for Saturday’s game.

Michigan got off to a strong start and built a 27-17 lead in the early-goings, but Rutgers battled to within 37-34 by halftime. After the break, the Wolverines once again started hot, and rebuilt it’s lead to 60-46 with under ten minutes to play. Once again, the Scarlet Knights fought to within three points, but Michigan prevailed with a 69-63 victory.

1. An ugly, but important, win

After 40 minutes of play, the Wolverines had more points. At the end of the day, that’s ultimately what matters. However, when Michigan watches the game film it may question how it was able to pull this one out. The Wolverines finished with 16 turnovers, including several down the stretch in crunch time. Rutgers took advantage, scoring multiple times off the miscues. Yet, Michigan managed to finish on top anyway, and when the selection committee looks over the resume at the end of the season, all they’ll see is another win over a ranked opponent for the Wolverines.

2. poor rebounding effort

In addition to being loose with the basketball, Michigan was abused on the boards in this game. The Scarlet Knights bullied their way to 26 offensive rebounds, an absurd number, and it’s really the only reason why this game wasn’t a Wolverine blowout. Rutgers shot just 33 percent from the floor, but multiple opportunities helped them keep it close. Michigan won’t survive another showing like that on the defensive glass however.

3. Brandon Johns Jr. career-high

Earlier this week, Brandon Johns Jr. set a new career-high with 16 points against Nebraska. That mark didn’t last long, as the sophomore eclipsed it on Saturday with a 20-point outing against the Scarlet Knights. Johns Jr. was huge for the Wolverines in this game, especially with how he contributed from outside, hitting better than 50 percent of his three-point attempts. The sophomore has been up-and-down this season, but if this is a sign of him settling in to Big Ten basketball, it will give Michigan a big boost down the stretch.

4. wolverines find the range

The Wolverines finally found their footing and knocked down their open looks at a decent clip. The month of January was unkind to Michigan in terms of shooting, but the Wolverines bounced back on Saturday with a much better shooting performance, hitting 47 percent of their shot attempts. It was just one outing, but perhaps Michigan will gain confidence from this game and shoot the ball better moving forward. That will determine how competitive the Wolverines are to close the regular season.

5. rivalry games up next

Michigan has won back-to-back games against Power 5 conference opponents for the first time since winning the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament back in November. It’s a good time to end that drought, with big rivalry games coming up next week. The Wolverines will host Ohio State on Tuesday, Feb. 4 and then host Michigan State on Saturday, Feb. 8. The Wolverines will have to play better than they did Saturday to defend home court against the Buckeyes and Spartans, but make no mistakes, these are opportunity games for Michigan. It’s hard to overemphasize how big two wins next week would be for Juwan Howard and company.

Five takeaways: Wolverines back in the win column

Five takeaways as Michigan ends it’s four-game losing streak with a 79-68 victory over Nebraska, the Wolverines first true road win.

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With four losses in a row, the season has taken a sour turn for Michigan basketball. The situation grew only more dire when starting point guard Zavier Simpson was suspended for a violation of team rules.

The Wolverines, who started 0-5 in true road games this season, were in desperate need of a change to the current narrative when they traveled to Nebraska on Tuesday night.

The game was tight throughout the first half, but Michigan controlled the game for the majority of the second half to pull away for their first road victory, 79-68.

My five takeaways as the Wolverines end their four-game skid:

1. A step in the right direction

With the four-game losing streak, Michigan’s NCAA Tournament destiny was suddenly in doubt after a 7-0 start to the season. The Wolverines won’t impress the selection committee with this victory, but it was a much-needed step in the right direction. Michigan has several “resume-building” opportunities left on their schedule, one of which comes this Saturday when they host No. 25 Rutgers. It’s good that the Wolverines will enter that game with a little confidence coming off their first road victory.

2. Brooks, Wagner, Johns Jr. all step up

No Zavier Simpson. No Isaiah Livers. Michigan needed guys to play big in this game, and multiple guys did. Eli Brooks led the Wolverines in points (20), rebounds (9) and assists (4) in an exceptional performance. Franz Wagner shook off a slow start shooting the ball to finish with 18 points on 8-of-15 shooting. The freshman added 8 rebounds, 3 steals and a block. Finally, Brandon Johns Jr. played one of his best games in a Michigan uniform with an efficient 16 points (5-of-6 from the floor, 5-of-7 from the FT line) and added 7 rebounds.

3. This is what Michigan’s offense is

The Wolverines have played 20 games and are nearly halfway through their Big Ten schedule. It’s safe and fair to say that what we’ve seen on offense from them since returning from the Bahamas is what they are. Michigan is not a good shooting team. Tonight, the Wolverines shot 29 percent from the three-point line. Michigan did shoot 50 percent from the floor, but that came against what is, statistically, the worst defensive team in the conference. The key to success for this Wolverines squad is good ball movement and getting as many guys involved as possible, which is what they did tonight.

4. Dejulius struggles replacing Simpson

Sophomore David DeJulius filled in as the starting point guard with Zavier Simpson out, and he struggled to fill those shoes. DeJulius finished with just 5 points on 1-of-7 shooting while handing out 3 assists and grabbing 4 rebounds. Simpson has had an up-and-down season, but if Tuesday’s game against a relatively weak Big Ten opponent is any indicator, the Wolverines need their starting point guard back on the floor soon. That may not be fair to DeJulius, after all, it was his first career start, but the back-half of the Big Ten slate is vital to Michigan’s NCAA Tournament chances, and the Wolverines will need Simpson to earn a bid.

5. resume-building games ahead

As mentioned above, Michigan is in a fight for their NCAA tournament lives as the calendar shifts to February. The Wolverines let some resume-building opportunities at home slip away earlier this season against Oregon, Penn State and Illinois, but there are plenty more ahead. After hosting Rutgers on Saturday, Michigan still has home games against Michigan State and Indiana — two of the better teams in the conference — and will have ranked road games at Rutgers and Maryland. Sprinkled in are future contests against Purdue and Wisconsin that can serve as solid wins due to the strength of the Big Ten this season. Opportunities await, but the Wolverines need to finish the season strong.

Five takeaways: Michigan in free fall after 3rd straight loss

Michigan dropped its third consecutive game on Wednesday with a 72-63 loss to Penn State. The Wolverines fall to 2-5 in Big Ten play.

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Michigan entered Wednesday’s home game against Penn State coming off two straight conference losses and having fallen back out of the AP Top 25.

A momentum shift was needed, but instead it was more of the same for the Wolverines, who dropped their first home game in conference play, 72-63.

Michigan is now 11-7 overall and 2-5 in the Big Ten after opening the season 7-0 and skyrocketing to No. 4 in the nation.

Five takeaways from a disappointing night in Ann Arbor:

1. WOLVERINes are in free fall

With Wednesday’s loss, the Wolverines have now lost three games in a row, four of their last five, and six of their last nine. To make matters worse, two of Michigan’s three wins during that stretch came against Presbyterian and UMass-Lowell, meaning the Wolverines are 1-6 in their last seven games against power conference opponents. Adversity has struck in Juwan Howard’s first season as head coach at Michigan, and he’ll need to find a way to rally his players to overcome it.

2. No easy answers here

Looking at the box score, there’s not a single player or statistic you can point at to explain the performance tonight. This was the epitome of a team loss. Zavier Simpson shot under 35 percent from the floor and had six turnovers. Jon Teske failed to stay out of foul trouble once again. Franz Wagner was 1-of-8 from the three-point line. Eli Brooks started 3-of-4 from the floor and finished 4-of-12. David DeJulius, who has been a spark plug-type player off the bench this season, finished with 2 points and was 0-of-3 from the floor. The full roster, top to bottom, contributed to this incredibly poor performance.

3. SHots still aren’t falling

We’re passed the point where we can call these ‘shooting woes’. It’s more accurate right now to simply say that Michigan is not a good shooting team. There’s not much more to say: The Wolverines were 24-of-68 from the floor (35 percent) and an abysmal 5-of-28 from three-point range (18 percent). The numbers tell the story. Michigan has had a rough go of it shooting the ball for much of the past two months, and the performance tonight may have been the crescendo of that fact.

4. teske hits the glass

Jon Teske came into Wednesday’s game averaging 7.6 rebounds per game. That’s not a bad number, but it’s somewhat underwhelming for a guy his size. The senior reached double-digit rebounds against the Nittany Lions however, finishing with 11. Teske needs to reach double-digit rebounds more consistently moving forward, there’s really no excuse for a guy his size to not be more of a force on the glass.

5. Not going to get much easier

Looking at what Michigan has coming up, the schedule continues to look challenging. The Wolverines play host to No. 21 Illinois this coming Saturday, before hitting the road for a trip to Nebraska. Michigan is winless in true road games this season. The Wolverines will then return home for a matchup against No. 24 Rutgers, before hosting rivals Ohio State and Michigan State in back-to-back contests. Injured starter Isaiah Livers appears to be getting closer to a return, and its hard to imagine the Wolverines being more desperate for his presence on the floor than they are right now.

Five takeaways: Wolverines still winless on the road

Five takeaways from No. 19 Michigan’s 90-83 defeat on the road at Iowa. The Wolverines fall to 0-5 on the road.

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After starting 0-4 in true road games to start the season, No. 19 Michigan traveled to Iowa on Friday night in desperate need to change the narrative away from Ann Arbor.

The Hawkeyes built a double-digit lead in the first half, but Michigan battled back with a run to end the frame to cut their deficit to 47-43 at the break. In the second half, Iowa built his lead back to seven before the Wolverines went on a 14-2 run to take a lead of their own.

However, the Hawkeyes made the money plays down the stretch to retake the lead and hang on for a 90-83 win, handing Michigan another crushing loss on the road to drop them to 0-5 away from the Crisler Center.

Here are five takeaway’s from the Wolverines’ defeat:

1. better shooting on the road

The biggest factor in Michigan’s struggles on the road this season has been poor shooting. The Wolverines still shot below average from the three-point line (11-for-34), but overall Michigan shot 50 percent from the floor (34-of-68). That’s a sizable improvement from what the Wolverines have shot in their other road games this season.

2. welcome back Eli Brooks

Michigan got a huge lift from junior Eli Brooks in this one. The shooting guard had gone through a rough stretch shooting the ball in recent games, but Brooks came out of his funk to score 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting, including 5-of-11 from three-point range. A night like this can’t be expected every time Brooks steps on to the floor, but if the junior can consistently be a threat from outside, it will open Michigan’s offense up more for other guys.

3. frustrating NIGHT FOR johns jr., simpson

Brandon Johns Jr. had a poor night in Iowa City. The sophomore fouled out of the game, and finished the game with more turnovers (3) than points (2). Meanwhile, point guard Zavier Simpson was mostly held in check by the Hawkeyes. He finished with 7 points on 3-of-7 shooting, and dished out six assists. For Simpson, it was good to see him not try to force things offensively — he had just two turnovers, one coming in the closing seconds — but he’ll need to find ways to make a bigger impact offensively. For Johns Jr., this performance simply wasn’t good enough in a starting role, plain and simple.

4. free throw line discrepancy

Juwan Howard was visibly frustrated with the officiating on Friday night, and was issued a technical foul early in the second half. Michigan’s 14-2 run quickly followed that technical. The Wolverines had to battle through foul trouble most of the night, having been whistled for 23 fouls as opposed to 13 for Iowa. The Hawkeyes went 27-of-30 from the foul line, while Michigan was 4-of-5. Style of play is also a factor when considering the number of trips a team makes to the charity stripe, so the discrepancy in foul shots can’t be attributed to officiating alone however.

5. letting another slip away

Michigan got off to a strong start at Minnesota last week, leading by double digits in the first half, but couldn’t keep that momentum going in a 75-67 defeat. The Wolverines had a chance to end their road losing streak once again tonight. They battled through adversity throughout the game, and found themselves somehow with a 7-point with under 10 minutes to play, yet once again Michigan couldn’t make the finishing plays required to pull out a road win in this conference. As a result, the Wolverines find themselves 2-4 in conference play, and may be already out of the race.

Five takeaways: Michigan falls to 0-4 in true road games

Five takeaways from Michigan’s 75-67 road loss at Minnesota. Wolverines fall to 2-3 in Big Ten conference play on the season.

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After boosting their Big Ten record to 2-2 with a double overtime win over Purdue on Thursday, No. 19 Michigan traveled to Minnesota on Sunday with the intent of building momentum in conference play.

The Wolverines started fast, opening an 11-point lead with hot shooting to start the contest. Michigan knocked down it’s first four three-point attempts, but finished the half 6-of-14 from outside.

Minnesota was able to close the gap with a 9-0 run to end the half, and the Wolverines saw their lead get chopped to 31-30 at the break.

Momentum continued to trend the Gophers way in the second half, as they took control and never allowed Michigan to get back into the rhythm they found early. The Wolverines fell by a final score of 75-67.

1. A similar story on offense

We’re approaching “beat a dead horse” territory, but the fact remains that Michigan will struggle to win games if it continues to shoot this poorly. The Wolverines started 8-of-13 from the floor and 4-for-4 from three-point range, but came crashing back down to Earth soon after. Michigan finished the day at 42 percent from the floor (26-of-62) and 36 percent from deep (10-of-28). With Isaiah Livers out, the Wolverines are struggling to find scoring replacements. Michigan needs him back desperately.

2. Simpson Plays well again

Zavier Simpson did all he could to try to will the Wolverines to another victory. The senior has put two good conference games together back-to-back to conclude this week. After scoring 22 points and dishing out 9 assists against Purdue, Simpson led the way for Michigan again on Sunday with 19 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds. Unfortunately, the senior struggled from the floor as well, shooting just 9-of-17. However, with the limited options offensively as mentioned above, it’s hard to blame Simpson for forcing the issue at times.

3. Howard sticks with his plan

Juwan Howard has a strict policy on guarding the post. Michigan is going to play one-on-one defense down low, and refuses to help off of perimeter shooters. The idea is to not allow opponents to get open looks from three by doubling the post. Against that strategy, Minnesota’s Daniel Oturu gave Michigan fits in the post, finishing with a career-high 30 points on 13-of-18 shooting and added 7 rebounds. This comes after the Wolverines surrendered career games to Iowa’s Luka Garza (44 points, 8 rebounds) and Purdue’s Trevion Williams (36 points, 20 rebounds). If Howard is going to continue utilizing this strategy, he needs to coach up his big men and get them to defend better down low.

4. DISAPPOINTING Game for teske

Not only did Teske struggle to slow down Oturu, he didn’t contribute much offensively either. The senior was limited to 9 points on 3-of-8 shooting and collected just 4 rebounds. Simply put, that’s not good enough for a senior captain. Earlier this season I called Teske the most consistently reliable player on Michigan’s roster. He hasn’t lived up to that billing in recent outings. The Wolverines need more production and toughness out of him moving forward.

5. fixing the road woes

Michigan is now 0-4 in true road games this season. This was actually the Wolverines best shooting performance in a road game this season. Winning on the road has always been difficult in college basketball, and it is particularly difficult to do in the Big Ten this season, but the best teams find ways to get it done. Right now, Michigan is a good team, but hasn’t shown the ability to take the next step towards being a contender. The Wolverines have another shot to get a road win in their next action, as they travel to Iowa on Friday.

Halftime Analysis: No. 19 Michigan at Minnesota

Halftime analysis of No. 19 Michigan’s trip to Minnesota to battle the Golden Gophers as Big Ten play continues for the Wolverines.

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Coming off a double-overtime win over Purdue on Thursday, No. 19 Michigan (11-4 overall, 2-2 Big Ten) traveled to Minneapolis to battle Minnesota (8-7, 2-3).

The Golden Gophers have dropped two of their past three Big Ten games, with a win over Northwestern sandwiched between losses to Purdue and Michigan State.

Opening conference play with a .500 record, the Wolverines are seeking to keep pace with the teams atop the Big Ten standings.

Michigan got out to a fast start and took an early 11-point lead, before the Golden Gophers battled back. The Wolverines struggled down the stretch of the half and had to settle for just a 31-30 lead at the break.

NEGATIVES:

  • Juwan Howard has a strict policy on guarding the post. Michigan is going to play one-on-one defense down low, and refuses to help off of perimeter shooters. However, the Wolverines have struggled to defend the post well, and that continued in the first half today. Minnesota’s Daniel Oturu, one of the most improved players in the Big Ten this season, lit up Michigan for 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting in the first 20 minutes. This comes after Iowa’s Luka Garza scored 44 and Purdue’s Trevion Williams scored 36 on the Wolverines. Howard and the Wolverines may need to make an adjustment to their strategy in the second half.
  • Michigan was sloppy with the ball, particularly in the later-goings of the first half. The Wolverines have just five turnovers, but other possessions have been hampered by sloppy play and poor ball movement.

POSITIVES:

  • The Wolverines got off to a fast start offensively, which was a sight for sore eyes particularly on the road. Michigan’s shooting woes have been well-documented, but the Wolverines opened this game shooting 8-of-13 from the floor and 3-of-3 from three-point range. The hot shooting tapered off as the half progressed however, as Michigan ended the half 12-of-29 from the floor (41 percent). Still, the Wolverines shot 6-of-14 from the three-point line, which was a welcome sight.
  • Although the defense against Oturu was listed earlier as a negative, the defensive strategy has produced the desired results on those surrounding the Minnesota star. Outside of Oturu’s production, the other Golden Gophers are a combined 4-of-16 from the floor and have been limited to 11 points. It will be interesting to see how the Wolverines tweak things defensively in the second half.

5 takeaways: Michigan outlasts Purdue in double OT

No. 19 Michigan returned home on Thursday night for a Big Ten battle with Purdue, and outlasted the Boilermakers in double overtime, 84-78.

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Michigan entered Thursday’s game against Purdue in desperate need for a victory. After opening the season 7-0 and rising as high as No. 4 in the country, the Wolverines have dropped four of their last seven games and have fallen to 19th in the nation.

The Boilermakers came into the contest on a bit of a slump as well, having gone 3-3 in their last six games, including a blowout loss to Illinois (63-37) in their last outing.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with neither team building a lead by more than four points. The lead changed hands 11 times before Michigan took an 32-28 advantage into the locker room.

The second half was more of the same, as both teams traded blows on their way to double overtime. In the end, the Wolverines landed the final blow and secured an 84-78 victory.

Here are five takeaways for Michigan’s win:

1. Zavier Simpson returns to form

Zavier Simpson has had an up-and-down season thus far, but he played extraordinary well against the Boilermakers. After being primarily a distributor in regulation, with 9 assists prior to overtime, Simpson was able to get to the rim in the cause damage in the extra sessions.. That’s where the senior is at his best. He showed patience in regulation, but carried the Wolverines in overtime, finishing with 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting to go along with those 9 assists.

2. Shooting Struggles Come home

Michigan’s struggles in shooting have been well-documented in recent weeks, but the Crisler Center had previously been a reprieve for those struggles. That wasn’t the case on Thursday night however, as the shooting woes followed the Wolverines home. Michigan finished regulation 25-of-55 from the floor (45 percent), before going 6-of-11 in the two overtime periods. It was another ugly outing from the three-point line (7-of-29) however. This is growing into a major concern for the Wolverines, and one they need to correct as Big Ten play continues.

3. Scoring by Committee

Those shooting struggles are not limited to one player or even a hand-full of players, it’s everyone right now. With that in mind, the Wolverines combated that tonight by spreading the ball around and getting multiple people involved on offense. Simpson’s 22 points led the way, but Jon Teske had 18, Franz Wagner had 15, and David DeJulius finished with 11 and Brandon Johns Jr. added 8. Teams get out of shooting slumps by moving the ball around and finding guys for good looks. Michigan is getting good looks, and you have to think they’ll start to fall at some point.

4. ELI BROOKS has gone M.I.A.

In the first seven games of the season, shooting guard Eli Brook was scoring 12.3 points per game and was an outside shooting threat for the Wolverines, hitting 50 percent of his three-point attempts. However, in Michigan’s last eight games Brooks has been missing in action. The junior has been held to 8.3 ppg and is shooting just 9-of-28 from deep (32 percent) with six of those makes coming against lowly Presbyterian and UMass-Lowell. The way the Wolverines are struggling from the floor, Michigan needs Brooks to regain some of his early season form quickly.

5. GRINDING OUT A VICTORY

Nothing is coming easy for the Wolverines right now, especially with starting forward Isaiah Livers currently out indefinitely with a groin injury. Michigan showed grit and resilience on Thursday night however to grind out a much-needed victory. The win improves the Wolverines’ record in conference play back to .500 at 2-2. It’s going to be difficult to win games the way Michigan is shooting the ball right now, but give them credit for finding a way to come out on top in this one. Livers’ status remains uncertain, but their is optimism that he’ll be able to return to the lineup soon, which should give them a boost offensively.

Halftime Analysis: No. 19 Michigan vs. Purdue

No. 19 Michigan returns to Big Ten action with a home tilt against Purdue at Crisler Arean. Analysis of the Wolverines’ first half.

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After falling at Michigan State and dropping to 19th in the latest Associated Press poll, Michigan returned to Ann Arbor on Thursday for another Big Ten showdown, this time with the Purdue Boilermakers.

Purdue entered the contest 3-3 in its last six games, including a blowout loss to Illinois (63-37) in their last action.

The Wolverines are in desperate need to hold serve on their home court after opening conference play with a 1-2 record.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with neither team building a lead by more than four points. The lead changed hands 11 times before Michigan took an 32-28 advantage into the locker room.

POSITIVES:

  • Franz Wagner was active in the first half vs. the Boilers after a quiet afternoon in East Lansing on Sunday. The freshman finsihed the half with 7 points on 3-of-7 shooting, and added 3 rebounds and 2 steals.
  • Jon Teske continues to be the most consistent player on Michigan’s roster. The senior center has been steady all season, and that continued in the first half Thursday as he totaled 8 points on 3-of-6 shooting. Still, Teske needs to be more active on the boards, as he was limited to just one in the first half.
  • In each of their four losses this season, Michigan’s opponents have played tight on shooters and forced point guard Zavier Simpson to be a scorer. That’s not Simpson’s game, and he struggled with his shooting percentage in those contests. On Thursday, however, the senior point guard has been much more patient with the basketball and has looked to set up his teammates. Simpson finished the first half with just 4 points, but he shot a perfect 2-for-2 from the floor and added 6 assists.
  • Although the offense has struggled, the Wolverines have done a good job forcing turnovers on defense. Purdue finished the half with 11 giveaways. When you’re struggling to score, those extra possession come in handy.

NEGATIVES:

  • Shooting troubles have been the story for Michigan when they go on the road, but those struggles followed them back to Ann Arbor tonight. The Wolverines were just 13-of-29 from the floor in that first half, and once again shot an ugly percentage from the three-point line (3-of-12). This is the top concern for this team right now, as they’ve slumped to a 4-3 record in their last seven games. The coaching staff needs to draw up ways to get guys open looks, and players need to knock those shots down. It’s really that simple.
  • Purdue’s Trevion Williams was a big time problem for Michigan in the first half. Williams finished the half with 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting and added 6 rebounds. The Wolverine bigs will need to do a better job on him in the first half.