Author: Drew Montag

The (#25) University of Michigan men’s basketball team played two games this week, and they won one and lost the other.  On Thursday (03/05/2020), they beat Nebraska 82-58 in Crisler Arena, then on Sunday (03/08/2020), they lost at (#9) Maryland 83-70.  The win and the loss leave Michigan with a final regular season record of 19-12 (10-10 in the Big Ten).  Michigan finished in 9^th place in the Big Ten.

What Happened?

The Nebraska game was Senior Night for Michigan, and the Maryland game was Senior Day for them.  In both cases, the home crowd was happy.  Michigan has two players with senior eligibility (Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske), and they were both honored before the Nebraska game.  They both played well in that game, and were given standing ovations when they came out in the final minutes.

Nebraska isn’t very good, and after an early 2-2 tie, Michigan led for the entire game.  UM let Nebraska hang around for most of the 1^st half, leading by only 4 points (32-28) at halftime, but they started the 2^nd half strong, opened up a 16-18 point lead, and kept it there the rest of the way.  The only suspense was whether Simpson would get a double-double; he did, with 11 points and 10 assists.

Maryland was playing for a tie for 1^st place in the final Big Ten standings, and they outplayed Michigan.  The game was close for the first 5 minutes, and Michigan actually led briefly, but once Maryland got ahead (8-7, with 15:11 to go), they never trailed again.  They pushed the lead up to 10-12 points in the 1^st half, and led by 13 (41-28) at halftime.  Michigan cut into the lead in the first 10 minutes of the 2^nd half, and got within 3 points (56-53) with 10:21 left, but that was as close as they could get.  Maryland eventually pushed the lead back into double digits and kept it there.

Stats  

The stats for the Nebraska game are decent, but nothing special.  Michigan shot fairly well overall (32-for-70 = 45.7%), they shot 3-pointers pretty poorly (8-for-27 = 29.6%), and they shot free throws pretty well (10-for-14 = 71.4%).  They lost the rebounding battle (40-38), but they won the turnover battle handily (11-22).  Those 9 extra possessions helped Michigan win the game.

The stats for the Maryland game are about the same as the Nebraska game.  Michigan shot fairly well overall (24-for-50 = 48.0%), they shot 3-pointers pretty poorly (6-for-20 = 30.0%), and they shot free throws well (16-for-20 = 80.0%).  They lost the rebounding battle (29-22) and the turnover battle (9-8).  Those 8 extra possessions helped Maryland win the game.

Who Started?

The starters for both games were Eli Brooks, Isaiah Livers, Zavier Simpson, Jon Teske, and Franz Wagner.

Who Looked Good?

Simpson hit double figures in both games (11 and 13 points), and had 10 assists in the Nebraska game, for a double-double.  He also had 5 turnovers in the Nebraska game, most of them when he tried to do too much and got too fancy.  Fortunately, Nebraska isn’t very good, so it didn’t hurt Michigan.

Wagner was the only other Michigan player to hit double figures in both games, with 11 and 15 points.  After a few weeks of decent 3-point shooting, he fell off this week: 0-for-4 vs. Nebraska and 2-for-5 vs. Maryland.

Livers had an uneven week.  He was the leading scorer (18 points) vs. Nebraska, but he had a lousy game vs. Maryland: 6 points on 2-for-8 shooting (0-for-5 from deep).

Teske had a pretty good week, with 12 points on Senior Night vs. Nebraska, and 8 points vs. Maryland.

Brooks had a decent week, with 8 and 6 points, but he just doesn’t look very comfortable out there with the mask on over his broken nose.

Brandon Johns, Jr. had an uneven week, with 10 points in the Nebraska game and 0 points vs. Maryland.

David DeJulius had a VERY uneven week, with 1 point vs. Nebraska and a game-high (and career-high) 20 points vs. Maryland.

Austin Davis was yet another player to have an uneven week, with a strong 7 points vs. Nebraska, and a mediocre 2 points vs. Maryland.

Who Looked Not-So-Good?

Look at all those “uneven” weeks above: most of the “bad” games were vs. Maryland (except DeJulius).  So, I guess you could list Livers, Johns, and Davis in the “not-so-good” category as well.

Who Else Played?

Cole Bajema, Colin Castleton, Jaron Faulds, Adrien Nuñez, and Luke Wilson all played in the Nebraska game.  Bajema and Nuñez each scored 2 points.

Who Didn’t Play?

C.J. Baird and Rico Ozuna-Harrison didn’t play in either game.

What Does It Mean?

Well, the regular season is over, and it was a mixed bag.  On 11/29/2019, Michigan was 7-0, and about to go from unranked to #4 in the next AP poll.  Since that time, UM has played exactly 0.500 ball: 12-12 (10-10 in the Big Ten).  They probably already have a good enough resume to get into the NCAA Tournament with a medium seed (8 or 9), but they could sure help their case with a couple wins in the Big Ten Tournament.

What’s Next?

This week, Michigan plays in the Big Ten Tournament, in Indianapolis (IN).  Michigan is the #9 seed, and they start play on Thursday (03/12/2020, 12:00 p.m. EDT, BTN) vs. the #8 seed, Rutgers.  If they win that game, they will play again on Friday (03/13/2020, 12:00 p.m. EDT, BTN) vs. the #1 seed, Wisconsin.  If they survive that, the next game would be on Saturday (03/14/2020, 1:00 p.m. EDT, CBS) vs. one of several teams.  The championship game is on Sunday (03/15/2020, 3:30 p.m. EDT, CBS).

Michigan has played, and beaten, Rutgers twice already this season.  They certainly stand a good chance against them in the 3^rd meeting.  On the other hand, Wisconsin beat Michigan in Crisler Arena in their only matchup this season.  Michigan can certainly beat them, but they have to play pretty well to do it.  The other top seeds (#2 Michigan State, #3 Maryland, and #4 Illinois) have all beaten Michigan this season, but Michigan did split with MSU.

Michigan doesn’t need to win the Big Ten Tournament championship to get into the Big Dance, but if they can win 2-3 games, it will sure help get them a more favorable seeding in the NCAA Tournament.  I don’t think Michigan has the mental strength to win 4 games in 4 days in Indianapolis, but they might be able to string together a couple wins.  We’ll talk about how well they’ll do in the Big Dance next week.

Check back next week to see how Michigan did.

Go Blue!

The (#19) University of Michigan men’s basketball team played two games this week, and they lost both of them.  On Thursday (02/27/2020), they lost to Wisconsin 81-74 in Crisler Arena, then on Sunday (03/01/2020), they lost at (#23) Ohio State 77-63.  The two losses lower Michigan’s record to 18-11 (9-9 in the Big Ten).  Michigan is now tied for 8^th place in the Big Ten.

What Happened?

Three-point shooting is what happened.  Michigan couldn’t hit theirs, and their opponents couldn’t miss theirs.  It was that simple.  Both opponents were red-hot from outside, and Michigan was terrible.  Michigan kept it close in both games, but couldn’t deliver in the clutch.  The OSU score may look like a blow out, but UM tied the game up (54-54) with 6:51 to go, then fell apart and let OSU finish with a 23-9 run.  In the Wisconsin game, Michigan never led, but got within 2 points several times, and were within 3 points (77-74) with 26 seconds left.  They had a chance to pull within one point, but they missed the front end of a one-and-one, and that was the game.  Wisconsin made their free throws to seal it.

Stats  

The stats for the Wisconsin game are mixed.  Michigan shot pretty well overall (31-for-60 = 51.7%), but they shot 3-pointers terribly (3-for-10 = 30.0%).  30% isn’t too bad, but it’s terrible when you only take 10 attempts.  Michigan shot free throws poorly (9-for-15 = 60.0%), they tied in the rebounding battle (29-29), and they won the turnover battle (5-8).  How did they lose?  Wisconsin shot 11-for-23 (47.8%) from 3-point range.  That’s a 24 point difference right there.

The stats for the OSU game are actually a little better.  Michigan shot worse overall (25-for-56 = 44.6%), but they made more 3-pointers, even at a worse percentage shooting rate (7-for-26 = 26.9%).  They shot free throws well, but not nearly enough (6-for-8 = 75.0%).  They lost the rebounding battle (32-30) and the turnover battle (12-9).  How did they lose?  OSU shot a blazing 11-for-21 (52.4%) from 3-point range.  That’s a 12 point difference.

Who Started?

The starters for the Wisconsin game were Brandon Johns, Jr., Isaiah Livers, Zavier Simpson, Jon Teske, and Franz Wagner.  Johns started in place of Eli Brooks, who was injured with a broken nose.  Fortunately, Brooks was back for the OSU game wearing a mask, so he started in that game instead of Johns.

Who Looked Good?

Simpson had a career game vs. Wisconsin (32 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists), but it was not enough.  He had a good game (12 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists) vs. OSU.  He had quite a week.

Wagner was the only other Michigan player to hit double figures in both games, with 17 points vs. Wisconsin and (team high) 18 points vs. OSU.  He shot a good percentage from 3-point range: 1-for-2 in the Wisconsin game and 4-for-8 in the OSU game.  He was the leading rebounder in both games, with 7 vs. Wisconsin and 10 vs. OSU, for a double-double.

Livers had a decent game against Wisconsin (9 points), but he had a lousy game vs. OSU (6 points on 2-for-11 shooting).

Teske had a decent week: 7 and 8 points.

Brooks had 7 points in the OSU game.  He didn’t play in the Wisconsin game.

Austin Davis had a mediocre game vs. Wisconsin (2 points), but did better against OSU (8 points).

Who Looked Not-So-Good?

Johns had another lousy week: 5 and 0 points.

David DeJulius played a lot (21 and 14 minutes), but only scored 2 points in each game.

Who Else Played?

Colin Castleton got 2 points in the OSU game.           

Adrien Nuñez only played in the Wisconsin game, and failed to score.

Who Didn’t Play?

As mentioned above, Brooks didn’t play in the Wisconsin game, due to injury.

The practice squad (C.J. Baird, Cole Bajema, Jaron Faulds, Rico Ozuna-Harrison, and Luke Wilson) didn’t play in either game.

What Does It Mean?

This was a terrible week for Michigan.  A week ago, they were projected as a 5-seed in the NCAA Tournament; now they’ve dropped to a 9-seed.  There are 2 games left in the regular season, and if they lose them both, they may not make the Big Dance at all.

What’s Next?

This week, Michigan plays their last two games of the regular season, one at home and one on the road.  On Thursday (03/05/2020, 6:30 p.m., FS1), they play Nebraska in Crisler Arena, then on Sunday (03/08/2020, 12:00 p.m., FOX), they play at (#9) Maryland.

Michigan has already played, and beaten, Nebraska on the road, 79-68 back on 01/28/2020.  Since then, Nebraska has shown that they are one of the weakest Power 5 teams in the country.  They are 7-22 (2-16 in the Big Ten), tied for last place with Northwestern, who just beat them this week.  This game is Michigan’s Senior Night, and they couldn’t ask for a better opponent to send Simpson and Teske out with a win.

In stark contrast to Nebraska, there’s Maryland.  They are currently 23-6 (13-5 in the Big Ten), all alone in 1^st place.  They actually haven’t beaten anybody impressive in non-conference play, and they’ve lost a few head-scratchers in league play: Iowa, Wisconsin, and Ohio State.  They have some height (a 7’2” player and a couple 6’10” players), and a bonafide star (Anthony Cowan Jr.).  They will probably be playing for the Big Ten regular season title, and this game will be their Senior Day.  This will be the toughest road game for Michigan since the game at Louisville back in early December.  It’s not unwinnable, but Michigan is going to have to play their best game since the Gonzaga game to beat Maryland.

Don’t get me started on the weird schedules that the Big Ten comes up with: this will be Big Ten Game #20 (out of 20) for Michigan, and the first and only time they play Maryland this season.

Check back next week to see how Michigan did.

Go Blue!

The University of Michigan men’s basketball team played two games this week, both on the road, and they won both of them.  On Wednesday (02/19/2020), they beat Rutgers 60-52 in Piscataway (NJ), then on Saturday (02/22/2020), they beat Purdue 71-63 in West Lafayette (IN).  The two wins raise Michigan’s record to 18-9 (9-7 in the Big Ten).  Michigan is now in 7^th place in the Big Ten.

What Happened?

These were two very impressive wins.  Rutgers had been undefeated (17-0) at home so far this season, and Michigan has always had a tough time winning at Purdue, so both games were far from a sure thing.  Michigan played well in both games, and deserved to win them both.

After their traditional slow start, Michigan finally pulled ahead of Rutgers 8-6 with 16:03 left in the 1^st half.  They pushed the lead as high as 8 points (16-8) at the 13:03 mark, then let Rutgers climb back into the lead, 22-21 with 7:05 to go in the half.  The lead went back and forth for the rest of the half, with Rutgers hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer to lead 31-28 at halftime.  Did I mention slow starts?  That applies to the 2^nd half as well: Rutgers went on a 6-0 run to start the 2^nd half, making it 37-28 with 17:40 to go.  It took Michigan all the way to the 10:07 mark to finally pull ahead, 42-41.  They never trailed again, getting the lead as high as 9 points a couple times, and winning by 8.

Michigan had a much better start in the Purdue game, leading 3-2 at the 18:11 mark.  Purdue went ahead by 2-4 points for a couple minutes, then UM went back ahead 10-9 with 12:50 to go.  Purdue took the lead for the last time (11-10) with 11:26 left in the half, and then Michigan went ahead for good 12-11 at the 10:12 mark.  Michigan slowly pushed the lead up to 15 points, which is where it stood at halftime (36-21).  Michigan kept the lead in the 13-15 point range for most of the 2^nd half, but Purdue finally got it down to 8 points a few times, although that was as close as they got, with Michigan winning by 8 points.

Stats  

The stats for the Rutgers game are solid, but nothing special.  Michigan shot fairly well overall (21-for-47 = 44.7%), they didn’t shoot 3-pointers very well (6-for-23 = 26.1%), and they shot free throws decently (12-for-18 = 66.7%).  They lost the rebounding battle (37-34) and the turnover battle (10-9).  They won the game with defense, holding Rutgers to 22-for-63 (34.9%) overall shooting, 3-for-18 (16.7%) from 3-point range.

The stats for the Purdue game are worse than the Rutgers stats.  Michigan shot poorly overall (25-for-65 = 38.5%), they shot 3-pointers poorly (6-for-25 = 24.0%), and they shot free throws poorly (15-for-23 = 65.2%).  They lost the rebounding battle (45-39), but they did win the turnover battle (3-12).  Once again, they won the game with defense.

Who Started?

The starters for the Rutgers game were Eli Brooks, Brandon Johns, Jr., Zavier Simpson, Jon Teske, and Franz Wagner.  Johns started in place of Isaiah Livers, who was injured, again.  Fortunately, he was recovered from his injury by the Purdue game, so he started in that game instead of Johns.

Who Looked Good?

Wagner was the only Michigan player to hit double figures in both games, with 12 points vs. Rutgers and (team high) 22 points vs. Purdue.  He finally shot a good percentage from 3-point range (3-for-5) in the Purdue game, but had a rough time from deep in the Rutgers game (1-for-6).  He was the leading rebounder in the Rutgers game, with 8.

Livers looked good in the one game he played (Purdue), with 19 points and 6 rebounds.  He didn’t shoot very well (5-for-11, 1-for-5 from deep), but he did shoot free throws well: 8-for-8.

Simpson had one good game (team high 16 points vs. Rutgers) and one bad game (4 points vs. Purdue).  He actually played pretty well in the Purdue game, except for his shooting: 0-for-10 overall, 0-for-5 from 3-point range, and 4-for-8 shooting free throws.

Teske had one mediocre game (5 points vs. Rutgers) and one decent game (11 points vs. Purdue).  He needs to get his offensive game going again.

Brooks didn’t hit double figures in either game (9 and 4 points), but he played well.  He missed most of the 2^nd half of the Purdue game with a nose injury.

David DeJulius played well off the bench, scoring 10 and 6 points.

Austin Davis continued to play well, although not as well as the past few weeks: 2 and 3 points.

Colin Castleton only played in the Rutgers game, and he did well, with 5 points and 4 rebounds.

Who Looked Not-So-Good?

Brandon Johns, Jr. had a lousy week, with 1 and 2 points.

Adrien Nuñez only played in the Rutgers game, and failed to score.

Who Else Played?

As mentioned above, Livers didn’t play in the Rutgers game, due to injury.

Who Didn’t Play?

The practice squad (C.J. Baird, Cole Bajema, Jaron Faulds, Rico Ozuna-Harrison, and Luke Wilson) didn’t play in either game.

What Does It Mean?

This was another good week for Michigan.  After a terrible start (0-5) in true road games, Michigan has now won 4 true road games in a row.  They have won their last 5 games in a row, and 7 out of their last 8 games.  These results have helped their chances for making the NCAA Tournament greatly.  There are 4 games left in the regular season, and they need to win at least 2 of them to make the Big Dance.

What’s Next?

This week, Michigan plays two games, one at home and one on the road.  On Thursday (02/27/2020, 7:00 p.m., ESPN2), they play Wisconsin in Crisler Arena, then on Sunday (03/01/2020, 4:00 p.m., CBS), they play at (#25) Ohio State.

This is Michigan’s only game against Wisconsin this season.  Wisconsin is currently 17-10 (10-6 in the Big Ten), tied with 3 other teams for 2^nd place.  They have beaten Ohio State (twice), Penn State, and Maryland, but they have lost to St. Mary’s, Richmond, New Mexico, Purdue, and Minnesota.  They have a lot of height (two 7’0” players, a 6’11” player, and a 6’10” player), and a couple stars (D’Mitrik Trice and Brad Davison).  They are tough at home (13-1), but not so much on the road (4-6).  Michigan can certainly beat them, but they’ll have to play the way they’ve been playing lately to do it.  Anything less than their “A” game won’t cut it.

Michigan has already played, and lost to, OSU this season.  Back on 02/04/2020, OSU won in Crisler 61-58.  That was the game where the refs called a “flagrant 1” on Simpson with 33 seconds left, handing the game to OSU.  Since then, OSU has gone 3-2, with wins over Rutgers, Purdue, and Maryland, and losses to Wisconsin and Iowa.  They are now 18-9 (8-8 in the Big Ten), in 10^th place.  They still have the Wesson boys, and they’re still going to be tough to beat, especially in Columbus.  However, if Michigan can play the way then did vs. Rutgers and Purdue, they stand a fighting chance.

Check back next week to see how Michigan did.

Go Blue!

The University of Michigan men’s basketball team played two games this week, and they won both of them.  On Wednesday (02/12/2020), they beat Northwestern 79-54 in Evanston (IL), then on Sunday (02/16/2020), they beat Indiana 89-65 in Crisler Arena.  The two wins raise Michigan’s record to 16-9 (7-7 in the Big Ten).  Michigan is now tied for 8^th place in the Big Ten.

What Happened?

After starting the season 0-5 in true road games, Michigan has now won 2 in a row, with a virtual road win in there when they beat Rutgers in Madison Square Garden, technically a neutral site game.  Sure, the two teams they beat are the bottom two teams in the league (Nebraska and Northwestern), but any road win is a good win this season.  And, Michigan didn’t just win the game at Northwestern, they dominated.  Michigan had their traditional slow start, trailing 4-0 at the 14:29 mark, 9-3 at the 13:55 mark, then 13-6 at the 12:26 mark, before they finally got going.  They ripped off a quick 14-2 run, to go up 20-15 with 8:24 to go, then pushed the lead to 15 points (33-18) with 2:42 left.  They still led by 15 (38-23) at halftime.  They opened the 2^nd half with a nice 10-2 run to put the game out of reach, 48-25, with 16:01 left, then they just toyed with Northwestern the rest of the way.  The closest NU got was 12 points (58-46) with 7:00 to go, but Michigan pushed the lead back into the 20s, and kept it there until the final horn.  It was a dominating victory.

In the IU game, the lead seesawed back and forth for the first 6 minutes, before Michigan went ahead for good at the 13:32 mark.  Michigan pushed the lead as high as 12 points a few times in the 1^st half, settling for a 7 point lead (41-34) at halftime.  IU got it down to 5 points (41-36) in the opening minute of the 2^nd half, but that was as close as they’d get.  UM pushed the lead into the 10-12 point range, then into the 18-20 point range, and kept it there the rest of the game, winning by 24 points.  It was also a dominating victory.

Stats  

The stats for the Northwestern game are solid.  Michigan shot well overall (30-for-64 = 46.9%), they shot 3-pointers well (7-for-20 = 35.0%), and they shot free throws well (12-for-15 = 80.0%).  They won the rebounding battle handily (45-32), as well as the turnover battle (8-10).  They dominated in every phase of the game.

The stats for the IU game are impressive.  Michigan shot very well overall (31-for-54 = 57.4%), they shot 3-pointers very well (9-for-17 = 52.9%), and they shot free throws well (18-for-22 = 81.8%).  They won the rebounding battle convincingly (37-21), but lost the turnover battle (8-7).  Michigan won this one with 3-point shooting, holding IU to 3-for-12 from deep.

Who Started?

The starters for both games were Eli Brooks, Isaiah Livers, Zavier Simpson, Jon Teske, and Franz Wagner.  This is the “real” starting lineup, when everyone is healthy.

Who Looked Good?

Brooks hit double figures in both games (18 and 13 points), and was the leading scorer in the NU game.  He shot a good percentage from 3-point range in the NU game (4-for-8), but not so good vs. IU (1-for-4).

Livers was the only other Michigan player in double figures for both games (17 and 12 points).  He had a rough time shooting 3-pointers in the NU game (0-for-5), but he got better in the IU game (2-for-4).

Wagner had a mediocre game vs. NU (5 points), but he was the leading scorer in the IU game with 16 points.

Simpson also had a mediocre game vs. NU (4 points), but a good game vs. IU (12 points).  He also had 11 assists vs. IU, for a double-double.

Brandon Johns, Jr. was another player with a mediocre game vs. NU (4 points), but a good game vs. IU (14 points).  He shot 3-for-3 from 3-point range vs. IU.

David DeJulius had a decent week, with 7 and 2 points.  He played a lot of point guard, and he did a nice job.

Austin Davis is getting better every game.  He is now the most effective big man on the team, ahead of Teske.  He scored 9 points in each game this week, and he played solid defense.  He shot 4-for-4 vs. NU and 4-for-6 vs. IU.  For the season, he is shooting 37-for-51 (72.5%), the 2^nd best percentage on the team.

Colin Castleton played in both games, and he contributed.  He had 5 points vs. NU and 2 points vs. IU.

Cole Bajema also played in both games, and made a 3-pointer in each game.  His shot vs. IU was from about 26 feet to beat the shot clock.  He is the leading shooter on the team this season, shooting 8-for-10 (80.0%) overall, and 3-for-5 (60.0%) from 3-point range.

Who Looked Not-So-Good?

Teske had a quiet week, with 6 points in each game.  He did have 8 and 7 rebounds.  The team needs him to get back to playing the way he did in the first half of the season.

Who Else Played?

Adrien Nuñez played in both games, and scored 1 point vs. NU.

C.J. Baird played in the IU game, but failed to score.

Who Didn’t Play?

The rest of the practice squad (Jaron Faulds, Rico Ozuna-Harrison, and Luke Wilson) didn’t play in either game.

What Does It Mean?

This was a good week for Michigan.  True, they were favored in both games, but they played well, and won convincingly.  These results helped their chances for making the NCAA or NIT Tournaments, and improved things in the Big Ten race.  There are 6 games left in the regular season, and they need to win at least 4 of them to make the NCAA Tournament.  They have now won enough to make the NIT Tournament.

What’s Next?

This week, Michigan plays two games, both on the road.  On Wednesday (02/19/2020, 7:00 p.m. EST, BTN), they play at Rutgers, then on Saturday (02/22/2020, 2:00 p.m. EST, ESPN), they play at Purdue.

Michigan has already played, and beaten, Rutgers this season.  Back on 02/01/2020, Michigan beat (#25) Rutgers 69-63 in Madison Square Garden, which was technically a neutral site game, but actually a home game for Rutgers.  Now, Michigan gets to play them in the RAC (Rutgers Athletic Center), where they’re 17-0 this season.  They are currently 18-8 overall (9-6 in the Big Ten).  This will be a challenging game.

Michigan has also already played, and beaten, Purdue this season.  Back on 01/09/2020, Michigan beat Purdue 84-78 in 2OT in Crisler Arena.  They are currently 14-12 (7-8 in the Big Ten).  This will also be a challenging game.  Michigan has had a hard time winning in West Lafayette.

Check back next week to see how Michigan did.

Go Blue!

The University of Michigan men’s basketball team played two games this week, both at home, and they lost one and won the other.  On Tuesday (02/04/2020), they lost to Ohio State 61-58, then on Saturday (02/08/2020), they beat (#16) Michigan State 77-68.  The loss and win leave Michigan with a record of 14-9 (5-7 in the Big Ten).  Michigan is still tied for 11^th place in the Big Ten.

What Happened?

The OSU game was close and exciting for the first 39 minutes and 27 seconds, then the refs hijacked it and gave it to OSU.  Michigan had a slow start, and OSU led 16-7 with 8:52 to go in the 1^st half.  Yes, that means that Michigan scored 7 points in the first 11 minutes.  Ouch.  They finally woke up, and actually grabbed the lead, 22-21, with 3:31 left in the half.  OSU took the lead back, and led by 1 point (28-27) at halftime.  Michigan got the lead back to start the 2^nd half (30-28 at the 17:53 mark), then the lead seesawed back and forth, with neither team able to get more than 3-4 points ahead.  Michigan trailed by 1 point (57-56) with 33 seconds left, when the refs took over.  Zavier Simpson drove to the basket, and was fouled hard.  As he fell to the floor, he grabbed the jersey of the OSU player who fouled him.  The refs called a shooting foul on the OSU player, which was correct, then called a “flagrant 1” foul on Simpson for grabbing the jersey, which was BS.  Simpson made both free throws, so Michigan momentarily led 58-57, but the OSU player got to shoot 2 free throws for the flagrant foul, and then OSU got the ball.  With only 33 seconds left, Michigan was forced to foul intentionally, and OSU made their free throws.  Still, UM had a last shot to tie it up, but they missed.  The “flagrant 1” call ruined the game.

Actually, the officiating for the OSU game was terrible the whole game, but the “flagrant 1” call was the icing on the cake.  The OSU players were traveling all over the place, and refs missed it.  The refs also allowed a lot of pushing and shoving both ways and didn’t call it.  It was a really poor job.

“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” – Napoleon Bonaparte

The popular narrative is that MSU coach Tom Izzo is a coaching god, one of the all-time greats, a master tactician, but he sure wasn’t any of those things in this game.  He’s got one of the best players in the country (Cassius Winston) on his team, but Izzo subbed him out repeatedly for the weakest point guard in the Big Ten, Foster Loyer.  Loyer played 10 minutes, sometimes along with Winston, but often with Winston on the bench, and he did nothing but foul: 0-1 shooting, 1 rebound, 4 fouls.  I can’t believe Izzo actually recruited this guy, and I can’t believe he actually plays him in a non-cupcake game.  But, “never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake”.  Sparty on, Tom.

Thanks in part to Loyer’s “contributions”, Michigan led almost the entire game.  It was 0-0 for quite a while, before MSU took their only lead of the game, 1-0, with 17:30 to go.  Michigan went up 3-1 at the 16:41 mark, then MSU tied it 3-3 with 15:53 to go.  It was still 3-3 at the 13:53 mark, which means a combined 6 points scored in 6+ minutes.  Wow.  Michigan took the lead back for good at this point, with a 3-pointer, and hit 2 more 3-pointers in the next 2:31 to go up 12-3 at the 11:22 mark.  At this point, State had 3 points in 8 minutes and 38 seconds.  Impressive!  Both teams finally started scoring, and the UM lead was in the 5-7 point range for most of the half.  It got as high as 10 points (25-15) with 5:06 left in the half, and should have been 8 points (29-21) at halftime, but Michigan committed a dumb foul with 1 second left that gave MSU 2 free points, so it was 29-23 at halftime.  Michigan kept the lead in the 4-6 point range for the first few minutes of the 2^nd half, then MSU made their move.  They got within 1 point several times (31-30, 33-32, 36-35, and 39-38), and were within 2 points (42-40) with 13:27 left in the game.  That was their last gasp, though, as Michigan pushed the lead back up to 8 points (48-40) at the 12:09 mark, and kept it in the 8-10 point range the rest of the way.  The closest State got was 6 points (72-66) with 40 seconds left, but Michigan made enough free throws to win comfortably.  It was a great win over a ranked team.

Let’s have a little talk about sportsmanship.  I usher sections 209 and 210 in Crisler Arena, and there were a fair number of State fans in both sections.  When it became obvious that Michigan was going to win, the State fans started leaving early, usually with their heads down as they headed for the exits.  Most of them had behaved just fine, with the occasional “Go Green”, but nothing objectionable.  Then there was the State fan sitting in Section 210, Row 22, Seat 1: he got more and more agitated as the game went on, and he really didn’t like it when the Maize Rage started their “Little Brother” chant.  When he and his female companion got up to leave with 22 seconds left, he threw his drink cup at me, walked over and got in my face, then punched me in the stomach and hustled for the exit.  I was more stunned than hurt, but it sure surprised me.  He never said a word, just punched and ran.  So, I notified my supervisor and filed a police report, but I doubt anything will come of it.  I’d like to see him banned from coming back to Crisler, if the authorities can identify him.  He was a big guy (6’3”, 230 pounds), about 55-60 years old, with short gray hair.  If you think you know him, send me a message (dmontag@umgoblue.com), and I’ll pass it on to the police.

Stats  

The stats for the OSU game are confusing.  Michigan shot poorly overall (20-for-60 = 33.3%), but they shot 3-pointers decently (10-for-31 = 32.3%), and they shot free throws very well (8-for-9 = 88.9%).  They won the rebounding battle handily (42-31), but they lost the turnover battle (12-8).  These stats are good enough to win most games, and they might have won this one if the refs hadn’t hijacked it.

The stats for the MSU game are pretty good.  Michigan shot just OK overall (24-for-64 = 37.5%), they shot 3-pointers pretty well (11-for-28 = 39.3%), and they shot free throws well enough to win (18-for-23 = 78.3%).  They won the rebounding battle (46-40), but lost the turnover battle (10-7).  Michigan won this game because they controlled the boards and shut down MSU’s 3-point shooting (6-for-23 = 26.1%).

Who Started?

The starters for the OSU game were Eli Brooks, Brandon Johns, Jr., Zavier Simpson, Jon Teske, and Franz Wagner.  Johns started in place of Isaiah Livers, who missed 3 more games because of a groin injury.  Livers was healthy enough to start in place of Johns in the MSU game.

Who Looked Good?

Simpson was the leading scorer in both games, with 15 and 16 points.  He also had 5 and 8 assists, and 7 and 4 rebounds.  He had a very good week shooting 3-pointers: 3-for-7 and 4-for-7.

Brooks almost hit double figures in both games, with 8 and 11 points, including two big 3-pointers in the MSU game.  He had a rough week shooting: 3-for-12 (2-for-8 from deep) vs. OSU, and 2-for-10 (2-for-5 from deep) vs. MSU.  He did a nice job guarding Winston in the MSU game.

I’m still not sure whether Wagner looked “good” or “not-so-good”.  On the one hand, he almost hit double figures in both games (8 and 8), and he was the leading rebounder in the OSU game (14).  On the other hand, his shooting percentages continue to trend downward: 2-for-12 (2-for-8 from deep) vs. OSU, and 2-for-5 (0-for-2 from deep) vs. MSU.  He is a key component in the offense, and he needs to start hitting his 3-pointers.

Livers looked good in the one game he played (MSU): 14 points on decent shooting (5-for-10, 2-for-5 from deep).

Johns had a solid week, with 8 and 7 points.  He shot 3-pointers well, just not often enough: 2-for-3 vs. OSU, and 1-for-2 vs. MSU.

David DeJulius had a pretty good week, with 5 and 10 points.  He played some solid defense against Winston in the MSU game.

Austin Davis continued his strong play this week.  He scored a career-high 11 points (on 4-for-4 shooting) vs. OSU, and chipped in 4 more points (on 2-for-3 shooting) vs. MSU.  He played very good post defense, without committing silly fouls.

Who Looked Not-So-Good?

Teske had a quiet week, with 3 and 7 points.  He did have 6 and 8 rebounds.

Colin Castleton only played in the OSU game, and failed to score.

Who Else Played?

No one else played.

Who Didn’t Play?

As mentioned above, Livers was injured and didn’t play in the OSU game.

Adrien Nuñez didn’t play in either game.

The practice squad (C.J. Baird, Cole Bajema, Jaron Faulds, Rico Ozuna-Harrison, and Luke Wilson) didn’t play in either game.

What Does It Mean?

Michigan kind of held even this week.  They should have won the OSU game, but it was an upset that they beat MSU.  These results helped their chances for making the NCAA or NIT Tournaments, but didn’t change much in the Big Ten race; they’re still in 11^th place, and they still stand no chance of contending for the title.  It would be nice if they could move up to 10^th place or better, so they won’t have to play on Wednesday in the Big Ten Tournament.  There are 8 games left in the regular season, and they need to win at least 6 of them to make the NCAA Tournament, or 2 of them to make the NIT Tournament.

What’s Next?

This week, Michigan plays two games, one on the road and one at home.  On Wednesday (02/12/2020, 9:00 p.m. EST, BTN), they play at Northwestern, then on Sunday (02/16/2020, 1:00 p.m., CBS), they play Indiana in Crisler Arena.

Northwestern is currently 6-16 (1-11 in the Big Ten).  They are all alone in last (14^th) place.  They have a few quality wins (Providence, Bradley, and Boston College), but have lost to the likes of Merrimack, Radford, and Hartford.  They have some height (three 6’10” players), but no real star.  This is another rare opportunity for Michigan to win a true road game, but they’ll have to play well.

Indiana is currently 15-8 (5-7 in the Big Ten).  They are tied with Michigan for 11^th place in the Big Ten standings.  They have impressive wins over (#17) Florida State, UConn, Notre Dame, (#11) Ohio State, and (#11) Michigan State.  Their significant losses are to Wisconsin, Maryland (twice), Rutgers, Penn State, and Purdue.  They have some height (one 6’11” player and one 6’10” player), and no real star.  This is another game that Michigan can win, if they play well.

Check back next week to see how Michigan did.

Go Blue!