Author: Drew Montag

Happy New Year!

It was a happy New Year, with the University of Michigan football team winning the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl over Florida 41-7, and the University of Michigan men’s basketball team winning both games this week. On Wednesday (12/30/2015), they won at Illinois 78-68, then on Saturday (01/02/2016), they beat Penn State 79-56 in Crisler Arena. The two wins raise Michigan’s record to 12-3 (2-0 in the Big Ten). Michigan is tied for 1^st place in the Big Ten.

The big story this week was the sudden emergence of redshirt sophomore Mark Donnal. He had a career-high 26 points vs. Illinois, then he followed it up with a solid 16 points vs. PSU. His previous career high was 13 points vs. SMU last season. He broke that record twice this week. He also had a career-high 9 rebounds vs. Illinois, just missing a double-double. He followed that up with 8 more rebounds vs. PSU. He had a monster week.

The Illinois game was close and exciting for most of the contest. Illinois jumped out to a quick 5 point lead (7-2) with 14:53 left in the 1^st half, before Michigan got going. UM tied it (9-9), and the lead seesawed back and forth until it was 16-16, with 7:49 left in the half. Illinois went on a quick 13-6 run, to make it 29-22 with 4:40 to go in the 1^st half. UM hung in, and actually got the lead back (31-29) with 2:42 left. Illinois went on another mini-run, 8-3, to lead by 3 at halftime, 37-34.

The 2^nd half was all Michigan. UM quickly erased the halftime deficit, and went ahead for good (38-37) with 18:49 left in the game. Illinois hung around, and was within 2 points (48-46) with 13:49 to go, when UM went on a 13-2 run to open up a more comfortable 13 point lead (61-48), with 9:56 left. UM kept the lead in double figures for most of the rest of the game, although Illinois did creep back within 7 points (73-66) with 1:27 left. A 5-2 run by UM finished the game in style. It was a solid, dominating win, and any road win in the Big Ten is a big win.

Michigan had another slow start vs. PSU. They missed their first 4 shots and had a turnover, while PSU made 3 of 6 shots, and it was suddenly 7-0, with 17:12 left in the half. A couple quick 3-pointers by Michigan made it close again (7-6), with 16:16 left, but UM didn’t get their first lead until the 13:31 mark, when they went ahead 12-11. That’s when it started “raining 3’s”. Seven 3-pointers later, Michigan had a commanding 41-23 lead, with 5:31 left in the 1^st half, and the game was over. Michigan hit 10 3-pointers in the 1^st half (on 15 attempts), and led 49-28 at halftime. They cooled off a little in the 2^nd half, and only hit 4 more 3-pointers, but Penn State never got any closer than 21 points in the 2^nd half. It was another solid, dominating win.

So, what did we learn about this season’s UM team this week? A lot! We learned that they may have a true post presence in Donnal, who was deadly in the pick-and-roll game. We learned that they can keep their composure when they have a slow start, both home and away. And finally, we learned that their high-powered offense works against Big Ten teams.

Stats

The stats for the Illinois game are solid. Michigan shot pretty well overall (30-for-62 = 48.4%), they shot 3-pointers pretty well (10-for-24 = 41.7%), and they shot free throws very well (8-for-10 = 80.0%). They won the rebounding battle convincingly (38-27), but they lost the turnover battle (15-13). Other than the turnovers, those are good numbers for a visiting team.

The stats for the PSU game are even better. Michigan shot very well overall (29-for-49 = 59.2%), they shot 3-pointers very well (14-for-25 = 56.0%), and they shot free throws pretty well (7-for-11 = 63.6%). They won the rebounding battle (30-28), but lost the turnover battle again (13-11). Once again, other than the turnovers, those are very good numbers.

Coach Beilein used his regular starting lineup vs. Illinois (Ricky Doyle, Zak Irvin, Caris LeVert, Duncan Robinson, and Derrick Walton Jr.), but he made a couple changes for the PSU game. LeVert hurt his ankle in the closing minutes of the Illinois game, and he didn’t play in the PSU game. He was replaced in the starting lineup by Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (MAAR). After the show Donnal put on at Illinois, Beilein had to start him for the PSU game, and he did, replacing Doyle.

So, let’s look at the starters. LeVert was the only starter to hit double figures vs. Illinois, with 22 points (and 10 assists, for a double-double). In the PSU game, Donnal, MAAR, and Irvin all hit double figures: Donnal with 16, MAAR with 14, and Irvin with 16 (and 8 vs. Illinois). The other starters didn’t hit double figures in either game: Robinson had 8 and 9 points, Walton had 9 and 6 points, and Doyle had 2 points as a starter vs. Illinois.

The bench chipped in a bunch of points this week, which is very encouraging. Donnal had 26 points off the bench vs. Illinois, Aubrey Dawkins had 3 and 13 points, Moritz Wagner had 0 and 4 points, and DJ Wilson had 1 point in the PSU game, but didn’t play in the Illinois game. MAAR came off the bench in the Illinois game, but failed to score. Doyle came off the bench in the PSU game, but failed to score. Kameron Chatman and Andrew Dakich both played in the PSU game, but failed to score.

This Week

This week, Michigan continues Big Ten play with just one game. On Thursday (01/07/2016, 7:00 p.m. EST, ESPNU), they play at (#14) Purdue. This will be one of the tougher road games for UM this season. Purdue has a 6’10” guy, a 7’0″ guy, and a 7’2″ guy. I’m sure they’re going to bang it inside every chance they get, and UM’s interior defense will really be tested. I will be pleasantly surprised if UM manages to win this one.

Tune by on Thursday, and check back next week to see what happened, and why.

Go Blue!

The University of Michigan men’s basketball team played one game this week, and they won it handily. On Wednesday (12/23/2015), they beat Bryant 96-60, in Crisler Arena. The win raises Michigan’s record to 10-3.

This was the last game of the non-conference schedule, and the last of four “cupcakes” in a row (Delaware State, Northern Kentucky, Youngstown State, and Bryant). Michigan won all four of these games convincingly, and led wire-to-wire in the first three. In the Bryant game, UM won the opening tip, made a 2-point basket, and dropped back to play defense. Bryant’s main scorer popped in a 3-pointer, and Michigan trailed for the first time in 2 weeks, 3-2. Michigan hit a 3-pointer of their own, and never trailed again, although the score was tied 8-8 and 10-10. Bryant played very well, especially in the 1^st half, but UM played even better, especially shooting 3-pointers (12-for-20 = 60.0% in the 1^st half). UM cooled off a bit in the 2^nd half (5-for-15 = 33.3% in the 2^nd half), but still played well enough to increase the halftime lead (57-35 = 22 points) to 36 at the end.

So, what did we learn about this season’s UM team this week? Nothing new. We already knew that they can beat the cupcakes convincingly, and that the offense can be deadly when it gets going.

Stats

The stats for the game are pretty impressive. Michigan shot the ball very well overall (37-for-63 = 58.7%), they shot 3-pointers very well (17-for-35 = 48.6%), and they shot free throws pretty well (5-for-7 = 71.4%). They won the rebounding battle (33-22) and the turnover battle (8-13). It was a dominating performance. By the way, the 17 made 3-pointers is a new school record.

Individually, 4 of the 5 starters hit double figures. Caris LeVert was the high scorer for Michigan with 19 points, Zak Irvin finally broke out of his shooting slump, with 16 points (including 2-for-4 shooting from 3-point range), Duncan Robinson hit four 3-pointers (on 8 attempts) for 12 points, and Derrick Walton Jr. had 11 points. The only starter who didn’t hit double figures was Ricky Doyle, with 6 points.

The bench contributed a lot of points this week. The only bench player to hit double figures was Aubrey Dawkins, with 10 points. Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman got close, with 8 points, including two 3-pointers. Mark Donnal followed up his strong performances last week with 7 points in this game. Kameron Chatman had 4 points, including the record-setting 17^th 3-pointer at the buzzer, and DJ Wilson hit his only shot, a 3-pointer. Moritz Wagner and Andrew Dakich both played, but failed to score.

Mid-Term Grades

Now that the non-conference schedule is complete, it’s time for mid-term grades.

Freshman Eligibility

Brent Hibbitts: Inc.

Brent hasn’t played in any games, and is probably being redshirted.

Moritz Wagner: B-

Moe has played in all 13 games so far, and scored 48 points, but most of his effective production was in the last 2 games in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas over the Thanksgiving break. Since then, he hasn’t done much. There’s still plenty of time for him to become a productive member of the team.

DJ Wilson: B-

DJ missed a couple games (Delaware State and Northern Kentucky) but he’s played in the other 11 games. He’s scored 47 points, and hit 7 of 13 attempts from 3-point range. For a tall, lanky player he gets surprisingly few rebounds: 9 total in 11 games.

Sophomore Eligibility

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman: B-

MAAR has played in all 13 games so far, and even started 3 games when Walton was out with an injury. He’s scored 59 points, and hit 8 for 22 from 3-point range. He’s had a couple good games (SMU and Delaware State), but even more forgettable ones (Elon, Xavier, Texas, Northern Kentucky, and Youngstown State), where he scored a total of 2 points.

Kameron Chatman: C+

Poor Kam. He just can’t seem to get his game going. He shows flashes of brilliance, then he disappears for long stretches. On a team with a long bench, he needs to make the most of his minutes to get more, and he hasn’t so far.

Aubrey Dawkins: B

Coach Beilein is trying to shape Aubrey into “the best 6^th man in the Big Ten”. So far, it’s looking promising. Aubrey started the first 9 games of the season, then got replaced in the starting lineup by Robinson. Since then, he’s had a couple forgettable games (Delaware State and Northern Kentucky) and a couple encouraging ones (Youngstown State and Bryant).

Mark Donnal: B-

Mark voluntarily redshirted his first season, so he still has sophomore eligibility, even though he’s listed as a junior on the official roster. He’s played in 11 of the 13 games so far, with a couple games where he just couldn’t get in. He started the first 3 games, then lost his place in the starting lineup to Doyle. He’s had a few good games (Charlotte, Northern Kentucky, and Bryant), and a bunch of forgettable ones. He needs to be more aggressive when he’s in there. He’s still too much of a finesse player.

Ricky Doyle: B

Ricky has played in all 13 games, and scored 70 points. He came off the bench in the first 3 games, and has been a started since then. He’s had a few good games (Elon, Delaware State, Northern Kentucky, and Youngstown State), and a few forgettable ones (Northern Michigan, Texas, and Houston Baptist). He plays hard, but he’s just a little bit slower, less agile, and less powerful than the big men he’s been matched up against in Michigan’s 3 losses.

Duncan Robinson: A-

Finally! An “A”! Duncan is a transfer from (Division III) Williams College. He sat out last season, and he has sophomore eligibility this season. He was a great scorer at Williams. The big question was: Could he get his shot off against Division I competition? The answer so far: Yes! He’s played in all 13 games, and been a starter for the last 4 games, and he’s averaging 12.5 points/game. Even more impressively, he’s averaging just under 60% (47-for-79 = 59.5%) shooting from 3-point range. He’s managed to grab 37 rebounds and hand out 22 assists, but he’s still mostly “Just A Shooter”.

Junior Eligibility

Andrew Dakich: Inc.

Sigh. Things just don’t work out well for Andrew. Last season he was trying to redshirt, and voluntarily “burned his redshirt” late in the season when the team needed him. He was trying to redshirt again this season, when Walton injured his ankle, and once again Andrew voluntarily burned another redshirt. Since then, he’s played in 4 games, and scored 4 points, all in his first game of the season against Delaware State. Hopefully, he’ll get to play and contribute enough to make this season worth his redshirt.

Zak Irvin: B-

Zak missed the opener (Northern Michigan), and came off the bench in the 2^nd game (Elon), but has been a starter since then. He is averaging 8.6 points/game. He is still trying to get his 3-point stroke back (9-for-45 = 20.0%). The rest of his game has been pretty good.

Sean Lonergan: Inc.

Sean is trying to redshirt this season. He hasn’t played in any games this season.

Derrick Walton Jr.: A

Yay! Another “A”. Derrick missed 3 games (Houston Baptist, SMU, Delaware State) with an ankle injury he suffered in the NC State game. He wasn’t needed in the HBU and DSU games, but he was definitely missed in the SMU game. When he’s been healthy, he’s played well, with only 2 sub-par games (Northern Michigan and Xavier). He wasn’t needed in the NMU game, but his off night vs. Xavier definitely contributed to the loss.

Senior Eligibility

Michael (“Spike”) Albrecht: Inc.

Sure, Spike played in parts of 8 games, but usually only 8-10 minutes. He had double hip surgery in the off-season, and he never looked comfortable out there. He finally “retired” on 12/11/2015, ending this season, and possibly his career. A medical redshirt season is still possible, so he might be back next season, but there’s a problem – UM is out of scholarships for next season. So, maybe Spike will play a “grad transfer” year somewhere else. I hope he’s back at UM, healthy and ready to play.

Caris LeVert: A

I saved the best for last. Caris is leading the team in just about every statistical category: minutes, field goals made/attempted, free throws made/attempted, rebounds, and points. He has scored in double figures in every game but one (SMU), which is probably why UM got trounced in that game. He’s showing great leadership, and is fun to watch.

This Week

This week, Michigan begins Big Ten play with two games. On Wednesday (12/30/2015, 3:00 p.m. EST, ESPN2), they play at Illinois, then on Saturday (01/02/2016, noon, BTN), they play Penn State in Crisler Arena.

Illinois will be a good test, especially on the road. They are 8-5, with one good win (Missouri) and a couple bad losses (North Florida and Chattanooga). They have 3 players who are 6’10” or taller, and they will certainly try to exploit UM’s weak interior defense. This is a toss-up game.

PSU has a pretty good record (9-4), but they haven’t really played anybody good. Their best win was on the road at Boston College, but they’ve lost to George Washington and Radford. UM should win this one.

Tune by on Wednesday, and come by Crisler on Saturday for the game, then check back next week to see what happened, and why.

Go Blue!

The University of Michigan men’s basketball team played two games this week, and they won both of them. On Tuesday (12/15/2015), they beat Northern Kentucky 77-62, then on Saturday (12/19/2015), they crushed Youngstown State 105-46. Both games were in Crisler Arena. The two wins raise Michigan’s record to 9-3.

The big news was that two different players had triple-doubles, one in each game. In the NKU game, Caris LeVert had 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, for only the 4^th triple-double in UM history, and the first since 2011. Not to be outdone, in the YSU game, Derrick Walton Jr. had 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists, for the second triple-double as many games. This is incredibly rare: back-to-back triple-doubles in the same week. Wow.

Now, you’ve got to understand: both of these opponents were overmatched (cupcakes), so it’s not a surprise that Michigan won both games. It was surprising that NKU managed to hang around with UM for most of the game, and it was just as surprising that UM clobbered YSU as badly as they did.

NKU played much better than anyone expected, and UM played a solid-but-uninspired game against them. Michigan was in control for the whole game, but they could never put the game completely out of reach. UM led for the whole game, and had a 12 point lead (32-20) midway through the 1^st half. They led by 9 (43-34) at halftime, and pushed the lead up to double figures right away after halftime, and never led by less than 10 points the rest of the way. The lead got as high as 19 a few times, and the final margin of 15 points is about right.

YSU didn’t play very well, and Michigan played their best game so far this season, which was a bad combination for YSU. UM jumped out to a quick 11 point lead (14-3), and steadily stretched it to 33 points at halftime (55-22). YSU cut the lead to “only” 27 points (56-29) early in the 2^nd half, then the roof fell in on them. Once Michigan got going in the 2^nd half, the rout was on. YSU quit playing defense, and just let UM slice through the lane for dunk after dunk. It was brutal, and fun to watch.

So, what did we learn about this season’s UM team this week? We learned that they can beat the cupcakes convincingly, and that the offense can be deadly when it gets going. We’ll have to see how that works against the tougher competition in the Big Ten, coming up soon.

Stats

The stats for the NKU game are pretty good. UM played a pretty good game, both offensively and defensively, but NKU played their best game of the season. UM shot well overall (28-for-53 = 52.8%), they shot 3-pointers well (8-for-18 = 44.4%), and they shot free throws pretty well (13-for-18 = 72.2%). They (barely) won the rebounding battle (29-28), and they won the turnover battle (10-14). It was a solid performance, but nothing to get excited about.

The stats for the YSU game are only slightly better. UM shot very well overall (40-for-65 = 61.5%), they shot 3-pointers pretty well (12-for-30 = 40.0%), and they shot free throws pretty well (13-for-18 = 72.2%). They crushed YSU on the boards (46-23), and won the turnover battle decisively (6-12). It was a good, old fashioned butt kicking.

Individually, the big story was the two triple-doubles, but there were other stories as well. First of all, Walton returned to the lineup after missing 3 games with his ankle injury, and he played very well in both games. Besides the 10 points he had in the YSU game, he also had 16 points in his first game back, vs. NKU. LeVert also hit double figures in both games, with 13 points in the NKU game and 19 points vs. YSU. Duncan Robinson is now a starter, and he had double figures in both games (18 and 14). The other 2 starters almost hit double figures in both games. Ricky Doyle had 9 and 8 points, and Zak Irvin had 10 and 8.

The bench really contributed this week, especially in the YSU game. Three bench players hit double figures in one of the games: Mark Donnal had 11 important points vs. NKU, but failed to score in the YSU game. Aubrey Dawkins had 19 points in the YSU game, but failed to score in the NKU game. DJ Wilson sat out the NKU game with an ankle injury, but played in the last 6 minutes of the YSU game and scored 12 meaningless points.

The rest of the bench only contributed in the YSU game. Kameron Chatman had 8 points vs. YSU and 0 vs. NKU. Moritz Wagner had 7 points in the YSU game and 0 vs. NKU. Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Andrew Dakich both played in both games, and failed to score.

There were a lot of significant moments this week:

• Donnal’s 11 points vs. NKU were very important, and kept UM in control of that game.
  
• Robinson shot 6-for-8 and 4-for-7 from 3-point range this week, which works out to 10-for-15 (66.7%). Impressive.
  
• Dawkins finally woke up in the YSU game, and played like he did last season. He had the UM dunk of the year (so far) with a 360 in the 1^st half.
  
• Wilson hit 2-for-3 from 3-point range in the YSU game. Very nice.
  

This Week

This week, Michigan only plays one game, since Christmas is coming. On Wednesday (12/23/2015, 7:00 p.m., BTN), they play Bryant in Crisler Arena. This is the last “cupcake” game before the Big Ten season starts, and it should be another easy win.

Come by Crisler for the game, and check back next week to see what happened, and why.

Go Blue!