The University of Michigan men’s basketball team played two games this week, and they won both of them. On Wednesday (01/20/2016), they beat Minnesota 74-69 in Crisler Arena, then on Saturday (01/23/2016), they beat Nebraska 81-68 in Lincoln. The two wins raise Michigan’s record to 15-5 (5-2 in the Big Ten).

These are two important wins because Michigan has to beat the “lower division” teams, in between the battles with the “upper division” teams. Michigan had previously faced three Top-25 teams in a row (at Purdue, home vs. Maryland, and at Iowa) before taking on unranked Minnesota and Nebraska. They lost two of those three tough games, so they needed to win the ones they are expected to win. Actually, they were favored by 17 points vs. Minnesota, but they were one-point underdogs in the Nebraska game. The oddsmakers liked Nebraska because of their road victory over Michigan State last week, and their great record at home. So, Michigan’s 13-point win over Nebraska is a lot more impressive than it looks at first glance.

The Minnesota game was kind of frustrating. Michigan shot very poorly all game, and let an obviously inferior Minnesota team hang around. It wasn’t Minnesota’s defense that made Michigan shoot poorly, it was “just one of those nights”. Fortunately, it was against a team that wasn’t good enough to take advantage of Michigan’s “off night”. Michigan opened up an early 7-point lead (11-4) with 15:47 left in the 1^st half. They pushed the lead up as high as 15 points (37-22, with 1:56 left), and appeared to be cruising to an easy blowout victory, when they suddenly went cold (3 missed shots and 2 turnovers), and Minnesota got hot (3-for-3, including two 3-pointers). Minnesota finished the half on an 8-0 run, to make it a much closer 7-point game at halftime, 37-30. Michigan never trailed in the 2^nd half, but they never pulled away from Minnesota either. The lead got up to 10 points twice (44-34 and 48-38), but it was generally around 6-7 points. With 2:07 left in the game, Michigan went up by 9 points (62-53), and it was over. Of course, Minnesota’s coach (the “JV” Pitino) had to show that he knew how to “extend the game” and try every trick, but none of it worked. It was just annoying.

The Nebraska game was another example of letting an inferior team hang around. Michigan had a tremendous run to start the 1^st half (18-6, on just 9 possessions) and an even better run to start the 2^nd half (21-3, also on just 9 possessions), and in between they shot decently, but turned the ball over too many times. They squandered two nice runs, and made the game closer than it needed to be. Once again, Michigan led for the entire 2^nd half, but they let Nebraska get within 2 points (66-64) with 3:11, before closing the game out with a nice 15-4 run.

It was impressive that Michigan won both games without their best player, Caris LeVert, who missed two more games this week with a left ankle injury. He has now missed 5 games, and is still listed as “day to day”.

So, what did we learn about this season’s UM team this week? We learned that Michigan can beat the “lower division” teams even when they don’t play their best game.

Stats

The stats for the Minnesota game are almost embarrassing. Michigan shot very poorly overall (23-for-63 = 36.5%), they shot 3-pointers very poorly (9-for-31 = 29.0%), but they did shoot free throws well (19-for-23 = 82.6%). They tied in the rebounding battle (38-38), and they won the turnover battle (6-12). They won the game because Minnesota was pathetic shooting 3-pointers (6-for-22 = 27.3%).

The stats for the Nebraska game are much better. Michigan shot very well overall (25-for-47 = 53.2%), they shot 3-pointers very well (11-for-21 = 52.4%), and they shot free throws very well (20-for-23 = 87.0%). They won the rebounding battle (32-24), but they lost the turnover battle (14-10). Those turnovers almost cost them the game.

With LeVert still unavailable, Coach Beilein went with his new regular starting lineup: Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (MAAR), Mark Donnal, Zak Irvin, Duncan Robinson, and Derrick Walton Jr. Only one starter hit double figures in both games: Walton, with 22 and 19 points. He also had 12 rebounds in the Nebraska game, for a nice double-double. Three other starters hit double figures in one game: Donnal had 5 and 14 points, Irvin had 19 and 8 points, and Robinson had 9 and 21 points. Irvin had 11 rebounds in the Minnesota game, for a double-double for him, and Robinson’s 21 points vs. Nebraska are a UM career-high. The fifth starter, MAAR, had 6 and 8 points.

The bench contributed a few points this week. Aubrey Dawkins had 7 and 5 points, Ricky Doyle had 2 points in each game, and Moritz Wagner had 4 points in each game. Andrew Dakich played in both games, and failed to score. DJ Wilson played in the Minnesota game, and failed to score, but didn’t play in the Nebraska game. Kameron Chatman played in the Nebraska game, but failed to score, and didn’t play in the Minnesota game. Michigan could really use more bench scoring.

This Week

This week, Michigan plays two more Big Ten games. On Wednesday (01/27/2016, 7:00 p.m., BTN), they play Rutgers in Crisler Arena, then on Saturday (01/30/2016, 12:00 p.m., BTN), they play a rare neutral site game vs. Penn State in Madison Square Garden (New York, NY) as part of “Big Ten Super Saturday” (UM vs. PSU in basketball at noon and hockey at 7:00 p.m.).

Rutgers is the worst major conference basketball team in the country this season, by far. They are 6-14 (0-7 in the Big Ten), with no quality wins, and several embarrassing losses (St. John’s, Creighton, Seton Hall, George Washington, and Monmouth). Michigan should beat them by 30 or more.

Michigan has already played Penn State this season, in Crisler Arena on 01/02/2016), and they crushed them 79-56. Since then, PSU has gone 2-3, with wins over Minnesota and Northwestern, and losses to Michigan State, Purdue, and Wisconsin. Michigan should beat them up again, probably by even more points than the first time. Although this is a neutral site game, Michigan has lots of alumni and supporters in New York City, and I expect this game to feel more like a home game for UM.

Come on down to Crisler on Wednesday, tune by on Saturday, and 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 one and lost one. On Tuesday (01/12/2016), they beat (#3) Maryland 70-67 in Crisler Arena, then on Sunday (01/17/2016), they lost at (#16) Iowa 82-71. The win and the loss leave Michigan with a record of 13-5 (3-2 in the Big Ten).

Including the game at (#20) Purdue last week, which they lost 87-70, Michigan played three games in a row against Top-25 teams, two of them on the road. They won the home game, and lost both road games. That’s enough Top-25 opponents for a while.

The Maryland game was very exciting, and was a huge victory. The score was close for most of the 1^st half, with Michigan leading by 4-6 points. Maryland got the lead back (25-24) with 4:50 to go in the half, when Michigan went on a 13-4 run to lead by 8 (37-29) at halftime. Michigan opened the 2^nd half strong, and pushed the lead up to 13 points (48-35) with 16:38 to go. Maryland kept chipping away at the lead, and went ahead by 1 (57-56) with 6:48 left in the game. Michigan didn’t get flustered, and took the lead back right away, and never trailed again. They led by as many as 8 points (67-59 with 2:58 left), and withstood a Maryland charge in the last minute to win it. It was very impressive. And, Michigan did it without their best player, Caris LeVert, who missed both games this week with a left ankle injury. He has now missed 3 games, all against ranked opponents. He is listed as “day to day”.

The Iowa game, on the other hand, was not as impressive. Michigan had a horrible start, and trailed 11-0 with 17:46 to go in the half. Michigan missed their first 6 shots, along with a turnover. Since they lost by 11, that was the game right there. They did manage to fight their way back a couple of times, and actually led a few times (21-20, 48-47, 49-47, and 52-51). That last lead (52-51) came with 12:23 left in the game. Iowa went on a 13-0 run over the next 2:28, and that was the game, again. An 11-0 run to start the game, and a 13-0 run to put it away. UM did get back within 5 points (73-68) with 2:56 left, put that didn’t last long. Iowa was hot from outside, and UM couldn’t keep up. They really missed LeVert.

So, what did we learn about this season’s UM team this week? We learned that Michigan doesn’t have the horsepower to play a steady diet of Top-25 teams. Maybe once LeVert returns…

Stats

The stats for the Maryland game are not as impressive as you’d expect for a win over at Top-5 opponent. Michigan didn’t shoot very well overall (25-for-53 = 47.2%), they didn’t shoot 3-pointers very well (12-for-29 = 41.4%), and they didn’t shoot free throws very well (8-for-13 = 61.5%). They lost the rebounding battle decisively (36-27), but they did win the turnover battle (8-12). They won the game because Maryland was pathetic shooting 3-pointers (6-for-24 = 25.0%).

The stats for the Iowa game aren’t as bad as you’d expect for a double-digit loss. Once again, Michigan didn’t shoot very well overall (25-for-54 = 46.3%), they didn’t shoot 3-pointers very well (10-for-28 = 35.75), but they did shoot free throws pretty well (11-for-14 = 78.6%). Surprisingly, they won the rebounding battle (33-27), but they really lost the turnover battle (13-4). It was the turnovers, along with mediocre shooting, that did them in.

With LeVert still unavailable, Coach Beilein went with his new regular starting lineup: Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (MAAR), Mark Donnal, Zak Irvin, Duncan Robinson, and Derrick Walton Jr. Three of the starters hit double figures in both games: Irvin had 22 vs. Maryland and 11 vs. Iowa, Robinson had 17 and 11, and Walton had 12 and 16. After shooting around 60% from 3-point range for the first 14 games of the season, Robinson has really cooled off. He was 5-for-9 vs. Maryland, which isn’t too bad, but he was 2-for-8 vs. Iowa, which really hurt. Also, Walton had 10 rebounds vs. Maryland, for a double-double.

The other two starters did OK this week: MAAR had 5 and 7 points, and Donnal had 8 and 8.

The bench contributed a few points this week, mostly in the Iowa game. Aubrey Dawkins had 4 and 12 points, Moritz Wagner didn’t play in the Maryland game and had 4 points vs. Iowa, and DJ Wilson had 2 points in each game. Andrew Dakich and Ricky Doyle played in both games, but failed to score. Kameron Chatman played in the Iowa game, but failed to score. Michigan could really use more bench scoring.

This Week

This week, Michigan plays two more Big Ten games. On Wednesday (01/20/2016, 8:30 p.m., BTN), they play Minnesota in Crisler Arena, then on Saturday (01/23/2016, 2:00 p.m. EST, ESPN2), they play at Nebraska. Finally, some games against non-ranked opponents.

Minnesota is 6-12 (0-6 in the Big Ten), and they have only one quality win (Clemson) to go with several embarrassing losses (South Dakota, South Dakota State, Milwaukee, and Penn State). Michigan should beat them easily.

Nebraska is a little better. They’re 11-8 (3-3 in the Big Ten). Their only quality win is over Tennessee, while they have lost to Creighton, Samford, and Northwestern. They play tough at home, but they are beatable. Call this one a “toss up” game.

Come on down to Crisler on Wednesday, tune by on Saturday, 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 lost it. On Thursday (01/07/2016), they lost at (#20) Purdue 87-70. The loss lowers Michigan’s record to 12-4 (2-1 in the Big Ten).

Purdue just overpowered Michigan in this one. They have a huge lineup, with two 7-footers and more, and the big guys just drove and dunked anytime they wanted to. Michigan hung with Purdue for most of the 1^st half, and actually had a small lead (23-19) with 5:33 left, but Purdue went on a 16-5 run to end the half to go up 35-28, and they never trailed again. UM got within 6 points in the 2^nd half (66-60 with 5:20 to go), but Purdue went on a quick 12-0 run in the last few minutes to win by 17.

So, what did we learn about this season’s UM team this week? We learned that Michigan has a tough time against a big team. The same thing happened against the other tall teams UM played: Xavier, UConn, and SMU.

Stats

The stats for the game are about what you’d expect for a blowout loss – sad. Michigan shot terribly overall (23-for-61 = 37.7%), they didn’t shoot 3-pointers very well (11-for-27 = 40.7%), but they did shoot free throws pretty well (13-for-16 = 81.3%). They lost the rebounding battle (28-36), but they did win the turnover battle (8-9). The overall shooting and the rebounding doomed them.

Caris LeVert is still injured (left ankle), so Coach Beilein had to alter his regular starting lineup, again. He replaced LeVert with Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (MAAR), and started Mark Donnal, Zak Irvin, Duncan Robinson, and Derrick Walton Jr. Three of the starters hit double figures: MAAR had 25 points (a new career high), Robinson had 10 points (only 2-for-5 shooting 3-pointers), and Walton had 12 points. Donnal and Irvin each had 7 points. MAAR played a great game; the rest of the team, not so much.

The bench didn’t contribute much this game. Aubrey Dawkins had 6 points and DJ Wilson had 3 points, and that was it. Andrew Dakich, Ricky Doyle, and Moritz Wagner all played, but failed to score. Kameron Chatman didn’t even get in the game.

This Week

This week, Michigan plays 2 more Big Ten games. On Tuesday (01/12/2016, 9:00 p.m., ESPN), they play (#3) Maryland in Crisler Arena, then on Sunday (01/17/2016, 4:30 p.m. EST, BTN), they play at (#19) Iowa. Great, two more ranked teams. Maryland is 14-1, and they’ve got 2 big centers (6’11” and 7’1″). Expect a repeat of the Purdue game. Iowa is the only team to beat Michigan State this season, and they’ve got a 7’1″ guy. Everyone’s got a 7-footer this season. Anyway, I’ll be stunned if UM wins either of these games.

Come on down to Crisler on Tuesday, tune by on Sunday, and check back next week to see what happened, and why.

Go Blue!

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!