Michigan 68, Rutgers 57
Video: Rutgers player doesn't realize it's a one-and-one, throws live ball out of bounds for a turnover: pic.twitter.com/RZpFzUNr6n
— Alejandro Zúñiga (@ByAZuniga) January 28, 2016
You need to know four things about this game:
1. Michigan couldn't hit a shot. They dug an early hole after starting 0/5 from the field and finished the first half 6/18 from three. The outside shots started falling in the second half, but the Wolverines still finished only 20/49 from the field—not for lack of open looks, but much like the Minnesota game, they missed a lot of shots they'd normally make.
2. Mark Donnal sparked the run Michigan needed. With Michigan losing by three with 5:30 left in the first half, Donnal stuffed a shot by Jonathan Laurent, assisted Aubrey Dawkins for a three on the other end, took a charge, drew a foul and hit both free throws, then took another charge. After that sequence, Zak Irvin hit a three, and Michigan suddenly had an eight-point lead. Rutgers couldn't pull closer than five points for the duration.
3. With 1:30 left in a ten-point game, Rutgers committed a shot-clock violation. That is not ideal.
4. On the next Michigan possession, Irvin missed the front end of a one-and-one, Rutgers center Greg Lewis rebounded the miss... and passed the ball to the official standing out of bounds. It took a while, but we hit peak Rutgers.
Duncan Robinson (18 points, 4/9 3P) and Aubrey Dawkins (11 points, 3/4 3P, one spectacular missed dunk) were the two players who found any consistency with their shot. Zak Irvin went 2/8 from the field but hauled in 12 boards and dished out eight assists.
This was Minnesota 2.0: Michigan proved fortunate to play a bad team when they had an off night. Because that team was Rutgers, they won by double-digits anyway.
January 27th, 2016 at 9:12 PM ^
January 27th, 2016 at 9:18 PM ^
January 27th, 2016 at 9:29 PM ^
January 27th, 2016 at 9:23 PM ^
They'll take the game in NY more seriously. Then Indiana and MSU will have their full attention. They're kids. They coasted through the game. It still counts as a win.
January 27th, 2016 at 9:25 PM ^
January 27th, 2016 at 9:31 PM ^
I REALLY wish I watched this. A shot clock violation with 1:30... Holy shit.
January 28th, 2016 at 8:44 AM ^
they're playing a lot of wierd guys.
January 27th, 2016 at 9:33 PM ^
Frustrating offense sets with the ball being stuck in Duncan Robinson's hands at the end of the shot clock. He threw away a couple of passes when he was forced into this position.
Glad to see that Donnal and Dawkins were able to spark a run. Oh well... 6-2 in the Big10.
January 28th, 2016 at 1:30 AM ^
Just like with Minnesota, Michigan had a terrible night but still won. That is much better than having a great night and losing.
January 27th, 2016 at 9:34 PM ^
January 27th, 2016 at 9:43 PM ^
He is actually one of the only players I think Beilein has failed at fixing. He is definitley in the wrong system but when has that stopped Beilein? At this point he can't really jump ahead of anyone. Dawkins and RAHK are the only ones and he is far from catching them. Will he transfer? Who knows, maybe. I think he is a quality player, maybe he just lost it at the college level? I'm pretty sure he was a four star and recruited heavily by Arizona. Poor dude, seems like a nice kid. He should have red-shirted this year.
January 27th, 2016 at 9:46 PM ^
What exactly makes you think he is a quality player?! No disrespect to him, but...
January 27th, 2016 at 10:01 PM ^
Beilein is one of the best in the biz at making kids better but the kid has to have some ability somewhere in there and I just don't see it in Kam. He doesn't even run fluidly. Too timid. I don't know I mean I hate to throw in the towel with him because Beileins developmental ability but he's really going to have to pull a rabbit out of his hat with this one.
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January 27th, 2016 at 10:23 PM ^
January 27th, 2016 at 10:03 PM ^
Thought I read that he played against horrible competition in high school. Maybe that's why he looked good, because he does not look like a guy that would play for any other power 5 program.
January 27th, 2016 at 10:04 PM ^
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January 27th, 2016 at 11:20 PM ^
January 28th, 2016 at 8:45 AM ^
January 28th, 2016 at 10:51 AM ^
January 27th, 2016 at 11:40 PM ^
Donnal had all kinds of practice hype and was playing well enough there to be starting which was all the more frustrating that he wasn't playing well. So for him it was clearly just a matter of translating that to game action. And he's been great lately.
It seems like Kam is a long way from any of that. Hope he can put it together.
January 28th, 2016 at 10:17 AM ^
Chatman wasn't on the floor more than 10 seconds and the elderly lady in front me screams "take Chatman out!" Hilarious - maybe the highlight of the night.
But, they won another game without Caris. Onward and Upward.
January 27th, 2016 at 9:34 PM ^
January 27th, 2016 at 9:39 PM ^
Is this a Beilein problem or a players problem? Obviously this is going to be an overreaction but what the hell. I'm sick of saying well at least we played like crap against a team who couldn't take advantage of it. We should have won by 30, Rutgers is one of the worst basketball teams in the country. Was our defense even good? I was too busy being mad from our offensive possesions to pay any attention to our defensive ones.
Walton still can't drive to the hoop, why does he have a problem with this, even against crappy teams? He is such an odd player, barely had 14 points (2 of them came from fouls at the end) and barely had 4 assists (I don't count assists when he turns around and gives the ball to Duncan because I would get 2 assists a game doing that). Irvin played great except for scoring. His game has rounded out nicely, except for...scoring. 8 points. Yes but he had 8 assists and 12 rebounds, yippee, I could care less. That doesn't make it okay that he only scored 8 points. There is no reason he cannot dish out the ball, in addition to scoring. Against a good team I would say he played well if he had that stat line, but against a team like Rutgers, 8 points man!
Donnal, Duncan, and Dawkins were there usual selfs, they all played well. I blame this on Beilein, he should run sprints tomorrow. Can't wait for quality opponents at home like IU and MSU.
January 27th, 2016 at 10:01 PM ^
January 27th, 2016 at 11:15 PM ^
January 27th, 2016 at 10:29 PM ^
against Rutgers or a 5 point win against Minnesota with this team then bummer. I have higher expectations, sorry. The way teams get better is by looking at weaknesses after they win. When a team wins by 30 the coach first complements his team and tells them what they did well and then asks why is wasn't 40. I can expect 12+ from Irvin every single night, if you can't then you have low expectations. My point isn't that his shot wasn't falling (if you say this then you're going to be saying it consistently because he has off nights all the time, look at his numbers). My point is that he can't really create his own shot and has difficulty driving. He is bad at driving and consistently scoring. You can't just say meh, he had an off night, give him a break. If Beilein did that our players would suck. Beilein says, damn nice 12 boards, damn even nicer 8 assists, now why did you not score any points? Lets work on your driving and scoring ability because everything else is working, which is exactly what I'm saying. Zak has the potential to be an all-big ten player but he doesn't if he doesn't get his scoring up. He has consistent drouts where he disappears. I'm not saying he does a poor job at filling in elsewhere if he can't shoot. He does that great. I'm saying, more often then should be happening, he can't shoot.
January 27th, 2016 at 10:35 PM ^
You're barely a fan.
What I'm trying to say is...shut up and relax.
January 27th, 2016 at 11:21 PM ^
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January 27th, 2016 at 11:24 PM ^
January 28th, 2016 at 6:29 AM ^
January 28th, 2016 at 8:12 PM ^
Lost to Penn State. Basketball teams have bad games sometimes, no matter how good they are. It's just a fact of life, get over it.
January 27th, 2016 at 10:05 PM ^
Hmmm...maybe take some time off and chill?
January 27th, 2016 at 10:11 PM ^
So when a guy is not scoring, he should just pout and let the rest of his game fall apart? I must be an idiot. I thought when your shot wasn't falling, you were supposed to hit the glass and pass to open teammates. That's what Irvin did.
January 27th, 2016 at 10:34 PM ^
January 27th, 2016 at 11:22 PM ^
January 28th, 2016 at 9:21 AM ^
His game has rounded out nicely, except for...scoring. 8 points. Yes but he had 8 assists and 12 rebounds, yippee, I could care less. That doesn't make it okay that he only scored 8 points.
You've got to be messing with us.
January 27th, 2016 at 9:49 PM ^
January 28th, 2016 at 12:06 AM ^
didn't see this game, but I did see the Minnesota game. When you say that; I assume that you mean that Michigan played terrible defense from a fundamental standpoint of stopping the ball, staying on your man and not fouling. Is that the case?
January 28th, 2016 at 2:14 AM ^
January 27th, 2016 at 10:20 PM ^
January 27th, 2016 at 10:29 PM ^
Irvin's not playing to his potential? He's been the best player on our team since Caris went out.
January 27th, 2016 at 10:33 PM ^
January 27th, 2016 at 10:37 PM ^
January 27th, 2016 at 10:49 PM ^
Like what? He's shooting just under 50% from 3 since Caris got injured. He's running the offense, racking up assists and rebounds, getting to the rim, doing well guarding the other teams 4's. What more do you want?
January 28th, 2016 at 8:39 AM ^
...he needs to start scoring like 1989 Glen Rice, rebounding like 1970 Rudy Tomjanovich, and running the offense like 1988 Gary Grant.
January 27th, 2016 at 11:05 PM ^
Michigan played bad
Good thing Rutgers sucks at ball
Now we're six and two.
January 28th, 2016 at 7:54 AM ^
In spectacular fashion
M still won the game.
January 28th, 2016 at 9:07 AM ^
Stupid BTN
Deprived us of a replay
Of Rutgers brain fart
January 27th, 2016 at 11:09 PM ^
January 27th, 2016 at 11:22 PM ^
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