2015-16 nebraska

Game ... blouses

Derrick Walton capped the victory in appropriate fashion, drilling a long three as the shot clock expired on Michigan's final possession.

After a poor shooting night nearly cost the Wolverines what should've been an easy win over Minnesota, a 10/21 performance from beyond the arc keyed a hard-fought road triumph over a hot Nebraska squad. In a game of runs, Michigan's significant advantage in outside shooting—especially to open each half—ultimately made the difference, even when they tried to hand that edge right back with ill-advised turnovers.

Walton had arguably his best game of the season running the offense with Caris LeVert still sidelined, posting a 19-12-6 line and making 4/6 three-pointers. His ability to dart into the lane and work off the high screen opened up opportunities for Michigan's two other leading scorers on the day; Mark Donnal (14 points, 4/8 FG) benefited when Walton looked to the paint, while Duncan Robinson (21, 6/12) found more room than usual on the perimeter, especially in transition.

Walton had a hand in eight of Michigan's first 12 points as they ran out to an early eight-point lead, then the Huskers clawed their way back, taking advantage of a defensive lapse by Walton to cut the halftime lead to three with a buzzer-beating triple by Glynn Watson. The second half played out in much the same fashion; M quickly pushed the lead up to 18 points, but turnovers and shoddy zone defense allowed Nebraska to get as close as two points with 3:11 left.

This time, however, Michigan closed the half strong. Walton knocked down a pair of free throws, then Muhammad-Ali Adbur-Rahkman found Robinson on a backcut with a beautiful no-look pass for an authoritative finish to get the lead back to six. Shavon Shields, who was hounded into a 4/11 shooting night by Zak Irvin, responded with a layup, but Michigan made a comeback impossible by subsequently knocking down eight straight free throws.

It certainly wasn't a pretty win. Michigan coughed up the rock 14 times, including several skip passes that didn't have a prayer of reaching their intended target; on the other end, the non-Irvin defenders had trouble keeping Nebraska's drivers in front of them, even while mostly playing zone. Road wins should never be discounted, however, and by the power of the three, Michigan emerged victorious in a difficult place to play.

THE ESSENTIALS

Right: The last time these two teams met, Andrew Dakich was all smiles. [Bryan Fuller/MGoBlog]

THE US

LeVertWatch continues. John Beilein said today that he's "doubtful" for tomorrow's game. While Beilein still won't reveal the specific nature of the injury, he said it wasn't related to the stress fracture that cost LeVert most of 2014-15 (it's "just an injury"), and he still expects him to be back this year. I have no idea how comforting that is supposed to be, but with Rutgers next on the docket, I'd be surprised if we see LeVert on the court for another week at the earliest.

THE LINEUP CARD

Projected starters are in bold. Hover over headers for stat explanations. The "Should I Be Mad If He Hits A Three" methodology: we're mad if a guy who's not good at shooting somehow hits one. Yes, you're still allowed to be unhappy if a proven shooter is left open. It's a free country.

Pos.	#	Name	Yr.	Ht./Wt.	%Min	%Poss	SIBMIHHAT
G	32	Benny Parker	Sr.	5'9, 175	63	12	No
Short, low-usage, decent outside shooter, mediocre assist:turnover ratio.
G	5	Glynn Watson Jr.	Fr.	6'0, 160	55	22	Kinda
Iffy shooter, team's most efficient distrubutor, top-100 steal rate.
F	3	Andrew White III	Jr.	6'7, 216	70	24	No
Impressive 61/43/79 shooting splits on high usage. Good def. rebounder.
F	31	Shavon Shields	Sr.	6'7, 225	76	28	Kinda
Dominates ball, excellent mid-range shooter, decent finisher.
F	12	Michael Jacobson	Fr.	6'8, 222	38	15	Very
Solid offensive rebounder, decent shot-blocker, finishing needs work.
G	0	Tai Webster	Jr.	6'4, 196	66	20	No
51/41/77 shooting splits. Turnover-prone but much-improved.
F	10	Jack McVeigh	Fr.	6'8, 210	42	17	No
Just A Shooter™ type making 35% of his threes.
F	30	Ed Morrow	Fr.	6'7, 225	35	16	Very
Undersized post shooting 62% but high turnover rate ruining efficiency.

[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the preview.]