Illinois 68, Michigan 53
If there are such thing as moral victories when your season is on the rocks, tonight is one. With just nine bodies, two of which were the seldom used Jaron Faulds and Jace Howard, Michigan Basketball managed to hang with #25 Illinois for all of 35 minutes tonight, before the heavily favored Illini pulled away at the end en route to a 68-53 victory. Many fans expected a blowout from the jump, after it was announced that Hunter Dickinson could not go in what was set to be a premiere clash with Kofi Cockburn, but the Wolverines hung tough and in the process, put together maybe their best emotional effort of the season. Problem is, it was still a loss, and that's why Michigan is now 7-7 and in massive trouble.
As expected, the Wolverines were brutal offensively with this particular lineup. It was a surprisingly high level of defensive compete that kept them in the game for most of the contest, in addition to a high offensive rebounding clip. Michigan was tight with Illinois from the very beginning, with both teams trading scores until the first eight minutes ended tied at 10 apiece. In that stretch was the morsel that epitomized how the first 35 minutes went for the visitors: 6'7" Jace Howard swatting 7'0" Kofi Cockburn. Something no one could have imagined happening back in October.
Part of the reason that happened, however, was the bad news that struck Michigan in the first eight minutes, when Moussa Diabate, Michigan's lone scholarship player capable of playing the five available, took his second foul on a stupid over the back just five minutes in. To the bench went the Frenchman and Michigan was forced to bring Faulds out, as well as Howard to try and cobble together small ball lineups to hang in there. Which, as the Jace block showed, went far better than anyone anticipated.
Not exactly the size matchup we wanted, but hey we got a cool block out of it! [Campredon]
The first half continued in back-and-forth fashion with both teams bricking three pointer after three pointer. The two squads combined to start the game 0/12 from distance when Alfonso Plummer finally made a three with 6:09 remaining in the first half. At the time, it stretched the Illinois lead to seven, which would soon jump up to nine, but Michigan was not done. DeVante' Jones, who played one of his best games in a Michigan uniform, poured in the next six points for his team to cut the Fighting Illini lead back down to three. Illinois had a couple answers from Cockburn sandwiched around a Jones three pointer, and it was 26-22 at the break in favor of the home team.
The second half was a constant battle between Illinois trying to run away and Michigan making it close again through a combination of defense, hustle (notably offensive rebounds), and contributions from surprising places. The youth movement took full force to start the latter stanza, as Michigan's first nine points in the second half were scored by freshmen, with Kobe Bufkin and Frankie Collins getting an extensive run for the Wolverines. Illinois would stretch it to 8 or 10, and then Michigan would answer and cut it to one score, and the cycle would repeat itself.
Indeed, Michigan was running up the floor with the ball down just one with a little over seven minutes to play after a Kobe Bufkin steal. That possession would come up empty, though, and a couple turnover-riddled possessions + productive Illinois offensive trips later and it was a 7-0 Illini run in the span of about a minute. Michigan then trailed by eight with just 5:36 to go. That was the moment when the car ran out of gas and a quick closing spurt by Trent Frazier was enough to slam the door and the ranked Illini won. The final was 68-53, but the game as outlined above, was much closer for the first 35 minutes or so. It was just the ending that got away.
Some more Frankie and Kobe please? [Campredon]
Jones led Michigan with 17 points; no other Wolverine scored in double figures. The point guard was a reasonably efficient 7/16 from the field, and 1/2 from three. No other player made a three pointer, and the rest of the team combined to shoot just 34% overall. The 15 offensive rebounds help, but part of that stat is a function of missing so many shots. It was ugly offensively. There were some brief moments of brilliance from Kobe Bufkin and Frankie Collins that merit more of a look, but the two also combined for four turnovers. If nothing else, perhaps this effort forces Juwan Howard to give the reserve freshmen more of a look.
The one freshman consistently in the starting lineup, Caleb Houstan, continued his skid. He was a woeful 2/9 from the field and 0/4 from three, now 2 for his last 21 from three in the past five games. Woof. Moussa Diabate showed the whole Moussa experience, inopportune fouls, solid defense, offensive potential, but also wildness and turnovers. Both Faulds and Howard were ofer from the floor, while Eli Brooks scored just seven points on 3/11 shooting. Not good enough. It was a good team effort to hang tough shorthanded, but wins are going to be needed ASAP for a team that's now lost three straight and four of five.
Michigan is now 7-7 and 1-3 in the conference, facing a crucial week against Indiana and Maryland. That matchup with the Terps is at 7:00 on Tuesday night on ESPN2. There is no content after the jump.
January 14th, 2022 at 11:54 PM ^
I never for a second thought we could win it, but damn I enjoyed the hustle those guys showed on the floor. Put a scare into a much better team, and perhaps gave the Michigan coaches some information they can use going forward.
Eh. This is a lost season. I'm hoping for the NIT at this point. But that's ok. We're due for a down season, and the future seems awfully bright. Just keep playing hard, boys. Good enough for me.
January 15th, 2022 at 8:33 AM ^
Another Dennis
January 15th, 2022 at 8:52 AM ^
If I had a nickel for every time someone on this blog said, "the future looks bright"...
January 15th, 2022 at 9:20 AM ^
psst.... we just won the B1G in basketball and football in 2021.
January 15th, 2022 at 3:29 PM ^
bball was 2020-2021 season
football was 2021-2022 season
same calendar year but different athletic seasons
January 15th, 2022 at 10:05 AM ^
JFC, this blog just saw UM win a Big 10 title, crush OSU, and get a playoff spot and there are still people assuming that the worst will always happen.
Yes, they aren't good this year. They still have a lot of talent and shockingly players do get better at their sport the more they play and physically mature.
January 15th, 2022 at 9:21 AM ^
NIT is not likely at this point. Expect Mich to have a losing record at the end of the season.
January 14th, 2022 at 11:57 PM ^
The stats I see say that we had 38 points in the paint. We had 8 made FTs. That means ONE three pointer and TWO fgs from outside the paint. Appreciated the high energy, defense and a lot of bold drives to the basket, but not being able to shoot the ball is not conducive to winning a game of basketball
January 14th, 2022 at 11:59 PM ^
Yeah. Weirdly encouraging for a loss. Didn't think they really had a chance to win, so it was just a matter of waiting for the run that would put it away. But good to see the effort rather than quitting against stacked odds.
January 15th, 2022 at 5:11 PM ^
Have to wonder how much fatigue played into the last late run (my guess is a lot). Barely practiced the last 1.5 weeks, short handed so guys had to play a lot of minutes. Jones was banged up. By the end it looked like they had nothing left.
January 15th, 2022 at 12:02 AM ^
Mentioned this in the game thread, but Houstan can’t seem to make ones (free throws), twos, or threes, in addition to really bad defense. That’s a pretty rare combination for a starting Power 5 player. This season looks grim all around and he’s super young, but I’m actually concerned for him next year. We all expect a year two jump, but he’s jumping up from a very low starting point.
January 15th, 2022 at 12:45 PM ^
Somehow he's still being mocked in the first round. Seems like it would be a win-win if he just faked an injury. Keep himself from playing out of the first round. Improve Michigan's team. Juwan doesn't have to look like the guy that benched his five struggling five star (a bad look for future recruits and the only possible reason I can think of that he hasn't been benched yet).
January 15th, 2022 at 3:19 PM ^
Mocks don’t mean anything at this stage beyond the first few guys who everyone’s paying attention to. Past the top dozen or so guys, there’s about a 100 guys who could all realistically get picked in the back half of the first round, and teams don’t really start doing the hard work of going through those guys and delineating between them til closer to the draft.
Basically, the mock draft guys are mostly talking talking to the director of scouting types at NBA teams. The regional scout knows Houstan’s been trash, but the director won’t really know that until the regional guy fills out his formal report closer to the draft. At this point in the year, he’s mostly reading off the same notes from preseason.
All to say i’d be shocked if Houstan leaves for the nba without showing big signs of improvement
January 15th, 2022 at 5:54 PM ^
He is not being mocked anywhere. He was 3 months ago based on Team Canada and nonsense. I dont see him anywhere aside from sites who do no homework. If he wants to play in the 3rd tier of Greece I guess he can declare. NBA will take chances on a player with elite measurables and athleticism and not performing. He has none of this. He is just a shooter (who can't shoot) and Nick S looks like an all star compared to him. And you can see where he was drafted and his path.
January 15th, 2022 at 1:09 PM ^
It has to be some kind of mental block or something, right? We know he can shoot, but he can't hit the side of a barn in a Michigan uniform, even when wide open or at the FT line.
January 15th, 2022 at 5:18 PM ^
Yes and no, and there's no guarantee he'll get over it. The open threes and FTs are mental blocks. And even that isn't necessarily going to get fixed. Might not have the mentality at this level. Happened to Stauskas in the NBA. He just lost it.
But a lot of it is physical. He's shooting poorly from two, he clearly doesn't have the physicality, body control or strength to drive and finish, yet he tries quite often. He also jacks up a lot of contested threes that aren't good shots.
January 15th, 2022 at 5:59 PM ^
When you cant do it vs Non P5 players its not a mental block. Hopefully next summer he recollects and changes. If not, next year is his last year in the B10.
January 15th, 2022 at 5:48 PM ^
He is going to be a 4 year player or a transfer at this point. Zak Irvin is killing him so far as a comp as a sad 5 star.
January 15th, 2022 at 5:53 PM ^
Eli Brooks as a much lower rated players turned it around. Houstan looks awful. If he is like this in 12 months he wont be sticking around. This year is sunk for him. Let's see what his development is in a year. He will be passed or be gone if this is the year next year. Reality.
January 15th, 2022 at 7:36 PM ^
Eli was clearly a head case, never with the smooth catch and shoot motion, always a head fake and then a pass or a clanger. He got coached up to take his shot, and started making them. I wish we could work him open more (or put the ball in his hands more.) Houstan bricks and airballs the open looks he gets.
January 15th, 2022 at 12:07 AM ^
Houstan reminds me of a poor man's Ron Coleman.
January 15th, 2022 at 12:19 AM ^
Can't feel too bad about this game at this point given the improvement in effort and intensity but at the same time still not good basketball. Jones played about as well as can be expected. Frazier was able to get to the rim on him but he just doesn't have the lateral quickness to prevent that.
Houstan, I dunno what you do with him. The way the roster is constructed and for the future you almost have to play him since this is a lost season but he also doesn't deserve minutes given his play.
Diabate didn't know what to do with Kofi in the paint once Moussa got the ball on the PNR.
This isn't factually true, stats show we are middle of the pack, but damn if it doesn't feel like this is the worst 3 point shooting team in the history of humanity.
Underwood kinda looks like Mad Dog from Harry Potter.
January 15th, 2022 at 1:46 PM ^
If Houstan doesn't vastly improve, and soon, what's the point of starting (or playing) him at all if he's leaving? Howard needs to get the players who are sticking around more experince. It's not like we'd lose more often.
January 15th, 2022 at 6:01 PM ^
Not popular but starz dont matter in HS if you are a bust at next level. He wont leave this summer I guess but he has 12 months on the clock. Wasting a scholarship. He does nothing - cant play defense cant shoot. We can live with a guy who is a shooter who doesnt play defense. This is not a low MAC team where we can abide guys like this. That said you have to give these guys 2 years. Eli looks as bad as a freshman
January 15th, 2022 at 12:27 AM ^
2-21 from 3 over a 5-game period has to be one of the worst shooting performances over a 5-game period in NCAA history.
January 15th, 2022 at 10:01 AM ^
I don't know and I don't care to look up the stats to see how historically bad that is but I'd be willing to bet there has been a worse performance. Like 0-fer...
January 15th, 2022 at 12:42 AM ^
The biggest issue with this team is the lack of a point guard.
January 15th, 2022 at 1:07 AM ^
I would say the lack of wing players is hurting Michigan. They have a bunch of guards and PF/C on the roster but no wing players. Only Barnes is a wing player and he's redshirting. That means Jett will likely have a chance for PT. Michigan needs Barnes and Jett to play next season
January 15th, 2022 at 5:07 AM ^
We lack swing players, pg play, shooters, and tonight a center.
yeesh
This may be mean but why the hell does Nunez have a scholarship and Austen Davis doesnt right now? Id rather see both actually playing college basketball this season.
January 15th, 2022 at 9:56 AM ^
Austin Davis ran out of eligibility
January 15th, 2022 at 12:39 PM ^
Actually, he could have played another year as COVID gave everyone an extra year. (in his case a 6th year).
January 15th, 2022 at 3:26 PM ^
I’d be surprised if Michigan didn’t want Austin back. Sounds like the guy decided he’d spent enough time in Ann Arbor. The guy’s playing pro in Poland. That might’ve just sounded a lot cooler than a 6th year in Ann Arbor where he would’ve been coming off the bench again, especially to a guy who’s not going to realistically make the nba.
If I was 23 and had lived my entire life in Michigan, going to live and play in Europe sounds pretty awesome.
January 15th, 2022 at 7:04 PM ^
I think Davis was just ready to move on. That happens.
January 15th, 2022 at 12:45 AM ^
Good hustle from the deep bench, Jace in particular.
How bad is Zeb to not crack this lineup? I don't get it. First to the transfer portal?
January 15th, 2022 at 12:48 AM ^
Given their talent, this might be the worst performing team in 15 years. Howard better get his shit together.
January 15th, 2022 at 8:01 AM ^
Maybe, the talent is lacking.
January 15th, 2022 at 12:50 PM ^
The talent isn't lacking but the experience is. There's a reason that Kentucky hasn't been actually good at basketball in a long time. We're seeing what happens when you rely on too many freshmen, no matter how talented.
You can see flashes of brilliance from Bufkin and Diabate but just as many or more boneheaded plays that they just haven't learned yet. That's what experience does. Bufkin needs to gain some weight too.
Houstan though...man, I just don't see it in any way shape or form. The talent does appear to be lacking with him.
January 15th, 2022 at 8:54 AM ^
Do you mean at UM, or CBB generally? If at UM I'd agree with you, but otherwise this isn't even close to the worst performing team based on talent. Hell, Duke went 13-11 last year (and 11-11 in the regular season) despite having the nation's #12, #13, #23, #26, #28, #29, #33, #42, and #55 players in their classes the last 3 years on the roster. And that's the team I remembered most recently.
It's a bad team but this place is losing its mind a bit with the hyperbole on a national scale. Lots of young guys can struggle and this team lost a ton of talent last year and we all, frankly, overlooked it a bit and assumed they'd just reload.
January 15th, 2022 at 10:04 AM ^
No kidding. If you wanted you could cite a few Kentucky teams, too.
January 15th, 2022 at 10:27 AM ^
Yeah, Kentucky went 9-16 last year despite having something like 10 guys in the top 60 nationally of their classes, and have had numerous other seasons where they started the season in the top 5 and failed to make the tourney. It is, in fact, not that uncommon for teams to struggle with young rosters. The positive is that usually they bounce back pretty well because the guys who do stick around have another year of growth and are still pretty talented.
January 15th, 2022 at 1:59 AM ^
I know people point out how freshman struggle, even highly rated ones, especially ones with high expectations, but sheesh Houstan has been terrible. If you can't even hit free throws or wide open 3s, I really don't see the need to play him that much. The idea that you need to keep playing him so he'll be good in March is shot because you need to win now. You can't lose to every somewhat decent to good team you play.
Need to see say way more Kobe and Jackson to just see what you have. Reduce Houstan's minutes because you can't keep rewarding bad play, he can still start and all that. This team is just a mess, and they're too talented to not even make the tournament which they most likely won't. I don't really get why Houstan being bad on defense is better than Kobe being bad on defense and that's why Kobe gets such little minutes.
January 15th, 2022 at 9:17 AM ^
But don't forget, everyone claimed here that Houstan is "pro ready". Beilein would have kept some key vets like Davis and Smith, and these freshen players would have played on garbage time only.
January 15th, 2022 at 9:55 AM ^
How would Beilein have kept Davis and Smith? With shackles? They both had the option of returning - both said "I'd love to, but I'm 36 years old and should probably get busy with my life."
January 15th, 2022 at 10:55 AM ^
We need more “freshen” players. The stalen ones aren’t getting it done.
January 15th, 2022 at 3:28 PM ^
Yeah it’s definitely rare for a Top 10 recruit like Houstan to be this bad. He’s just a bust, plain and simple, relative to his expectations. Not that he won’t be a decent player eventually, but it’s clear he’s not a lottery pick type of player.
January 15th, 2022 at 3:36 AM ^
Hoping this isn't Brian Ellerbe 2.0.
Great talent, bad team.
January 15th, 2022 at 5:04 AM ^
Brian Ellerbe? What talent did he have? His teams were brutal.
January 15th, 2022 at 8:37 AM ^
LaVell Blanchard
January 15th, 2022 at 11:43 AM ^
Enough to win the Big ten tournament championship his first season. Then went downhill right after that.
Before everything was vacated he went 25-9 his first year.
January 19th, 2022 at 7:53 PM ^
That wasnt his team that was Fishers left overs.
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