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Posted on by Drew Montag

Nothing But ‘Net – Week #22 – 03/28/2022 – Sweet, But Not Elite

The University of Michigan men’s basketball team played one game this past week in the NCAA Tournament, and they lost it.  Since the Big Dance is single elimination, they’re done, and the season is over.  They were the #11 seed in the South Region, and they played this game in San Antonio, TX.  On Thursday (03/24/2022), they lost to the #2 seed (#6) Villanova 63-55.  Michigan’s final season record is 19-15 (11-9 in Big Ten).

What Happened?

The #11 seed isn’t even supposed to make it to the Sweet Sixteen, so losing to the #2 seed is not surprising or embarrassing.  In fact, Villanova went on to beat the #5 seed (Houston) in the Elite Eight, and they’re now in the Final Four.

Michigan played Villanova even for most of the game, with just a couple short scoring droughts that cost them the game.  Michigan led (very) early, 5-1, with 18:02 to go, and still led 9-8 at the 14:33 mark, when Villanova started to pull away.  They led by 7 points (18-11) with 10:30 to go in the half, before Michigan clawed their way back.  UM led 22-20 at the 3:58 mark, and the score was tied (22-22) at the 3:42 mark, but then Villanova went ahead for good.  They only led by 3 (31-28) at halftime, but that was as close as Michigan got in the 2nd half.  Villanova kept their lead in the 6-8 point range for the rest of the game, winning by 8.  Michigan missed several point-blank shots that could have gotten them back into the game.  It was very frustrating.

Stats

The stats for the game are just plain sad.  Michigan shot poorly overall (21-for-61 = 34.4%), they shot 3-pointers poorly (6-for-18 = 33.3%), and they shot free throws horribly (7-for-14 = 50.0%).  They won the rebounding battle (41-38), but lost the turnover battle (8-7).  They lost this game with poor shooting, especially in the paint and at the free throw line.

Who Started?

The starters were Eli Brooks, Moussa Diabate, Hunter Dickinson, Caleb Houstan, and DeVante’ Jones.

Who Looked Good?

Dickinson was the leading scorer for Michigan, with 15 points.  He also had 15 rebounds, for a solid double-double.  Unfortunately, he was the main offender in the “missing point-blank shots” category, especially in the last few minutes.  He shot 6-for-16, which is way below his season shooting percentage.  If he had had his normal efficient shooting performance, Michigan would have won.

Brooks was the only other Michigan player in double figures, with 14 points.  He also shot poorly (5-for-14), and he missed his share of layups and short jumpers in crunch time.

Jones had a decent game, with 7 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists.

Diabate had a decent game, with 7 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots.

Terrance Williams II hit a big 3-pointer, made both of his free throws, and that was it, for 5 points.

Who Looked Not-So-Good?

Houstan scored Michigan’s first 5 points, all in the first 2 minutes, then he didn’t score again.

Frankie Collins scored 2 points on 1-for-3 shooting.

Brandon Johns, Jr. was worthless out there, with 0 points on 0-for-5 shooting.

Who Else Played?

No one else played.

Who Didn’t Play?

Isaiah Barnes, Kobe Bufkin, Jace Howard, Adrien Nuñez, and Will Tschetter are the scholarship players who didn’t play.

Ian Burns, Jaron Faulds, and Brandon Wade are the players on the scout team who didn’t play.

What Does It Mean?

It was a rollercoaster season for Michigan, with high expectations in October, despair in February, a slim glimmer of hope in the first 2 rounds of the Big Dance, and an unceremonious exit last week.  More about that in the season wrap-up, next week.

What’s Next?

Clean out the lockers.  The season is over.

Check back next week for the season wrap-up, final grades, and a look ahead at next season.

Go Blue!

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