2021-22 nebraska #2

It was a weekday night at 9 pm, the day prior to a pending large snowstorm, against the worst team in the conference, and on a day where all the news in the University of Michigan sports sphere was not related to basketball. Put simply, there's a lot of reason why the crowd at Crisler Center Tuesday night was late arriving, and why the energy around and interest in the game that went down between Michigan and Nebraska was so low. But even if you didn't watch it, the game had meaning. Michigan's 85-79 victory was lackluster and uninspiring, but for now, it continues to give them a chance to make the NCAA Tournament in March. They will just need to play a whole lot better. 

The first half was all about Hunter Dickinson- not so much about his play, but about his absence. After picking up two quick fouls, Dickinson and his six points exited the game with 14:38 remaining in the first half and the game tied at 13. He would not return for the remainder of the opening stanza, with the Huskers winning the final 14.5 minutes of the half 31-24 to take a seven point lead into halftime.

Without the star center on the floor, the Wolverines were a complete mess. The Huskers posted an eFG% of 61% in the first half, turned it over on a smaller share of possessions than Michigan, and reeled in more offensive rebounds. More pressingly, Nebraska was 7/8 on dunks/layups in the first half and were able to pound it inside with ease when Dickinson was off the floor, outscoring Michigan in points in the paint. A total inability to stay in front of the ballhandler on the perimeter, and a lack of a rim protecting big in the middle of the defense led to Michigan's defense more closely resembling a turnstile than a wall in the first two minutes. 

Eli Brooks was huge for Michigan tonight [Marc-Gregor Campredon]

Offensively, Michigan put up 37 points in the first half, a fine showing that included seventeen free throw attempts. DeVante' Jones led the way with 10 points on 4/7 from the field and 2/3 from the line. Though Michigan was 1/6 from three, the problem in this one was not the offense, but the defense without Dickinson on the floor. As Michigan headed to the locker room trailing by 7, it was hard not to feel like the season was on the line. A loss to the Huskers, who entered this one 0-10 in B1G play, would be the nail in the coffin for Michigan's bubble hopes. 

Perhaps it was the team's knowledge of that reality that served as a motivating factor, because the Maize & Blue came out of halftime playing with their hair on fire. Dickinson re-entered the game and the Wolverines began the half on a 20-4 run, with more than half of those twenty points coming from the big man. The effect he had on Michigan's offense and defense was night and day. The Wolverines led 57-47 with 13:57 remaining and it began to seem as if the (on paper) better team had awoken and decided to stop playing around. 

That prognostication proved to be wrong. In the course of only five minutes, the Huskers turned a ten point deficit into a six point lead by embarking on a 19-3 run of their own. Every part of the UNL lineup got involved, with Kobe Webster, Keisei Tominaga, and Bryce McGowens each contributing mini-spurts of their own that cumulatively combined to be that long run. Michigan finally got a couple scores from Eli Brooks, but a response from the Huskers left the visitors ahead 73-66 with just 6:08 remaining. After it seemed as if the crisis had been averted, Michigan was stunningly right back on the brink. 

DeVante' gave Michigan a late offensive push [Campredon]

A strange sequence followed, as Tominaga was called for a shooting foul that appeared to be a clean block on replay. His anger over the perceived missed call led to a technical foul call and Michigan got four free throws, two for Eli Brooks (off the technical) and two for Dickinson (off the shooting foul). Michigan made it a four point game and on the next trip down the floor, they cut the lead down to just one point on two more Dickinson points. Those two veteran leaders were a theme for Michigan in the second half, as they'd score the points to propel Michigan back into the lead with under four minutes remaining. Together, they combined for 34 of Michigan's 48 points in the latter twenty minutes. 

A DeVante' Jones layup put Michigan ahead 79-75 with 2:05 left and again it felt as if the home team was set to close it out, before the Huskers promptly answered. Bryce McGowens made a jumper, snatched a defensive rebound, and then CJ Wilcher got to the line, and swished both free throws. Tie game, 1:20 to go.

Jones drove to the lane and scored on a layup to put Michigan back ahead, before seizing the ball from Nebraska's Kobe Webster. Jones got a three point attempt on the ensuing Michigan offensive possession to try and end it, but it rocketed off the heel right to Kobe Bufkin. The freshman passed to Brooks, who was intentionally fouled by the Huskers with fifteen ticks left. From there it was a free throw contest, with Michigan going 4/4 at the line, Nebraska missing their lone FG attempt in between, and that 6-0 run ended it. The Wolverines had survived 85-79. 

Hey @Juwan: WHY U AUTOBENCH HUNTER? [Campredon]

There's not much good to discuss in this game, if we're being honest. Sure, there were valiant efforts from the two senior guards and the center Dickinson, with the three combining for 64 of 85 points. But the rest of the team played poorly and the defense as a whole was terrible. Nebraska shot 50.9% from the field, and 38.9% from three point range on 18 attempts, in addition to 80% at the line. Their 79 points represented a sizzling 1.11 PPP clip for what is the KenPom 196th ranked offense. Just not good enough. Michigan shot a dismal 13.3% from three and survived mostly because Dickinson was +18 in his 23 minutes. The big man finished with just two fouls, and the decision to auto-bench him for so long, even as Michigan was getting caved in during the late first half, will certainly be discussed ad nauseam in the coming days. 

Michigan now heads to West Lafayette to take on Purdue on Saturday, in search of a marquee win. That game is at 2:30 PM and will be televised on FOX. The box score is after the jump. 

THE ESSENTIALS