2020-21 northwestern #1
hoops game recaps
franz wagner
franz wagner defensive gumby man
franz wagner is tall caris
franz wagner is skinny mitch
hunter dickinson
hunter dickinson is 7'2 mcgary
hunter dickinson outside shot possibility
isaiah livers
chaundee brown
eli brooks
eli brooks is dunkzilla
eli brooks is threeli brooks
Dickinson didn't need to score to wreck NU's defense. He scored anyway. [Marc-Gregor Campredon]

Michigan 85, Northwestern 66 Comment Count

Ace January 3rd, 2021 at 10:52 PM

14-10-5-2-5.

That's not a software key code or the combination to my bike lock. It's tonight's stat line for Franz Wagner: 14 points (on 12 shooting possessions), ten rebounds, five assists, two steals, and five blocks. He did all that in only 29 minutes, not because of foul trouble, but because Michigan (9-0, 4-0 Big Ten) beat the hell out of a Northwestern (6-3, 3-2) team that posed some seemingly difficult strategic problems for the Wolverines to solve.

The 85-66 final score doesn't reflect the beating. Michigan was up 14 at halftime and spent most of the second half with their lead in the mid-to-high 20s; the margin was 28 when they emptied the bench at the under-4 media timeout.

The game looked competitive for about five minutes. Juwan Howard solved the puzzle of how to defend stretch five Pete Nance with the bigger, slower Hunter Dickinson by not guarding Nance with Dickinson at all, instead using Wagner and Isaiah Livers to guard the central hub of Northwestern's five-out offense while sticking Dickinson on more limited power forward Robbie Beran. Nance scored eight quick points and Beran added another bucket after blowing by Dickinson off the dribble. Michigan, meanwhile, couldn't stop passing the ball out of bounds.


survey and destroy [Campredon]

It all clicked in a hurry. The WIldcats sent a hard double-team at Dickinson, whose signature pinpoint skip pass began a lovely passing sequence capped by a Wagner three-pointer. Michigan ripped off a 10-2 run over the next 2:40. After missing their first three attempts from beyond the arc, the Wolverines rained in nine of their next 14 to finish the half as Dickinson bent the defense out of shape with his behemoth presence and skillful passing.

Eli Brooks drilled three of four from downtown in the first half; Wagner and Chaundee Brown each added a pair on their way to ten first-half points. Brown was coming off a scoreless 21-minute outing at Maryland. Dickinson only had four points and (somehow) zero assists at the break but the ball always found the open man created by the extra attention directed the center's way; M tallied 12 assists on 17 first-half field goals.

Nance, meanwhile, scored two points after his initial outburst—not just in the half, but for the rest of the game. Howard stuck to the plan to great effect as Michigan's combination of length and athleticism shut seemingly every option down. NU's leading scorer, Miller Kopp, needed 14 shots to score 13 points—four of them after M was up 29 late—as he was hounded by Wagner and Livers. Wagner even blocked one of Kopp's pull-up jumpers. Boo Buie, one of four Wildcats to average double figures, did not score all night.


THUNDER ELI [Campredon]

The onslaught continued in the second half with Dickinson looking for his own shot more often. He finished with 19 points on 14 shooting possessions in 27 minutes; he went 6/8 for 15 points in only ten second-half minutes. The rest of the team could mostly focus on entry passes and off-ball cuts; Brooks finished off one of the latter with a massive dunk for the second straight game, sending the bench into hysterics. The starters would return the bench mob favor later when Jace Howard scored his first career basket on a tough and-one finish.

Northwestern's night can be summed up in two sequences. Beran, who fouled out with a team-high 14 points, had stared down a pursuing Livers after a fast break dunk early in the second half; when Livers got isolated on Beran later on, he cleared out his side of the court, gave Beran a few hard backdown dribbles, and then faded away for a shot that hit nothing but net. Not long thereafter, Buie drove to the rim and attempted to finish over a walled-up Brandon Johns, yelling "and-one" on the release; the ball missed everything, no foul call came, and Johns hit a three on the other end.

Even if NU is a paper wildcat, Michigan played like a powerhouse tonight. Their standing as one of four remaining unbeaten teams in the country looks more impressive with passing day as the rest of the Big Ten tears each other to pieces. Dickinson looks like an All-American; Wagner is starting to play on at least an all-conference level. This is a top-ten team until further notice.

[Hit THE JUMP for more pictures and the box score.]

Click here for MG's full photo album.

Comments

njvictor

January 3rd, 2021 at 10:58 PM ^

I'm trying to find something negative about this game, but it's pretty hard. A slow start, few missed early missed layups, and Livers being kinda absent in that first half is basically the extent of my gripes. 

Also special s/o to Juwan for doing a great job of scheming the defense against the 5-out. They seemed like they were having trouble even getting into their offense

Joined: 07/20/2017

MGoPoints: 65202

WolverineHistorian

January 3rd, 2021 at 11:42 PM ^

Basically the first two minutes of the game: 3 turnovers, no field goals and everybody looking completely lost as Northwestern went up 6-0.  There was a time in the second half where they were sloppy for about five minutes but who cares when you're up 27 at that point?  

Games like this, where the team far exceeds what you expect to happen are the best.  

And games where you start off horrible and your team says, "enough."  And then dominates.  Kind of like the 78-0 win over Rutgers in FB which started with three straight 3 & outs on offense.  

Go Blue!  Beat Minnesota!  

Joined: 08/10/2009

MGoPoints: 55466

oriental andrew

January 4th, 2021 at 9:27 AM ^

The only negative thing about this game is that maybe northwestern isn't as good as their ranking. The next 4 games (vs 21 Minnesota, vs PSU, @ 6 Wiscy, @ 21 Minny) will be a test and will get this team ready for the February/March gauntlet (@NW, vs msu, vs Illinois, @Wiscy, vs Rutgers, @osu, @IU, vs Iowa, @msu). Every one of those teams is currently* ranked except for IU. 

 

*Currently as of 9:24 AM ET on Mon Jan 4. I fully expect to see Northwestern and msu drop out after the weeks they've had. And Rutgers will probably slide to the bottom of the top 25. 

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 56189

A Lot of Milk

January 3rd, 2021 at 11:07 PM ^

I'm a simple man, I don't ask for much. All I want in life is to see Juwan and Dickinson stuff Izzo in a dumpster when they play in Ann Arbor and then put all of Foster Loyer's belongings on a shelf that's too high for him to reach when they play in East Lansing

Is that too much to ask? 

Joined: 02/17/2013

MGoPoints: 48618

San Diego Mick

January 3rd, 2021 at 11:08 PM ^

Agreed, this is a top 10 caliber team and definitely final four material if things go right.

I love watching this team, they play unselfishly and a beautiful brand of basketball!

Go Blue!

Joined: 05/11/2011

MGoPoints: 50691

Champeen

January 4th, 2021 at 8:15 AM ^

Spot on.  I was going to post yesterday that i thought it was his worst game as a wolverine.  But i read the box score first.  I was like, what the hell?  He dominated?!?!?!

Very strange.  Of course i refrained from posting that, but yeah it sure 'felt' like he did not have a great game.

Joined: 04/07/2011

MGoPoints: 14970

oriental andrew

January 4th, 2021 at 9:30 AM ^

In the postgame, Ben Brust was talking about how quiet of a game Dickinson seemed to have had. You look at the box score and the first half definitely bears that out with just 4 points. He came alive in the 2nd half, but then again, the entire team was dominating NW so it was easier to get his production lost in the shuffle of Eli Brooks and Chaundee Brown thunderdunks, all those threes, and the general inability of Northwestern to do anything on their end of the court. 

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 56189

GoBlueZ06

January 3rd, 2021 at 11:47 PM ^

Just an outstanding effort!  This is such a fun team to watch, I can't even decide what my favorite on the floor are at this point!  Regarding tonight, what a great response to defend NW and Franz taking off these past few games gives an even clearer indication of just how good this squad can be, bring on the Gophers, GO BLUE!

Joined: 10/31/2020

MGoPoints: 1954

champswest

January 3rd, 2021 at 11:58 PM ^

This team could become pretty good. They can defend, rebound, score from outside and from inside and attack the rim. They play hard, play unselfishly and seem to have a lot of fun.

Just keep getting better and let all the rest of us enjoy the ride.

Joined: 10/04/2009

MGoPoints: 25921

SHub'68

January 4th, 2021 at 12:10 AM ^

I want to jump in on this team but have held myself back pending tougher competition; however, they keep answering the challenge. Right now, the eye test says they're good, probably top ten. Next up is Minnesota. If they thump the Gophers, I'm buying top ten.

There is room to improve and it's encouraging - Livers is quiet a lot and Wagner has more in him offensively. There are periods of sloppiness with the ball, closeouts on three-point shooters could be better, and they sometimes have spells where they lose said shooters. Also, what happens if a guy like Garza gets Dickinson into early foul trouble? The offense needs Dickinson in the game to operate at it's highest level, and what's behind him right now isn't comfort-inducing.

Most of this should work itself out the more they play. I like how this is going.

Joined: 09/29/2010

MGoPoints: 6663

My Name is LEGIONS

January 4th, 2021 at 12:28 AM ^

Wagner made a jump in his game.  I saw it early in game.  I think he reached another development milestone.   Dickinson is a star but i wonder who of the two will be the best player going forward. But Dickinson is the most valuable.  My gosh, how does Chet not see this...  

I'm gonna gloat and say i said I preferred Divkinson to Kessler and appears I was right.  Let's hope he stays at least two years, because we need to get his replacement soon.  

Joined: 10/29/2014

MGoPoints: 4872

SFBlue

January 4th, 2021 at 2:24 AM ^

Terrance Williams gave them solid minutes. The flaws on this team, such that they are, are on the defensive end. TW helps as a viable frontcourt option. But the Toughest matchups for Blue lay ahead in Iowa and Illinois 

Joined: 11/02/2009

MGoPoints: 15699

bronxblue

January 4th, 2021 at 9:48 AM ^

Obviously all the superlatives we've already said apply, but what really jumps out is how flexible this team is personnel-wise.  They can go big, they can go small, they have flexibility up and down the lineup to switch defenders based on matchups.  They can shoot at the rim, they can hit from outside, everything.  Last year's team was good but if Simpson wasn't going toward the rim they struggled to generate much movement toward the hoop; now they've got a couple of guys who can attack but Dickinson can also pull defenders inside and then deftly pass to the open man.  They still have holes (like every team save seemingly Gonzaga), but this feels like the best Beilein teams it feels like a team that can beat you in a firefight but also slug through a low-scoring affair.  It's really just a blast to watch.

Joined: 11/22/2008

MGoPoints: 171787