Michigan Still Unbeaten After 85-66 Rout Of Northwestern
One of just four unbeaten teams in NCAA Division I college basketball, Michigan found itself still ranked outside the Top 15 in the latest Associated Press poll. That’s likely due to the fact the Wolverines had yet to defeat a ranked opponent.
But after the performance they put on Sunday night, Michigan could be in for a sizable jump in the latest rankings.
Michigan routed No. 19 Northwestern 85-66 at the Crisler Center to improve to 9-0 on the year. After a few bumps to open the game, the Wolverines took control and completely dominated this contest.
Michigan had five players score in double figures, and shut down the Wildcats on the defensive end after Northwestern scored the games’ first six points.
Michigan fell into a small hole due to a sloppy start, with turnovers on three of their first four possessions, but quickly responded with a 13-2 run to take a 15-10 edge through the first seven minutes.
The Wolverines maintained control for the remainder of the first half, due in no small part to their ball movement and three-point shooting. Michigan assisted on 12 of their 17 made-baskets in the opening 20 minutes, and knocked down 9-of-17 attempts from deep.
The Wolverines led 42-29 at the break.
Northwestern made adjustments after halftime in attempt to slow down Michigan’s barrage of three-pointers. In a way, it was effective – but as a result, opportunities opened up for freshman center Hunter Dickinson.
As he has all season, the 7-footer took advantage. Dickinson scored 11 points in the first four minutes of the second half, and the Wolverines were off to the races.
Michigan outscored Northwestern 39-24 through the first 16 minutes of the second half to increase their lead to 81-53, before emptying its bench for the final four minutes.
The Wolverines maintain sole possession of first place in the Big Ten, improving to 4-0 in conference play.
1. Wolverines come alive from deep
Michigan has good shooters up and down their roster, yet coming into tonight’s game the Wolverines had shot just 35 percent from three-point range. On Sunday, with the Wildcats packed in a zone attempting to slow Dickinson, Michigan found its stroke from outside. The Wolverines knocked down 12-of-27 attempts from deep – with Isaiah Livers, Franz Wagner, Eli Brooks and Chaundee Brown Jr. each hitting multiple triples. Michigan’s offense had already been efficient and highly-effective through the first eight games – if they can raise that three-point shooting percentage up above 40 percent, the sky is the limit for this club.
2. Franz Wagner taking his game to new level
Remember when there was some concern over Wagner’s offensive game early this season, despite the fact the sophomore was filling up the stat sheet in multiple categories? Fear not – Wagner has proven himself one of the Big Ten’s best all-around players over the past three contests. On Sunday, the sophomore stuffed the stat sheet once again with 14 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 blocks (!) and 2 steals. It’s not hyperbole to say that Wagner did it all against the Wildcats. He’s settled in offensively – scoring in double figures in three consecutive games – and the combination of his length and energy make him so good on the defensive end. Again, Wagner has been solid all season, but his game has gone to a whole new level in these past three games.
3. Dickinson shows maturity, patience vs. Wildcats
This game started off a little differently for the freshman big man, who was limited to just four points in the first half. But Dickinson showed his maturity and patience, passing out of double teams and finding open teammates around the perimeter. His presence was a big part of why the Wolverines were so effective from outside in the first half. After halftime, Dickinson got his chance to impact the game with his scoring, and he took advantage. The freshman finished with 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting, even flashing an effective midrange jumper that future opponents will have to take into consideration. We’ve raved about Dickinson seemingly after every game, but with the way he’s playing it’s impossible to ignore the 7-footer.
4. Howard masterfully orchestrating a talented roster
I’ve mentioned Michigan’s depth several times already this season, and while a deep bench is always a commodity, it can be a difficult thing for a head coach to manage. That hasn’t been the case for Juwan Howard. Guys are buying in to their roles. Chaundee Brown (14 points) has been outstanding off the bench. Mike Smith – who was a big-time scorer during his career at Columbia – has accepted more of a distribution role this season for the Wolverines. Eli Brooks often goes overlooked, but he’s been a real good two-way player for Michigan this season. On Sunday, Brooks was 4-of-5 from the three-point line. Brandon Johns Jr. had another good first half tonight, scoring 5 points and grabbing 3 rebounds. The culture of this team is evident, both in the acceptance of roles and in how the bench reacts to plays being made on the floor. None of us were sure what Howard would look like in his first stint as a head coach – so far, he’s hitting all the right buttons.
5. How high will the Wolverines climb?
Michigan no longer has to hear about not having a win over a ranked opponent. They just took a Top 20 team behind the woodshed and put a whopping on them. With that notch on their belt, and two more wins in the best conference in America, it will be interesting to see how high the Wolverines will climb in this week’s updated AP poll. That shouldn’t be the focus inside the locker room however. Michigan has a tough stretch of games in the next two weeks, with two games against No. 21 Minnesota as well as an anticipated matchup with No. 6 Wisconsin. If the Wolverines continue to play this way, their national ranking will take care of itself.
