Michigan 71, Purdue 63
If this is Michigan rounding into final form, we're in for a very fun close to the season.
With Isaiah Livers back on the floor, the Wolverines went into Mackey Arena, where Purdue shoots like a peak Golden State team, and bodyslammed a desperate team to the mat before sitting on their flailing opponent for the second half. The Boilermakers shot 52% on two-pointers and 40% on three-pointers at home heading into today; before going 6-for-7 in desperation foul time, they went 15-for-40 (38%) on twos, and they hit only 4-of-16 threes on the game. This gave Michigan a season sweep of Purdue and their first win at Mackey since Glenn Robinson III's buzzer-beater in 2014.
Nowhere was the game more different from the initial matchup than in the middle. When Michigan needed double overtime to edge Purdue at Crisler, Trevion Williams popped off for a career-high 36 points on 15-for-28 shooting, and Juwan Howard left Jon Teske out on the floor for 39 minutes. Today, Williams needed three last-minute freebies to get to 8-for-21 from the field, scoring six of his team-high 18 when Michigan was happy to let him score.
Jon Teske had a huge turnaround from the first matchup [Campredon]
A step up in post defense from Jon Teske and Michigan's newfound depth were huge issues for Williams and center platoon partner Matt Haarms. In the first half, Howard mostly matched Teske with Haarms while pitting the physical Austin Davis against Williams to great effect. No matter the matchup in the second, it went well for the Wolverines. Haarms didn't score until well into the second half, finishing with four points and three turnovers.
A 6-for-25 mark from beyond the arc masked how well Michigan played on offense. The passing in this game was as good as I've ever seen it. The Wolverines had 17 assists on 25 field goals and turned the ball over three times, only one on a bad pass (the other two were travels). While Zavier Simpson led the team with six assists, he was far from the only player dishing out dimes; Teske had four dimes while Franz Wagner and David DeJulius had three each.
Wagner looked like the player we expected him to be next year. In addition to playmaking out of the pick-and-roll, he put up a career-high 22 points, going 6-for-8 from inside the arc and 3-for-5 beyond it, and added five rebounds and two steals. Livers, in his return from an ankle injury, made his presence felt all over the court and sunk all eight of his free throws to get to 19 points and seal the game late.
remembering that post-GRIII feel [Campredon]
Everyone who saw the court made winning plays. Teske and Davis were more physical than their counterparts. While Simpson didn't make a shot from the field, he got Wagner going, assisting all of his three-pointers. Livers attacked closeouts to break down the Purdue defense and played great defense, recording two blocks and a steal. Brandon Johns drove through an unsettled defense for an impressive lay-in. Eli Brooks dropped a pass between two defenders to hit Teske on a short roll for an open jumper. David DeJulius snuck into the paint to tip in a late Teske miss.
Suddenly, a team that looked razor-thin at times could dictate lineups and the run of play with their depth. DeJulius stepped into Brooks's role without missing a beat when the latter knocked heads with Nojel Eastern, leading to a bloodied face that knocked Brooks out of the game. Johns returned to the bench with Livers in the lineup and played 11 energetic minutes. Colin Castleton, the hero of the Rutgers game, wasn't even needed.
With their fifth straight victory and seventh in the last eight games, Michigan now stands at 18-9 overall and 9-7 in the Big Ten. That ties them with Rutgers for seventh in the conference and puts the Wolverines within a game of the top four and a coveted double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament. While the closing stretch may be tough, nobody wants to face this Michigan team.
[Hit THE JUMP for the box score.]
February 22nd, 2020 at 6:30 PM ^
One could argue a free throw is the most fundamental part of a basketball game. Putting the ball, through the hoop, from a medium distance away. If you can't do it, sorry. But its a way to keep hope alive...by making the most basic shot in the sport.
February 22nd, 2020 at 6:43 PM ^
No other sport eliminates all offense at the end of the game for one team while the other team gets to do whatever they want
The Elam ending actually makes sense since it values points instead of time. The point of fouling at the end of the game is to extend the amount of possessions you get on offense while reducing the amount of time the other team gets to have the ball. You can be winning by 3, make all your free throws, and you'll still be going to OT if the other team makes all their threes. It's unfair that the end of the game dictates that the winning team is only allowed to score 2 points at most in their possession (which they aren't allowed to control the length of) while the losing team can score a maximum of 3 from one shot and gets to dictate the pace and length of each possession for the rest of the game. It's a huge advantage and a gimmicky comeback mechanic
February 22nd, 2020 at 7:14 PM ^
Edit: wrote this before reading up on the Elam rule. It's interesting and not half bad.
Gimmicky?! I don't necessarily love it but it's part of the game. Make your shots, defend the other team's shots. There's many fine lines in this sport between being "good" and "bad". A few blown calls + a few missed shots could equate to the other team getting 9 pts to your 0, all in a matter of moments. That's tough to come back from. One spurt could somewhat put you out of the game. The way the endings of games goes allows a team to get back in the game and a gives them a chance.
Ends of games without this would be quite boring. 8-10 point lead with a few minutes to go? Might as well pack your bags and get going, that game is likely over.
February 23rd, 2020 at 12:33 PM ^
I think the Elam ending gives the team from behind an even better chance to come back through the normal play of the game. The offense has to score points, not just run out the clock. The trailing team can play defense and force turnovers to go on a run to come back, not just foul and hope. It's more likely to go on a game ending 10 point run under Elam than come back by 6 in the current system.
February 22nd, 2020 at 8:48 PM ^
The team that's ahead is allowed to foul too. It's certainly a common strategy when up 3 very late. I don't think unfair is the right way to describe late game situations. We're just seeing more divergence of the optimal strategies for teams depending on the score differential. Not just fouling. It makes more sense for a team with a decent lead to milk the shot clock. Maybe if they ran their usual offense we'd see less fouling at the end.
In any case, the team with the lead late usually wins. That's how it should be. If they can't defend 3s, hit free throws or inbound the ball under pressure, they might blow their lead. Seems fair to me.
February 22nd, 2020 at 6:58 PM ^
Yeah, brutally slow endgame to this one. Reminded me of how it used to be 30 years ago before they put in the double bonus rule and so many games ground to a crawl at the end.
February 22nd, 2020 at 6:11 PM ^
It's glaringly obvious Wagner has the highest ceiling of any player on UM's team. I see a young Larry Bird-like potential every time he touches the ball. Wagner's a good player this season. Next season, he will be a nightmare to opposing teams. #GoBlue
February 22nd, 2020 at 6:12 PM ^
Great road win today! I think they finish 3-1 and finish in the top 4 of the conference. Just don’t get into a free throw contest with WI and we beat them easily. OSU will be tough on the road, but we’ve got some momentum, confidence, and DEPTH. Go Blue!
February 22nd, 2020 at 6:29 PM ^
I've struggled to find a scenario where 12-8 gives Michigan a top 4 seed in the BTT without some unexpected results in other games. Definitely can get them a tie for 4th place, but I think they need to win out to get a top 4 seed.
February 22nd, 2020 at 6:35 PM ^
you are probably right. Im just banking on expect the unexpected like the way this whole conference has gone this season.
February 22nd, 2020 at 9:52 PM ^
Yeah I think 2nd place will be 14-6 and 4th will be 12-8 but Michigan won’t be 4th due to tiebreakers.
February 25th, 2020 at 12:08 AM ^
Pretty much the only thing you can count on is that "unexpected" results will happen in some games.
February 22nd, 2020 at 6:20 PM ^
Livers is back, and Michigan is also in a part of the schedule that, if not easy, is not as difficult as the stretch they endured when they were losing games. Someone (might've been Brian, might've been umhoops, might've been someone on the board, I forget) mentioned at the time that Michigan could get Livers back just as the schedule got incrementally easier, win a bunch of games, and look better despite not improving much.
Well, Livers is back, and they do look good. Really good at times. Still some weaknesses here and there, but it sure does feel good watching them play with a fully loaded roster, and even winning some road games at a time when that's not at all easy.
Michigan getting things together as they approach the B1G tournament? Some coaches are tugging nervously at their collars right now.
February 22nd, 2020 at 6:58 PM ^
I thought we dominated Purdue. This game was never in doubt.
Livers was only about 80%. He needs to rest up now for the stretch.
February 22nd, 2020 at 7:04 PM ^
Any news yet on Eli?
February 22nd, 2020 at 7:24 PM ^
I just read Coach Howard says he doesn't think it's too bad. Eli wanted to go back in the game but Coach held him out.
February 22nd, 2020 at 8:28 PM ^
I was wondering broken nose and imagining Rip Hamilton facemask for him.
February 22nd, 2020 at 7:12 PM ^
Thanks to John Beilein, and now coaches Howard, Martelli, Washington, and Eisley, and Jon Sanderson. MIchigan's restoration as a strong basketball school lives on.
February 22nd, 2020 at 7:43 PM ^
Because of today?
February 22nd, 2020 at 7:24 PM ^
I take umbrage with you using dimes and assists interchangeably. Dimes are a special subset of assists and not the same thing.
February 22nd, 2020 at 7:34 PM ^
I don't mean to pile on. Painter's a good guy and a good coach.
However, this is a tough month to be a Boilermaker, and not just because of the team's losing streak.
Three weeks ago, the New York Times obituary of Stephen Joyce, grandson of the famous writer James Joyce, mentioned that Stephen rejected a request to use the Joyce archives by "one author whose work was being published by Purdue University because he deemed the nickname of Purdue’s sports teams, the Boilermakers, to be vulgar."
February 22nd, 2020 at 7:45 PM ^
This is for real?! If so, yeesh
February 22nd, 2020 at 8:30 PM ^
Just about every month is tough to be a Boilermaker. Seems to me.
February 22nd, 2020 at 7:54 PM ^
Did anyone else hear the news? Robbie Hummel just got inducted into the freakin' Purdue Athletic Hall of Fame.
February 22nd, 2020 at 8:31 PM ^
Good for him. I like him on BTN.
February 22nd, 2020 at 9:31 PM ^
Does he still work for BTN or did ESPN poach him?
February 22nd, 2020 at 9:32 PM ^
Is Haarms another example of tall person being forced to play basketball? Or does Michigan just have his number? Seems like he has a terrible game every time we play Purdue.
February 23rd, 2020 at 1:43 AM ^
he has had a terrible year overall. some PU fans think he is injured
February 23rd, 2020 at 3:28 PM ^
Yeah but even going back to last year. I have this perception that he gets a lot of hype but he’s not living up to it. Is he expected to be drafted?
February 22nd, 2020 at 9:34 PM ^
This year is reminding me of the Belein teams that finished in the middle of the Big 10 during the regular season and then went on to win the Big 10 tournament. I think that is quite possible this year.
February 22nd, 2020 at 10:02 PM ^
We could do some serious damage when Zavier makes some buckets and Eli gets hot. I was really concerned with the rebounding at the beginning of the game, but our defense made up for the relative lack of boards.
February 22nd, 2020 at 11:17 PM ^
Weird that PU ended with higher shooting %, 3 % and FT %, especially after the 1H stats.
February 23rd, 2020 at 12:14 AM ^
The W/L cadence of this Michigan team under Juwan Howard is strikingly similar to how it was under Beilein. Start the year strong, falter in late December through late January, then pull it all together and ball out the rest of the season. I love the late season surges.
Seems like we are nowhere near our peak either. Lots of points left on the court with wide open misses. We could've won this game by 20 or more. I feel like we are going to start knocking down more and more of those open looks
Wagner has looked like a freshman in many games but that dude is really starting to assert himself. Livers is playing at a high level despite missing many games. Defensive intensity is picking up. Opposing big men are being held in check much better down low. IDK man, this team has the feels of something really special. Ace is right, Michigan is not a team you want to play in the tournament, B1G or NCAA.
February 23rd, 2020 at 3:27 AM ^
5) The Wolverines are also ready for battle (247 sports)
With its win over the Boilermakers, Michigan now has seven Quadrant-1 wins, tied for the eighth-most in the country. Perhaps more telling, the Wolverines are now 5-4 in what are called Quadrant-1A games. These games, signified on the NCAA Team Sheets, are against top-15 opponents at home, top-25 neutral-site opponents and top-40 road games.
Michigan’s five such wins trail only No. 3 Kansas (who has seven) and No. 1 Baylor (who has six) for the most in the country. In fact, as of 7 p.m. Saturday, only 10 teams in the country had more than three such wins.
So whether you want to use numbers or just go off of what you see, it’s clear that Michigan has found a groove, and firmly believes it can hang with any team in the country now.
February 23rd, 2020 at 10:55 AM ^
This coaching staff is doing a hell of a job. I hope Juwan can keep them together for at least one more year.
February 23rd, 2020 at 1:22 PM ^
Great to have Franz perform so well offensively on the road! I hope that we can keep this up and win out. OSU and Maryland we are coming for you!
February 24th, 2020 at 9:57 AM ^
Michigan winning on the road in the B1G seemed impossible at times this year. Then we hand Rutgers their first loss at the RAC this year, and beat Purdue on their home floor for the first time in 6 years...
Just awesome!!
Comments