Tag: Zavier Simpson

Halftime Analysis: No. 25 Michigan vs. Nebraska

Halftime analysis of Michigan basketball’s matchup with Nebraska on ‘Senior Night’ for Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske at the Crisler Center.

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After back-to-back losses to Wisconsin and Ohio State last week, Michigan entered ‘Senior Night’ in need of a pick-me-up game, and you couldn’t have selected a much better opponent for such a game than Nebraska.

The Cornhuskers entered this contest losers of each of their last 14 games, including a 79-68 defeat at the hands of the Wolverines back on Jan. 28.

The Wolverines wasted little time asserting themselves in this one, quickly jumping to an 11-2 lead. Michigan cooled off after that hot start however, and watched their lead slip all the way down to 23-22 with about six minutes to play in the half.

At the break, the Wolverines lead by a score of 32-28.

POSITIVES:

  • Jon Teske came to play on ‘Senior Night’. Against the Cornhuskers’ undersized frontcourt, the 7-footer had his way down 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals in the first half. It was about as active we’ve seen Teske in the last month or so, and while it was expected the senior center should have his way against Nebraska, it’s still nice to see him go out and take advantage.
  • The Wolverines were active in the passing lanes on defense in the first half, forcing 12 Nebraska turnovers and converting them into 12 points on the other end. Michigan’s ability to score off of their defensive takeaways was big given the way the Wolverines shot the ball in the opening 20 minutes.

NEGATIVES:

  • In the midst of the two losses last week, we saw the return of Michigan’s shooting struggles that haunted the team in January. Those same woes have appeared in this game as well. The Wolverines shot just 34 percent (13-of-38) in that opening half, including 5-of-15 from three-point range. The shooting struggles were highlighted by Isaiah Livers, who missed 8 consectutive shot attempts after knocking down back-to-back triples to open the game. Michigan, and Livers, need to break out of this shooting slump quickly, as tournament play is right around the corner.
  • This was a game, even coming off the struggles last week, that the Wolverines were expected to dominant. They simply haven’t done that through 20 minutes. After the fast start to the game, Michigan went ice cold from the floor, and some of the defensive breakdowns we saw last week bled into this game as well. A loss tonight would be a real morale killer for the Wolverines, who have a trip to Big Ten co-leader Maryland this weekend. Michigan is still in danger of slipping all the way down to an 11-seed in the Big Ten tournament, and a loss tonight would make that scenario all the more likely.

Juwan Howard offers Austin Davis back for 5th-year, and more in Nebraska preview

With the final home game of the 2019-20 season on the horizon, the Wolverines coach shared some big news while looking back at his seniors.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Two big things are on the horizon for Michigan basketball: Thursday night’s matchup against Nebraska is Senior Day, the final home game for Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske in their Wolverines career. And would the maize and blue bring Austin Davis back for a fifth-year after a recent string of excellent performances off the bench.

With the final home game for the 2019-20 season coming up, head coach Juwan Howard spent the entirety of his Nebraska preview discussing both topics, as the Wolverines look to end the Crisler Center contingent of the regular season on a high note.

Watch the entire press conference above or read the full transcript below.

Opening statement

“Before you begin with your questions, I wanted to make an announcement: as you guys know that tomorrow we’ll be celebrating our Senior Day for Zavier and Jon. But there’s a bigger announcement to make regarding Austin. Austin Davis will be returning for this fifth-year. I gave him the news yesterday. He was super excited. Just to see the smile on his face. He gave me three hugs. And he held me tight, too, so that made me just know from that hug, those hugs, it’s the feeling of a guy who’s really excited about coming back and being a student-athlete here at the University of Michigan.

“We’re excited to have him back because Austin being a great teammate he is, but he’s also a joy to coach. He’s shown great leadership throughout this year. He’s also shown a lot of growth on the court as well as in the classroom. As far as his excitement that’s in his feelings, in his voice, we’re excited to make that announcement and to see one of our guys who is a Michigan man returning next year to help lead this program next season with the future that we’re building here at the school.

“I wanted to let you guys know that. If you have any questions now, feel free.”

How they came to the decision to bring Austin Davis back

“Well we had a great meeting two weeks ago just talking about his future. He shared with me, as far as, I’m aware of anatomy as something he’s strong about and physical therapy is another one of the areas he’s considering in the future. So we talked about that alone as far as his future with the program. On the court, I really admire his work ethic. I really appreciated how he’s came out each day, approached every day of practice, working to get better as a player, inserting to help his teammates. You’ve seen the growth this season. We’ve all witnessed it. It was an easy decision for me just knowing we have a guy who’s all in, loves being here at Michigan and loves playing for the team. And I enjoy coaching him.”

Did Austin Davis express wanting to come back?

“Well he was basically just thinking about what was the best situation for his future. I just felt yesterday was the perfect time to let him know we want him back next year.”

Senior Day

“We still have a game to play. Nebraska is a team that, yeah, it doesn’t show up on their record how good they are. But they’ve proven they can beat some teams in the Big Ten. They’ve also proven that they’re a very competitive team. So we do not want to get distracted by the fact that we do have a game to play, but we will celebrate two of our seniors. Two guys who have been great student-athletes here at the University of Michigan. Has been a joy to coach for the ten months that I’ve been here. And I’m just happy to be a part of their success.”

Austin Davis’ growth

“Well, his production on the court, accepting his role to be a reserve. In the beginning of the season, he was our third center coming off the bench. Originally, I had Colin as that backup center. Austin just came in and practiced. Very supportive, respectful and has did whatever we asked him to do without — let me put it like this — without showing any resistance. So he’s been patient with his role and when his name got called on, whenever he got that time to go out there and compete, he’s always giving us great production off the bench. I’ve never wavered at any point of not playing him, because he’s proven that he deserves to play.

“So overall I’ve seen a lot of growth offensively. When we’ve been able to throw the ball into him, he’s been patient in the low block, and also been effective. I’ve seen how he’s been effective in pick-and-roll situations and guarding a lot of ball screens, buying into the details of the scouting report. Spending a lot of off-time coming into the gym working on his game. Spending time in the film room with myself and assistant coaches. He’s shown that he wants to play basketball and that he enjoys it here at the University of Michigan.”

Before which game did he meet with Austin Davis?

“Yes, we had breakfast. No, I don’t remember which game because all these days are running so close together. Sometimes I forget what day it is, to be honest with you.”

How did he tell him he was offered a fifth-year?

“I told him just one-on-one. I don’t think it was no need to make a big, huge announcement. I just felt like it was the right thing to do and the right way to do it.”

Concerned about being over on scholarships with Davis returning?

“All I can say is I don’t like to look forward to next year because we still have a season to play. I just know that Austin Davis will be a part of it. That’s all I can tell you right here. That’s all I’m comfortable saying at this moment.”

If and when Howard knew Davis would contribute as he is?

“Yes, I did. When we first started our development workouts in July, I recall having a coaches retreat with our staff. This was back in September. And I asked each staff member to give me a list of eight guys that they’d feel fits that 8-man rotation. And Austin was a part of my eight after what I observed from July until September.”

How the team doesn’t look ahead to the tournaments with two games left

“Our players always know from the leadership that we take game-by-game and control the controllable. Let’s take care of us first. We’ll see at the end of the season where the chips fall.”

What was the key to Davis getting into the rotation

“I just stated it earlier. What he’s done in a practice as well as ways to prove it on the floor with his play out there. He’s just a joy to coach. I’m just enjoying how he’s just blossoming in all our eyes.”

Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske’s overall impact

“What I’ve witnessed from afar, they’ve been great. I’m a big fan of Jon and Zavier as far as how they’ve represented their school and also how they’ve represented their families. The work ethic shows throughout their career how hard they’ve worked, practiced in the offseason and then during the season, each player has gotten better and better. I’m just fortunate that out of almost one season, we’ve developed a great relationship and they’ve been a joy to coach. They’ve been also great leaders for their teammates and great examples of how they’ve gone about their work in practice, in off-days as well as during the season. It’s beautiful. Coach Beilein did a great job of bringing in two Ohio guys that — and I said Ohio, right? Two Ohio guys that did a great job of representing Michigan.

How senior night has evolved since Juwan’s senior night

“I’m sorry, I didn’t have a senior night. I missed out on that opportunity because I left a year early, so I only had three years here at the University of Michigan as a student-athlete. This will be my first senior night.

Is this like his senior night?

“Well, I’m trying to understand what you mean by that. Yeah, that’s true. I’m looking forward to it, then. It’s gonna be a great way to celebrate our seniors. But, like I stated earlier, I’m also thinking about Nebraska. That’s a big priority. I don’t want us to forget we still have a game to play. And it’s an important game for us and it’s our regular season game here in Crisler. I want it to be a good outing and all of us can leave with a smile on our face.”

The dynamic between Jon Teske and Austin Davis

“Man, they have a great relationship. They both are their No. 1 cheerleaders. And I’ve seen how on the bench, when Jon is out there, Austin is very vocal and doing whatever he can to not only help Jon but the other four players that are out there. Giving pointers, being a great leader, saying all the right things in the huddles. I’ve also seen where Austin is out there playing well on the floor, giving us a spark that we need when Jon is resting, that Jon has been his biggest cheerleader. Enjoying someone else’s success. It’s great that you have players that cheer for one another and care for one another. So it’s been fun for me, just seeing how our team has bought into being a family.”

How much Simpson and Teske helped his transition

“That’s a great question. The seniors have — not just our seniors, but all players — all the players on the roster have helped me with my adjustment here. I’m not gonna always get it right, I’m gonna make mistakes. But they’ve been in my corner. They’ve been super supportive. I have learned from my players and I have learned from Zavier, I have learned from Jon. They both are high IQ ball players. They see things out there on the floor that sometimes, we as coaches may miss. There have been times where Zavier, he’s drawing up an ATO and I’ve given him the board to draw it up. There are times when Jon has been the vocal person in our huddles in time outs. Things he may see when it comes to guarding a ball screen. He’d say, ‘No, coach: let’s try it this way.’ ‘Sure, no problem. Let’s go!’ They’ve been great, man. I’m just fortunate to have two players that I have walked into a team and they have embraced me and they have embraced the new culture.”

Five takeaways: Wolverines fall to Buckeyes on the road

Five takeaways from Michigan’s 77-63 defeat at the hands of the Ohio State Buckeyes, dropping the Wolverines to 9-9 in Big Ten play.

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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.

Halftime Analysis: No. 19 Michigan at No. 23 Ohio State

Halftime analysis of No. 19 Michigan road trip to No. 23 Ohio State in a rivalry clash as Big Ten basketball season winds to a close.

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After a disappointing home loss to Wisconsin on Thursday, Michigan looks to bounce back today in the midst of their road trip to No. 23 Ohio State.

Following the loss to the Badgers, the No. 19 Wolverines fell to 9-8 in the Big Ten and into a tie with the Buckeyes for seventh place in the league standings. Today’s matchup could be the deciding factor in which rival school will finish with a better seed in the upcoming Big Ten tournament.

Ohio State and Michigan 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.

However, the Wolverines and Buckeyes have hit their stride of late, with both clubs winning seven of their past nine games. Ohio State defeated Michigan in Ann Arbor back on Feb. 4 by the score of 61-58.

Today, both teams got off to slow starts offensively, battling to an 11-11 tie through the opening seven minutes. The Buckeyes asserted themselves over the course of the next eight minutes to build a 30-22 lead with just under five minutes to play in the half.

The Wolverines closed the first half well to cut their deficit to 32-29 as the teams entered the locker rooms.

NEGATIVES:

  • Michigan has struggled to score through 20 minutes of this one. Ohio State has done a good job closing down driving lanes for Zavier Simpson and others, and it turned the Wolverines into a jump-shooting team in that first half. Michigan is just 10-of-26 from the floor at the break, and have managed to knock down just 3-of-13 attempts from three-point range. Another shooting performance like that in the second half won’t be enough to steal a Big Ten game on the road.
  • While the Wolverines have struggled to score from outside thus far, the Buckeyes’ offense has been running through their perimeter shooting. Ohio State shot 5-of-12 from deep in that first half, and it’s opened up their options on offense. Michigan struggled to defend the perimeter in their loss to Wisconsin, and those struggles have carried over into this contest, even with Eli Brooks back on the floor.

POSITIVES:

  • It’s hard to find positives in that first half outside of the fact that the Wolverines only trail by one possession despite all of their struggles on the offensive end. Michigan’s defense did look better than it did on Thursday against Wisconsin, though the Buckeyes had a stretch midway through the first half where they got several good looks from outside and knocked them down. One positive for the Wolverines on the offensive end was the fact that eight different players scored in that first half. The way this game has played out, it might take a group effort like that offensively for Michigan to pull out the road win.

WATCH: Zavier Simpson police video released

The full video of Zavier Simpson’s apprehension by police after he hit an Ann Arbor pole at 3am has finally surfaced.

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Well, if you ever wondered exactly what happened in the wee hours of the morning when the Ann Arbor police and Michigan basketball point guard Zavier Simpson clashed after he drove a car belonging to Warde Manuel’s wife into a pole — well, now’s your chance.

The Detroit Free Press obtained and released the full body cam video as captured by the apprehending officer. You can see Simpson lie about his name, as he famously calls himself Jeff Jackson Simpson — a situation that the officer clearly wasn’t buying given his immediate response that his last name sounds like the basketball player — to go along with the entire incident.

Watch the entire thing below:

 

Five takeaways: Wisconsin snaps Michigan’s 5-game win streak

Zavier Simpson was phenomenal for Michigan, but the Wolverines came up short in an 81-74 defeat at the hands of the Wisconsin Badgers.

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The Big Ten Conference schedule has been a gauntlet all season, but two league teams have found continuous success in recent weeks. Wisconsin traveled to Michigan on Thursday in a collision of the league’s two hottest clubs.

The Badgers enter Thursday’s matchup having won four consecutive games and five of their past six. The Wolverines, meanwhile, boast the best streak in the league with five straight wins, and have won seven of their past eight contests.

Michigan was down a man in this one, with starting shooting guard Eli Brooks sitting out after taking hard shot to the nose in the Wolverines’ win over Purdue on Saturday.

Wisconsin was red hot to start this game, shooting 63 percent in the first half on their way to a 43-33 halftime lead.

The Wolverines opened the second with a run to cut their deficit to 45-43, but the Badgers responded with a 14-2 run to stretch their lead back to 59-45. Once again, Michigan fought back to get within 77-74 of the waning seconds of the contest, but the Wolverines missed too many free throws down the stretch and fell by the score of 81-74.

1. a damaging loss for the wolverines

As mentioned above, Michigan was on a roll entering this game and their recent string of wins had put them in contention for a top-4 seed in the upcoming Big Ten tournament. However, with this loss those hopes might be over for the Wolverines. Michigan drops to 9-8 in league play, and is looking up at six teams in the standings, two of which — Wisconsin and Illinois — hold tie-breakers over the Wolverines. In addition, Michigan has road trips to Ohio State — who will move into a tie with the Wolverines if they beat Nebraska tonight — and Big Ten-leading Maryland wrapped around their home finale against Nebraska. Michigan will almost certainly be playing in the second day of the conference tournament after this defeat.

2. Simpson’s career night not enough

Zavier Simpson was absolutely phenomenal for Michigan on Thursday night. This was arguably the best game of his Michigan career. The senior captain shattered his previous career-high in points (24) with 32 on 14-of-22 shooting. Simpson added six assists, five rebounds and a steal as well. However, the number he may look at the most from tonight’s game were his foul shots, after he converted just 3-of-7 attempts from the charity stripe.

3. eli brooks was sorely missed

Eli Brooks is an easy guy to overlook, but his absence was felt throughout the game. The Wolverines missed his perimeter defense sorely, as guys like Brandon Johns Jr. and Isaiah Livers struggled with the quickness of the Wisconsin guards. In addition, Michigan knocked down just 3 three-point attempts and could’ve used another weapon on the outside against the Badgers. He should be back for this Sunday’s game at Ohio State.

4. A defensive relapse for Michigan

Give Wisconsin credit. The Badgers hit some tough shots on Thursday night on their way to the win. But Michigan was poor defensively, especially in the first half. Wisconsin shot a blazing 63 percent from the floor in the opening 20 minutes, and finished the game 29-of-54 from the field (54 percent) including a blistering 11-of-23 from three-point range. The Wolverines allowed too many open looks from the outside, oftentimes with clear missed assignments on pick-and-pop situations. Badgers point guard D’Mitrik Trice was particularly potent, hitting 5-of-6 from deep on his way to 28 points. After allowing just over 60 points per game throughout the month, Michigan defense was scorched for 81 in their final February game.

5. critical game coming on saturday

I’ve touched on it somewhat already, but after the Wolverines dropped a home game on Thursday, the upcoming road trip to Columbus this Saturday takes on even more importance for the Wolverines. On one level, Michigan would like to even up the season series with its arch rival to the south, having lost at home to the Buckeyes earlier this season. On a much more important level, Ohio State and Michigan are jockeying for position in the Big Ten tournament, and Saturday’s outcome will likely determine which squad ends up with a more favorable matchup on Thursday of tournament week. A bounce-back win on the road against the Buckeyes would erase some of the sting for this loss to the Badgers.

Halftime Analysis: No. 19 Michigan vs. Wisconsin

Halftime analysis of Michigan basketball’s home game against the Wisconsin Badgers as Big Ten Conference play winds to a close.

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Two of the hottest teams in the Big Ten collide at the Crisler Center as Michigan hosts Wisconsin tonight.

The Badgers enter Thursday’s matchup having won four consecutive games and five of their past six. The Wolverines, meanwhile, boast the best streak in the league with five straight wins, and have won seven of their past eight contests.

Michigan is without starting shooting guard Eli Brooks, who took a hard shot to the nose in the Wolverines’ win over Purdue this past weekend.

Wisconsin got off to a hot start offensively against a sluggish Michigan squad and leaped to a 19-9 in the opening five minutes of play. The Wolverines responded to cut their deficit to 24-22, but the Badgers punched right back with a 12-0 run to take their largest lead of the game.

By the time the halftime buzzer sounded, Wisconsin led 43-33 as the teams entered the locker rooms.

POSITIVES:

  • Zavier Simpson got off to an unbelievable start in this one, and was overall outstanding in the first half. The senior point guard scored 9 points in less than six minutes of play to open the contest. Simpson finished the half with 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting, and added 3 rebounds. It was an eye-opening performance in the first 20 minutes from the senior captain, but he’ll need more support from his teammates in the second half if Michigan is to make a comeback.

NEGATIVES:

  • Where’s the defense? The Wolverines have made great strides on the defensive end of the floor in the month of February, but you wouldn’t have guess that with the way this game started. Wisconsin got whatever they wanted in the early-goings tonight, scoring 19 points in the opening five minutes and change. The Badgers stayed hot for the remainder of the half as well, converting on 17 of 27 attempts to shoot a blazing 63 percent from the floor. The Wolverines need to lock in defensively in the second half, and hope that Wisconsin cools off.
  • Michigan’s offense was humming in the first half, especially early, as the Wolverines knocked down nine of their first 14 shot attempts. However, the train ran off the tracks following that hot start, as Michigan missed its next eight shot attempts. Michigan closed the half shooting 45 percent (14-of-31) from the floor, but was just 1-of-3 from the three-point line.
  • Who’s going to help out Simpson? The point guard’s teammates were just 6-of-18 from the floor in the first half. Jon Teske (5 points), Isaiah Livers (4) and Franz Wagner (2) need to get going in a big way in the upcoming 20 minutes.

Five takeaways: Michigan overcomes ‘The RAC’ in big road win

Five takeaways from Michigan basketball’s impressive 60-52 road win at “The RAC”, home of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

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Michigan took a three-game winning streak into “The RAC”, home of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and an arena had yielded no victories to road teams during the 2019-20 season.

But on Wednesday, the Wolverines kept their win-streak alive with a gritty 60-52 victory to ruin Rutgers’ unbeaten record at home.

Michigan got off to a strong start, jumping to a 16-8 lead early. However, the Scarlet Knights responded to the early surge by the Wolverines to take a 31-28 lead into halftime.

Rutgers came out of halftime looking to deliver a knock out punch, stretching their advantage to 37-28 in the opening two minutes of the second half. Michigan took the punch and clamped down defensively the rest of the way, limiting Rutgers to just 15 points in the final 17 and a half minutes of the game.

1. Who’s afraid of the big, Bad RAC?

The Scarlet Knights were 17-0 at home this season, but Michigan was unfazed by “The RAC” on Wednesday night. The Wolverines started hot, and survived two strong runs by Rutgers to close the first half and start the second half, to pull out a massive road victory. The opposing crowd was raucous throughout the game, but Michigan was not intimidated. After opening the season 0-5 in true road games, the Wolverines have now won three straight away from Crisler, a tell-tale sign of a maturing basketball team.

2. Simpson joins 1,000 Points club

Zavier Simpson added to what has already been an outstanding career by eclipsing 1,000 points at Michigan, scoring 16 against the Scarlet Knights. He’s the 55th Wolverine to reach the 1,000-point plateau. Simpson is already the all-time assists leader in school history, and together with fellow senior Jon Teske has the most career wins in school history. In addition to the scoring boost he gave the Wolverines, Simpson added 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals.

3. DeJulius/Castleton good off the bench

The Wolverines got a boost off the bench in this one from a pair of players that have been quiet of late. David DeJulius provided some scoring punch with 10 points, and kept Michigan’s offense poised during stretches when Simpson left the game due to foul trouble. This was just the second time in the past nine games that DeJulius reached double figures in scoring. Meanwhile, Colin Castleton also provided strong minutes as a reserve with Brandon Johns Jr. suffering through foul trouble. Castleton contributed 5 points and 3 rebounds and a block. It was good to see the sophomore make an impact on Wednesday after his minutes have been cut back of late.

4. Big-shot Making

Michigan didn’t shoot well from three-point range, knocking down just 6-of-23 attempts from deep. However, the Wolverines knocked down some big ones at some crucial times. DeJulius hit a three with just over nine minutes to play to close out a 17-4 run to give the Wolverines the lead. With just over six minutes to play, Franz Wagner hit a corner three off a nice pass from Simpson to increase Michigan’s lead to six. But the biggest shot was provided by Eli Brooks, who shook off a tough shooting night to hit a dagger triple as the shot clock was winding down to give the Wolverines a 9-point lead with three and a half minutes to play. Michigan didn’t hit many deep shots on Wednesday, but the confidence never wavered and the team was rewarded in the biggest moments.

5. Surging up the standings

The Wolverines have now won four in a row, and six of their last seven in Big Ten Conference play. As a result, Michigan has leaped from 12th place in the league standings into sole possession of 8th place. The Wolverines are just one game back of a four-way tie for 3rd place in the conference. A stretch like this was unthinkable during the four-game losing streak at the end of January, but Michigan suddenly finds itself within striking distance of a double-bye in the Big Ten tournament.

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.

Simpson, Teske become winningest Wolverines of all time

With 105 career wins, Michigan’s Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske are now the winningest Wolverines in program history.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — After leading their team to a 89-65 drubbing of Indiana at the Crisler Center, Michigan captains Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske stand alone as the winningest men’s basketball players in program history.

Sunday’s victory marked the duos 105th win of their careers.

“Looking at Zavier as well as Jon, I’m seeing the two players who broke the record for most wins in Michigan history,” said head coach Juwan Howard after the win. “That’s says a lot about their body of work and what they’ve done as far as representing that Block M.”

Teske had somewhat of a quiet afternoon offensively, scoring just 6 points on 2-of-5 shooting. However, the senior center made an impact elsewhere with 7 rebounds and an impressive 4 blocked shots.

Simpson, meanwhile, put on a masterful performance while orchestrating Michigan’s offense. He had 12 points of 4-of-7 shooting, and handed out 11 assists while turning the ball over just once.

“He made some great decisions with the basketball,” Howard said of Simpson. “He did a really good job of controlling the tempo of the game. One thing was critical — his decision-making — you saw him hunt for singles. He wasn’t trying to make the home run play. Finding guys that were open, being patient with the basketball, reading what the defense gives him. And guys were able to catch, either for a shot, or getting some opportunities [to] catch and go. So, it was a very solid game for him.”

Entering Sunday’s contest, Simpson was third in the country in total assists, and second in assists per game. After his performance against the Hoosiers, the senior is now just on off the lead in total assists (196), trailing Pepperdine University’s Colbey Ross. Simpson edges Ross in assists per game by a mere tenth of an assist (.116).

As freshman, Teske and Simpson had to wait their turn behind players such as Moe Wagner and Derrick Walton Jr., and as seniors they’ve had their highs and lows this season. But it’s inarguable that the two captains will finish their careers amongst the best this program has put on the floor, and their names are now in the record books to back the claim.