Tag: michigan-basketball

Isaiah Todd not signing NLI in early period, still plans to play at Michigan

Looks like Michigan will have to wait a few more months until the prized jewel of the 2020 class makes it official.

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When Michigan got the commitment of five-star Isaiah Todd, fans were through the roof with excitement. As was, of course, new head coach Juwan Howard.

But the security of the five-star signing his letter of intent in the early signing period now looks like it won’t happen.

Despite Detroit Free Press writer Orion Sang posting on Twitter on Monday that the expectation was that Todd would sign once the early signing period opened on Wednesday, it now appears Todd will not be formally committing at this juncture, as we will instead be waiting until spring, according to USA TODAY Sports’ Jason Jordan.

Michigan commit Isaiah Todd to wait until the spring

Todd is the highest ranked (No. 8 in the Chosen 25) committed recruit that does not plan to sign during the Early Period. Todd, a forward at Word of God Christian Academy (Raleigh, North Carolina), said he “can’t wait” to play at Michigan next season, but isn’t ready to sign.

Certainly, that will have the maize and blue faithful on eggshells until that time, with the traditional signing period starting on April 15.

Meanwhile, the other commit of the 2020 class, Ohio’s Zeb Jackson did make his commitment official on Wednesday, as Michigan announced his signing of a national letter of intent.

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Five takeaways from Michigan hoops vs. Creighton

Michigan moved to 2-0 in the Juwan Howard era with a 79-69 win over Creighton on Tuesday night. Five takeaways from the Wolverines win.

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Coming off a season-opening win over Appalachian State last week, Michigan welcomed Creighton to Crisler Arena on Tuesday night for their second consecutive home game to start the year.

After a back-and-forth first half saw the Bluejays take a 41-38 lead into the locker room, the Wolverines responded in the second half, taking the lead and pulling away late for a 79-69 victory. Michigan moves to 2-0 on the year, and will return to game action on Friday against Elon University.

Below are five takeaways from the Wolverines’ win over the Creighton:

1. LIVERS, TESKE LEAD THE WAY

Junior forward Isaiah Livers played phenomenally for the Wolverines, leading the way with 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting. The junior shot well from deep as well, hitting 4-of-7 shots from behind the three-point arc. After a bit of a slow start, senior center Jon Teske had a big second half to finish with 17 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals. The senior center asserted his will in the second half, and was a go-to player on offense as the Wolverines put the game away down the stretch.

2. BLUEJAYS DOMINATE THE GLASS

Creighton had their way on the boards, out-rebounding Michigan by a 38-to-27 margin. The Bluejays hit the offensive glass especially hard, with 18 offensive rebounds leading to 13 second chance points for Creighton. Following the game, head coach Juwan Howard said his Wolverines were out-muscled and out-hustled, particularly in the first half. Michigan will have to do a better job rebounding going forward, especially when Big Ten play begins.

3. SIMPSON RETURNS TO FORM

Zavier Simpson had a tough opener against Appalachian State, finishing with six turnovers and shooting just 2-of-8 from the field. Against Creighton, however, the senior returned to what fans have come to expect of him. Simpson finished with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting. More importantly, the senior finished with 9 assists against 4 turnovers, a much better ratio than he had in the season-opener. The senior will need to continue to cut down on his turnovers — he’s averaging 5 per game so far — but this was a step in the right direction.

4. DAVID DEJULIUS STRONG OFF THE BENCH

Sophomore combo-guard David DeJulius played well off the bench as the Wolverines’ sixth man on Tuesday night. DeJulius had 9 points — including an impressive step-back three-pointer while defended closely — and added 7 rebounds in a gritty performance for the second-year guard. The sophomore went 4-for-4 from the free throw line, and his 28 minutes were the fifth-most for the team.

5. GOOD ADJUSTMENTS FROM HOWARD

Creighton got in the lane via the dribble drive at will in the first half, leading to 24 points in the paint, and several kick-out threes after 20 minutes. However, the Wolverines defended better in the second half, cutting down the Bluejays paint points to 18 in the second half. More impressively, Michigan limited Creighton to just 2-of-7 shooting from the three-point line after the break, after the Bluejays hit five triples in the first half. Head coach Juwan Howard and his coaching staff clearly put an emphasis on shutting down the driving lanes during halftime, and the Wolverines responded well. Michigan held Creighton to just 28 points in the second half.

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Halftime Analysis: Michigan hoops vs. Creighton

First half analysis of Michigan’s home basketball game against Creighton.

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Michigan (1-0) welcomed Creighton (1-0) to Crisler Arena on Tuesday for their second consecutive home game to start the 2019 season.

Both teams had their way offensively, as the Wolverines and Bluejays struggled mightily on the defensive end of the floor. At the break, Creighton leads Michigan by a score of 41-38.

POSITIVES:

  • The Wolverines shot well from the three-point arc in the first half, finishing 7-for-16 from deep, good enough for 44 percent. Isaiah Livers led the way, shooting 3-for-5 from deep. Livers has 11 points at the break. Michigan is shooting well from the floor overall, connecting on 15-of-28 attempts (54 percent).
  • Zavier Simpson was a play-maker for Michigan in the first half. He’s already up to 6 assists, and is 3-for-3 from the floor with a pair of three-pointers. Simpson has eight points at the break.
  • Jon Teske came on late in the first half to contribute offensively. He’s got five points, four rebounds and has been a force in the middle of Michigan’s defense with three blocks.

NEGATIVES:

  • Michigan struggled defensively against the quickness of Creighton’s guards. The Bluejays got to the rim early and often in the first half, finishing with a ghastly 24 points in the paint after 20 minutes. The Wolverines will need to defend the dribble drive better in the second half.
  • The Wolverines were out-rebounded by an ugly margin, 23 to 10, in the first half. Creighton got after the offensive glass especially hard with 10 of their rebounds coming on that end. The Bluejays have just six second chance points to show for it however. Meanwhile, Michigan was limited to zero offensive rebounds in the first half.