3 Takeaways From Michigan's Comeback Victory Over Northwestern

No. 2 Michigan basketball overcame a 16-point second half deficit to defeat the Northwestern Wildcats by a score of 87-75 on the road on Wednesday night to move to 23-1 on the season and 13-1 in conference play.

Here are a few takeaways from the game.

Michigan looked completely uninterested in the game in the first half

For a team with a two game lead in the Big Ten standings and with a chance to finish the season as Big Ten champions with a strong finish, it was Northwestern that looked like it had something on the line in the first half as opposed to the Wolverines.

In the first 20 minutes, the Wolverines were getting outhustled on 50-50 balls, getting into bad switches with poor communication defensively, choosing poor shots with numerous contested threes on offense, and let the physicality of the Wildcats bother them by missing a number of finishes around the rim as Northwestern challenged shots inside.

Northwestern guard Jayden Reid has been up and down all season, but has had a number of games where he has gotten hot from the floor, and against Michigan he certainly heated up while going 5-for-5 in the first half with 11 points.

Dusty May's team was outplayed in every phase in the first half while shooting just 35% from the field (14-of-40) compared to Northwestern's 52% (16-of-31). The Wolverines also shot just 24% from three in the first 20 minutes while the Wildcats shot 42%.

Feb 11, 2026; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats forward Nick Martinelli (2) reacts after making a three-point basket against the Michigan Wolverines during the first half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

If Michigan was just out there missing open shots and Northwestern was hitting tough ones, that would be one thing. But largely, that wasn't the case as the Wildcats generated better shots throughout the half.

Simply put, Michigan did not match the energy level against Northwestern in the first half, which is not acceptable against the 16th place team in the conference for a team with championship aspirations.

LJ Cason and Yaxel Lendeborg helped flip the game in second half

A big advantage this Michigan team has over most in college basketball is its depth and ability to turn to the bench when a starter may be having an off night.

On Wednesday, May had to do just that by giving backup point guard LJ Cason the majority of the second half minutes on a night where starting point guard Elliot Cadeau just seemed out of sync.

Even though Cadeau dished out seven assists and had nine points, he shot just 3-of-9 from the floor and turned the ball over five times, including a bad one in the early stages of the second half to allow the Wildcats to stretch their lead.

However, Cason stepped in masterfully and helped lead the comeback effort by getting into the teeth of the Northwestern defense, finishing at the rim and opening the game up for the Wolverines' bigs to get involved.

Cason, who scored 18 points to lead the Wolverines, also brought energy on the defensive end of the floor when Michigan needed it the most to finally put Northwestern out of sync on offense.

Also on the defensive end of the floor, May decided to put Lendeborg on Reid for long stretches of the second half, and it paid huge dividends as the Wolverines held Reid to 2-of-7 shooting in the final 20 minutes.

Lendeborg's defensive effort combined with his relentlessness on the glass played a key role in the Wolverines outscoring Northwestern by 21 in the game's final 20 minutes, as he finished the night with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Yaxel Lendeborg dunks — Feb 11, 2026; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) dunks the ball on Northwestern Wildcats forward Arrinten Page (22) during the first half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Michigan can overcome bad stretches if it commits to the defensive end of the floor

There haven't been many times where the Wolverines have slacked off on defense this season, as that's proven with their No. 1 Kenpom ranking in terms of defensive efficiency.

However, on Wednesday, Michigan had some major lapses, particularly in the first half, when they just didn't do enough collectively to disrupt Northwestern on offense.

But in the second half, it was a much different story as the Wolverines completely picked up the intensity on that side of the floor, holding the Wildcats to just 40% shooting for the game after they shot 52% in the first half.

There are going to be nights where shots just don't fall or when the Wolverines just don't play as well offensively. But with their length, athleticism and ability to switch most positions on the floor, Michigan's defense can carry them through bad offense stretches when they are fully locked in.

Morez Johnson dunks — Feb 11, 2026; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward Morez Johnson Jr. (21) dunks the ball against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

This one serves as a reminder that this team is at its best when getting stops and creating havoc on that end of the floor.