Tag: Zavier Simpson

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.

Halftime Analysis: No. 19 Michigan at Iowa

Halftime analysis of No. 19 Michigan basketball’s road trip to Iowa, as conference play rolls on in the Big Ten conference.

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After opening the season 7-0 and rising as high as No. 4 in the country, Michigan has gone 4-5 in its last nine games and settled into the No. 19 spot in back-to-back weeks.

Four of those losses came away from Ann Arbor, and the Wolverines have yet to win a game in an opponent’s arena (0-4). Michigan (11-5 overall, 2-3 Big Ten) tries to turn that around with it’s trip to Iowa (12-5, 3-3) tonight.

The Wolverines defeated the Hawkeyes, 103-91, earlier this season at the Crisler Center. Iowa has gone 6-2 overall since their defeat in Ann Arbor.

The Hawkeyes had revenge on the mind at home, building a double-digit lead in the early-goings of the half, but Michigan was able to hang around and get themselves back to within four points at the break. The Wolverines currently trail, 47-43.

POSITIVES:

  • Welcome back Eli Brooks. The junior carried Michigan in the first half, scoring 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting including a pair of three-pointers, breaking a 1-of-16 slump from deep. Brooks had been very quiet in recent games, and the Wolverines missed his scoring desperately. He led Michigan in scoring in the half.
  • David DeJulius was very good off the bench for the Wolverines, scoring 8 points on 4-of-8 shooting with 3 rebounds and 2 assists. His contributions were big given that starting point guard Zavier Simpson was out of the game for an extended stretch with foul trouble.
  • Michigan did an excellent job taking care of the ball in the first half, with just two turnovers in the first 20 minutes.

NEGATIVES:

  • Michigan struggled on defense in the first half, as the Hawkeyes managed to shoot nearly 52 percent from the field (15-of-29) and over 45 percent from the three-point line (5-11). Iowa knocked down a couple tough shots, but for the most part they got the looks they wanted in the first 20 minutes, and knocked them down more often than not. The Wolverines need to be stingier on the defensive end in the second half.
  • Foul trouble is a major concern for Michigan entering the second half. Backup center Austin Davis had three fouls in the first half, while starters Zavier Simpson and Franz Wagner both had two fouls. Iowa took advantage of the fouls as well, shooting a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line.

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.

Purdue at Michigan college basketball odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Thursday’s Purdue Boilermakers at Michigan Wolverines sports betting odds and lines, with college basketball betting picks.

The Purdue Boilermakers (9-6, 2-2 Big Ten) and Michigan Wolverines (10-4, 1-2 Big Ten) tip it off at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor at 7 p.m. ET Thursday. We analyze the Purdue-Michigan odds and betting lines, while providing college basketball betting tips and advice on this matchup.

The Wolverines are ranked 19th in the USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll.

Purdue at Michigan: Three things you need to know

1. Like their rivals to the south in Ohio, the Wolverines are stumbling lately. They’re just 2-3 straight up and against the spread, including an ugly 87-69 smack in the mouth in East Lansing last time out on Jan. 5.

2. Purdue hasn’t exactly been lighting the world afire, either, as they are just 3-3 SU/2-4 ATS across the past six, and they managed just 37 total points in a 26-point loss at Illinois on Jan. 5.

3. The Wolverines rank 18th in the nation in field-goal percentage at 48.3, and they’re a respectable 37.5 percent from behind the 3-point arc, checking in 35th.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!

Purdue at Michigan: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Michigan 71, Purdue 62

Moneyline (ML)

Avoid the chalk on the Wolverines (-250) and play the spread instead in search of a great profit margin.

Against the Spread (ATS)

MICHIGAN (-5.5, -110) has burned me before, including its loss at Illinois earlier in the season when I was positive they’d roll the Illini. That was actually the start of their skid. They’re hosting a very marginal Purdue (+5.5, -110) side at home, and I fully expect Jon Teske, Zavier Simpson and company to come out on fire.

Over/Under (O/U)

OVER 128.5 (-110) seems super low considering Michigan throws down 78.3 points per game on average. It’s mainly because Purdue’s offense is awful, as the Boilermakers average just 68.2 PPG to rank 260th in the country. Defensively, they slow it down like Virginia, allowing 59.1 PPG to rank 12th in the nation. Still, I expect Michigan’s offense to make it happen and push it over the line.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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5 takeaways: Michigan never leads in loss at MSU

Five takeaways from the rivalry matchup between No. 12 Michigan and No. 14 Michigan State on Sunday afternoon at the Breslin Center.

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EAST LANSING, Mich. — A new chapter of one of the best rivalries in college basketball was written on Sunday afternoon as No. 12 Michigan traveled to No. 14 Michigan State for a Top 15 showdown in East Lansing.

In addition to jockeying for position in the national polls, it was an important game in terms of conference standings as well, with the Spartans currently leading the way in the Big Ten.

After a close battle through the opening ten minutes of play, Michigan State established itself with a strong close to the first half to take a 44-34 lead into the locker room.

The Spartans’ lead ballooned to as many as 16 points in the second half (67-51) with just under 12 minutes to play, but Michigan had a couple small runs to cut their deficit to single digits on a couple occasions. In the end, the Wolverines just didn’t have the firepower to keep pace with MSU, falling by a final score of 87-69.

1. live and die by the 3-pointer

Michigan had no chance in this game if they didn’t shoot well from the perimeter, and the Wolverines were porous in three-point percentage. Michigan was 5-of-23 from deep (22 percent), while the Spartans countered by shooting 7-of-15 from three-point range (47 percent). In their big wins to start the season, the Wolverines shot well from beyond the arc, but a common theme in their losses this season has been poor outside shooting.

2. no offensive answers

With the three-ball not falling for Michigan, MSU was able to clamp down on the interior scoring for the Wolverines as well. That resulted in Michigan in a poor field goal percentage overall as well, 36 percent from the floor. Jon Teske was effective, finishing with 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting, but he was limited due to foul trouble. Zavier Simpson scored 14 points, but shot just 6-of-18 from the floor. The ineptitude extended to the free throw line as well, as the Wolverines shot a below average 14-of-22 from the charity stripe.

3. michigan needs livers back

It’s impossible to say whether a healthy Isaiah Livers would have changed the outcome of this game, but it’s reasonable to think his presence would have given the Wolverines a boost. The junior is the second-leading scorer for Michigan, and has played in a lot of big games during his first two seasons in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines have fallen to 1-2 in Big Ten play this season, and will need their veteran small forward to remain in the race for a conference title.

4. winston terrorizes wolverines again

Michigan State senior guard Cassius Winston continued to be a thorn in the Wolverines’ side, after leading the Spartans over Michigan in all three meetings last season. On Sunday, the All-American led MSU with a career-high 32 points on 11-of-19 shooting, and added 9 assists. The Wolverines won’t be able to shut down Winston when the Spartans travel to Ann Arbor on Feb. 8, but they’ll have to do a much better job in limiting his effectiveness in that contest.

5. Second half resolve fades late

Depite the poor shooting, the foul trouble and incredible performances by MSU’s Winston and Xavier Tillman (20 points, 11 rebounds, 6 blocks), the Wolverines’ deficit was just single digits with six minutes or so to play. When the deficit blossomed to 16 points midway through the second half, it appeared the Wolverines were about to get run out of the Breslin Center. Michigan showed some resolve to stay within arms reach, but the Spartans pulled away late for the 18-point victory.

Halftime Analysis: No. 12 Michigan at No. 14 Michigan State

Michigan heads into the second-half with a 10-point deficit. What do the Wolverines have to do better to beat the Spartans in East Lansing?

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Michigan traveled to East Lansing for a Sunday afternoon showdown with rival Michigan State.

The Wolverines enter the contest ranked 12th in the country, and bring a 1-1 record in the Big Ten with a win over Iowa and a loss to Illinois.

The Spartans, ranked 14th, boast a sparkling 3-0 record in conference play with wins over Rutgers, Northwestern and Illinois.

They say basketball is a game of runs, and that old cliche rang true in the first half on Sunday. Michigan State started fast, jumping to an early 15-8 lead, however the Wolverines battled back to within 23-21 midway through the frame.

The Spartans then counter-punched with a 7-0 run to take a 30-21 edge, and continued that momentum throughout the remainder of the half, taking a 44-34 lead into the locker room.

POSITIVES:

  • Michigan’s bigs carried the Wolverines in the first half. Jon Teske (11 points, 3 rebounds), Brandon Johns Jr. (5 points) and Austin Davis (7 points, 4 rebounds) combined for 15 of first 17 points. Given the way Michigan struggled in outside shooting, the post production is vital for the Wolverines to stay within striking distance.
  • Zavier Simpson box score line won’t wow you — 8 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, steal) — but the senior made several hustle plays for Michigan. Whether it be an offensive rebound or a quick steal off an MSU defensive board, Simpson stole a couple extra possessions for the Wolverines, and those possessions ended in points for the road club.

NEGATIVES:

  • The Wolverines struggled mightily shooting from three-point range, missing their first six attempts from beyond the arc before freshman Franz Wagner was finally able to knock one down with just under 8 minutes to play in the opening half. Later in the half, the lack of production from the perimeter began to catch up with Michigan, as they finished the half just 14-of-38 from the floor (37 percent). The Wolverines will have to shoot the ball much better in the second half to get back in the game.
  • It came as no surprise that senior Cassius Winston led the way for the Spartans in the first half. Still, it was a little too easy for the All-American in the those opening 20 minutes. He finished with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting, and added 4 assists as well.
  • As usual, Michigan State looked to get out and run as often as they could, and their pace led to 10 fast break points. The Wolverines, meanwhile, were held scoreless in fast break points. Michigan’s transition defense improved throughout the half, and they’ll have to remain diligent in that area in the second half.