Iowa 93, Michigan 84
Well that sucked. Michigan Basketball is left to pick up the pieces after another late game sequence that wasn't sufficient to win after blowing a 77-70 lead with just two minutes remaining to the Iowa Hawkeyes tonight. Despite a strong effort from Jett Howard through much of the game, Michigan couldn't make enough shots late and got a number of unfavorable whistles, leading the game to be tied late, before a complete collapse in overtime. The team seemed overwhelmed by the Iowa City crowd in the late stages and couldn't finish off a win they seemed to have put away, losing 93-84.
The first half was the duel of Jett Howard and Kris Murray. Howard scored Michigan's first 11 points and just kept going, making his first five triples and driving Michigan's offense in the half-court. The whole team shot it well, but Jett was unconscious. He shot 8/11 from the floor, five of which from three, and led Michigan with 21 points. Hunter Dickinson was stellar as well, making all four field goals and as a team, Michigan shot over 50% from the field and from three. They scored 43 points, but were not crisp defensively, a true Iowa game.
The Hawkeyes shot both 42.9% from the floor and from three on the way to scoring 40 points in the first half, and their focal point was Kris Murray. He was not as efficient as Jett, but made six buckets of his own, three of which from three, for 15 points. The rest of the Iowa offense was something of an ensemble effort in the first half, but they rebounded 40% of their misses and were able to hang around with the Wolverines.
[Marc-Gregor Campredon]
The second half opened with Terrance Williams II and Kobe Bufkin knocking down a couple triples to boost Michigan's lead up to 7 points, before Iowa answered with a 9-1 run over three minutes of game time to grab the lead back. Michigan of course turned to Howard to get momentum back, swishing a three on the very next possession to give the Maize & Blue the lead back, and he followed it up with three more scores to put Michigan ahead 62-55 with 11:34 left. Will Tschetter chipped in his own three moments later and Michigan led by ten.
Iowa answered with its own 7-0 run, punctuated by a Murray three, which cut it to a one possession game with 9:27 left, but Dug McDaniel put an end to it with a floater. The game continued with a tight score line under four minutes remaining, with Michigan clinging to a 72-70 lead when McDaniel's heroism continued, hitting a pull up triple late in the shot clock. His fellow freshman Tarris Reed Jr., who played much of the game in a two big lineup with Hunter Dickinson, got a steal on the defensive end and Dickinson put-back a McDaniel miss to boost Michigan's lead to 77-70 with 2:18. Realistically, Michigan needed just one or two more buckets or stops to get it done at this juncture.
Which is when things went sideways. Michigan got their needed stop, but Jett Howard was cornered on the base line and turned it over. Iowa got it back and big man Filip Rebraca got a layup to trim the lead to 77-72. Michigan wound their next possession down and Kobe Bufkin drove along the offensive baseline, but turned it over as his foot stepped out of bounds. Iowa's Payton Sandfort, who was hot in the closing minutes of this game, knocked down a three to make it 77-75 and Michigan again opted to wind a possession down. Bufkin got Michigan the one basket they need, a pull-up jumper late in the shot clock which made it 79-75 with 29 seconds left. Iowa went up the floor and set up Sandfort for a shot from beyond the arc. Sandfort made it and the referees whistled Bufkin for a foul when there appeared to be minimal contact. Sandford made the free throw to complete the four point play and tie it at 79 with 20 seconds left. Michigan got one last crack on their final possession, a possession interrupted by Iowa using its fouls to give, but Dug McDaniel's shot at the horn was blocked and the game went to OT.
[Marc-Gregor Campredon]
Overtime was a lopsided affair. Michigan did not score in the first 3:20 of the extra session, allowing the Hawkeyes to score the first eight. Sandfort stayed hot, Murray turned it on even more, Michigan's offense was stuck in the muck with Howard cooling off, and the poor refereeing continued, with marginal fouls consistently going against the Wolverines while the raucous crowd intimidated the visitors and the officials. That's how it goes in college basketball in true games a lot of the time. By the time Michigan started going, it was much too late. OT never felt competitive and in the end, Iowa had a nine point win.
With the loss tonight, Michigan is now 3-2 in conference play and 9-7 on the season. They are back in action on Sunday at home against Northwestern. That game is at noon EST and will be broadcast on BTN. The box score is after the jump.
[Click the JUMP for the box score]
January 12th, 2023 at 10:25 PM ^
Does the NIT have a Sweet 16?
January 13th, 2023 at 8:44 AM ^
That 4-point play was exactly why I more or less quit following basketball years ago, when the crowd at the finals in 2001 was actually booing the refs for their chronic favoritism of Duke. The refs have too much effect on the outcome and are grossly inconsistent in their calls. And last night, once again, that call was an absolute abomination and likely decided a game.
January 12th, 2023 at 10:27 PM ^
Awful coaching 2H nuff said
January 12th, 2023 at 10:27 PM ^
Darn. No one's fond of losing these close ones but I keep seeing progress.
Partly it's guys playing better, partly it's knowing that some of this late-game shit will start returning to the mean AS guys learn to play better together.
Maybe I'm just a Pollyanna but it's what I see—or at least feel.
January 12th, 2023 at 10:27 PM ^
Juwan going through his Harbaugh 2019-20 villain arc right now.
This is the OT season from hell man. To think, just this last spring we had the best coaching duo in the country. Epic sad.
Silver lining or even more problematic is the B10 doesn’t seem very good at all this year.
January 13th, 2023 at 9:41 AM ^
Also known as the John Beilein 14-15 and 15-16 seasons. In 15 they didn't even make the cut for the NIT.
January 13th, 2023 at 11:49 AM ^
Man, how far we have come. People weren't happy back then, but nowhere near as disgruntled as they are now. If that isn't a testament to prolonged success, I'm not sure what is.
On a note that makes me feel better. Living in Lexington, KY and watching these people worship Kentucky basketball, watching them react to their Wildcats has been entertaining for sure.
January 12th, 2023 at 10:29 PM ^
m'aidez, m'aidez, m'aidez! we're going down. send rescue units. repeat, we are going down in flames.
January 12th, 2023 at 10:35 PM ^
The players don't look like they're enjoying this, and the fans certainly aren't. The whole product just isn't fun.
January 13th, 2023 at 12:44 PM ^
It sucked to lose that game, but it was definitely fun to watch, minus the last 90 seconds (and OT).
January 12th, 2023 at 10:38 PM ^
On the one hand it sucked to lose like this, on the other hand outside of the ASU game they've had a bunch of close losses and you do see them competing in these games. I don't read as much into OT as others; I know there are statistics showing a team heading to OT is as likely to win if they were leading or trailing before the final bucket, but this team definitely seemed off after that late collapse and then the various whistles didn't help.
Michigan didn't lose this game because of the refereeing but it was rough to watch in the end. But this team lacks the resilience, either by temperament or experience, to bounce back from bad calls like these. Feels like it's going to be another meh season and unlike last year they don't really have too many shots at marquee wins and they have a bad loss on top of it.
EDIT: If there's a positive the lack of blowouts point to a team that probably can pull a game or two out later. Last year when UM lost it was badly; they lost a bunch of games by double digits and looked uncompetitive in them. This feels like a team that is maybe 3-4 possessions away from being comfortably in the tournament. Obviously you have to make those plays and they haven't but if they can weather these types of games (both MSU and Iowa were extremely bearable on the road) there's a chance they can rebound and at least be in a fight for a tourney bid. That said, they have to make some changes in the staff next season because the issues we've seen this year and last aren't going away.
January 12th, 2023 at 11:00 PM ^
Yeah - it's January and I still don't know what to make of this team. They're not terrible - they certainly have talent. And we've seen Ellerbe, Amaker and early and/or injury-riddled Beilein teams, so we know what bad looks like. And this team isn't bad.
But they're certainly bad in close games. It sure seems like they could be 15-1 or...6-10 with losses to Eastern, Jackson State and Ohio. They should probably be somewhere in between and certainly better than 9-7. So, the record isn't totally indicative but I also don't know what it should be.
I have to say that the State game was extremely unlucky and they didn't catch any breaks or hit any shots. But the defense and rebounding were vastly improved. And the effort was there. I just hope they don't get disillusioned and they just keep fighting.
January 13th, 2023 at 9:01 AM ^
Yeah, they played with fire against those bad teams and it finally bit them. I do think they should be around 11-5/12-4 with a bit better luck in close games. That's not great but it means they get a win against Iowa, a win against CMU, and probably a win against that UK/UVa/UNC grouping. That's really 3-4 plays away.
January 12th, 2023 at 10:39 PM ^
Frankie leaving and Terrence not coming - that’s the difference between being dead in the water at 9-7 and totally OK at 12-4. (CMU, Iowa, and one of Kentucky/VA)
January 12th, 2023 at 10:58 PM ^
Absolutely. Honestly even just Shannon being in this team probably changes the trajectory. Dig is learning but having to run this offense is hard and having a second perimeter playmaker who can score going toward the basketball would be huge in games like this.
January 13th, 2023 at 12:19 PM ^
Even with this same exact roster, we could easily have a better record. We keep losing close games.
January 12th, 2023 at 10:40 PM ^
Really bad choke job, the Sandford threes were nearly the exact same play and there wasn't an adjustment. Very suspect foul call (he basically just fell down without contact and they called it) but there is no way they should have lost this game.
January 13th, 2023 at 2:07 AM ^
Yeah, it looked like in the last two minutes of regulation Iowa finally realized that Dickinson's man can screen for an off-the-ball shooter to set up easy, WIDE OPEN threes. Honestly I wonder why they didn't do that sooner. That was tough to watch, and there's not a lot Bufkin can do there.
January 12th, 2023 at 10:51 PM ^
Bizarre game in which a dude can score 34 points and have a +/- of -14.
January 13th, 2023 at 6:34 AM ^
I thought the same thing but then had to put some math to it. Up 77-70, the game finished 23-7 Iowa for a -16 right there.
January 12th, 2023 at 10:51 PM ^
Choke.
January 12th, 2023 at 10:52 PM ^
If Hunter is only going to be engaged 1 out of every 2 or 3 games, can he announce it beforehand so I'll know not to watch?
January 13th, 2023 at 2:16 AM ^
We are learning the dark side of NIL. He knows his professional future is Greece or Turkey. So he cashed in and lost his passion. It's good to know. At least our football players who NIL have NFL aspirations.
That said there are plenty of "NOT modern NBA centers" owning it in NCAA right now - they are NILing and not mailing it in. In fact a few NCAA teams are turning into "2 not NBA bigs" and doing well. NCAA is going to be the place for stumbling bumbling 6'10-7'0 12 feet and in range to live their life out as they have no place in NBA.
Hunter don't care. He is turning unlikable.
January 13th, 2023 at 12:48 PM ^
Seriously he went 5 for 6 with 12 points! Why is he not shooting at least 12 times a game? It might be time for him to warm the bench, maybe that will motivate him. He’s become a somewhat miserable person to watch.
January 13th, 2023 at 7:59 AM ^
I'll admit to cultural concerns with the DMW crew minus Dug (who seems engaged).
January 12th, 2023 at 10:53 PM ^
I know it's harder for a big to do since he's not a primary ball handler, but Dickinson's inability to settle the team down and lead them back to safety when things start crumbling is so very disappointing. This team is just too bloody young this year.
January 13th, 2023 at 12:50 PM ^
He’s like the M basketball equivalent of CJ stroud. Very talented, he’s great when things are going well, but struggles to lead and crumbles under pressure.
January 13th, 2023 at 4:21 PM ^
Hunter was great the past 2 tournaments, except the final games. So the team goes as he goes. He's the focal point at Center & what Coach Howard has built around. Saying he crumbles under pressure is ridiculous. The reality is he's so physically limited that his highest upside comes when he's got good players around him, and when the team plays to his strengths. This year's team just hasn't seemed to gel yet as a whole, and we see that in how Hunter has played.
Also, I'll say he's not made any physical improvements like we saw with Luka @ Iowa over 4 years. It's fair to be critical of Hunter's off-season conditioning/strength training over the course of his career. But he's already severely limited in alot of categories. Just seems like he's regressed with his aggressiveness this season. Way fewer drop-step dunks to be specific.
January 13th, 2023 at 6:27 PM ^
Look at the box score. I mean, thanks to Jett the team did well offensively, especially from 3. On the other hand: McDaniel had 15 shots, Dickinson just 6. Seems like there is a problem with the offensive flow. McDaniel doesn't yet deserve that kind of offensive attention and Dickinson surely does. Makes no sense!
January 12th, 2023 at 10:55 PM ^
This team is improving, but they are incredibly frustrating too. Too many roster issues in the off season just didn't go Michigan's way.
January 12th, 2023 at 10:58 PM ^
What really sucks is that this was thisclose to being a milestone type of game, where we kept answering each Iowa run to stave them off for a key road win. The freshmen (Jett, Dug, Reed) made huge plays for much of the game. Kobe drained a clutch jumper that should have sealed it. One 4-point play wiped all that away, and then you knew it was over in OT.
We do have the same record as last year at this time (9-7), but we'd better stop letting these games slip through our hands.
January 12th, 2023 at 11:12 PM ^
It’s mind-boggling how many times with a lead late on several games this year that the game plan becomes hold the ball until 8 seconds on the shot clock and then rush to fire up a crappy shot
January 13th, 2023 at 12:48 PM ^
That's the most frustrating thing for me. Opposing coaches can so easily prep for that sort of "play" because we never even try to get Dickinson a touch in those situations, or even drive and kick out.
January 12th, 2023 at 11:16 PM ^
Jett 1 rebound no assists. Great shooting but horrible body language.
The one good thing Juwan did was limit Williams’ minutes significantly. Inexplicably Cheddar gets 11 mins but is 3-3 from 3 and did get some run in second half.
I must confess I liked the two bigs in at same time. But they should be high / low or both on the block, not on wings, maybe a 3 out 2 in set.
Hunter not getting better is on both him and the staff. He’s been the same player since his freshman year.
A wise coach once said, “What you see is what you coach”
What we are seeing isn’t good
January 13th, 2023 at 12:47 AM ^
Dickenson is awful. He cost us the game.
January 13th, 2023 at 12:48 AM ^
2nd chance points for Iowa killed us.
Kris Murray their best player was ranked 333 coming out of high school.
January 13th, 2023 at 2:13 AM ^
NIT is a great tourney.
January 13th, 2023 at 3:30 AM ^
Hate to say it, but this recap is about as lifeless as Michigan was during OT. This game was super important for saving the season and was a heart attack sandwich of a game until the very end.
Sorry Alex, this just seemed super dry, especially for such an exciting and heart breaking game. Was hoping for some comfort, catharsis, maybe humor or even just a cat picture. I miss Brian/Ace/Seth recaps :(
January 13th, 2023 at 6:25 AM ^
The team is tough to watch right now. Brutal.
January 13th, 2023 at 9:08 AM ^
Agreed. When we sat down in front of the TV, the MGoGirlfriend said that the Michigan game was on, and did I want to watch? I replied that I wasn't in the mood to watch them shit the bed. She scolded me for my negativity, and she's often right, so we watched.
Unfortunately, this time I was right. Next time, I think I'll follow my instincts.
January 13th, 2023 at 12:10 PM ^
The ending was brutal, but for about 39 minutes, that was a really entertaining game, with great shooting by both sides.
January 13th, 2023 at 7:42 AM ^
Getting really late early. Needed that road split this week. Afraid this is coming down to BTT or bust with bust having a big lead.
January 13th, 2023 at 8:17 AM ^
You don't roll out the two Center lineup for the first time on the road at Iowa. You especially don't roll it out for extended minutes late in the 2nd half. Juwan's substitutions cost us this game.
Tschetter should have had half of Twill's minutes and half of Reed's minutes and we more than likely win this game comfortably. Juwan is sticking with Twill way too long. He brought absolutely nothing last night.
How these coaches can sit around and gameplan during the week and think "Yes, Hunter and Reed on the floor against a streaky perimeter offensive oriented team in Iowa is our best chance to win." Is beyond me. That's as bad as it gets.
(This is not a knock on Reed, that kid played his ass off last night.)
January 13th, 2023 at 10:39 AM ^
I've been begging for "Cheddar". Watch him play, he hustles, is passionate, can shoot and is a big human being. He provides EVERYTHING that TWill doesn't. A guy like him is always what a winning team has....Please Juwan play him more!
January 13th, 2023 at 11:51 AM ^
The lack of player personnel awareness by Juwan, especially in-game, is officially a concern.
I am very much on the “Juwan is a good coach” bandwagon. At the same time, it’s pretty apparent this is an aspect of his job that is not improving and in fact getting worse.
January 13th, 2023 at 1:33 PM ^
Nobody was guarding Murray until Reed was given the task. He was our best defender against their best player, hands down. I was thoroughly impressed that a first year big was that impressive defensively against a veteran wing.
I can question how wise it was to have both Reed and Dickinson on the floor for large stretches from an offensive perspective. Reed is still pretty raw on that end. One of the forgotten huge plays in the last few minutes of that game was when Dickinson dropped a nice pass to Reed for a wide open dunk (hmmmm...maybe the two bigs scheme worked great in that instance to produce an easy look?). Reed just couldn't gather it (yeah, the pass was high, but still very catchable). Iowa then goes down and quickly drains a 3. That 5 point swing was as costly as any other play in the final 5 minutes.
January 13th, 2023 at 8:24 AM ^
"Well that sucked" says it all. It was just a complete collapse in the last two minutes of regulation and during the entire overtime. A lot of mental errors like Jett not knowing that there was an inbound with five seconds left on shot clock and the ball being passed (by Bufkin I think) to Tarris Reed away from the basket with only a couple of seconds left on the shot clock. The inbounds in the final seconds of regulation also seemed poorly planned.
You could feel it was over before overtime started. I was shocked how over it was.
January 13th, 2023 at 9:08 AM ^
More playing time for Cheddar asap.
January 13th, 2023 at 9:15 AM ^
Iowa did an excellent job of turning HD into a passer rather than a scorer,6 fga"s
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