Michigan 68, Rutgers 64
Well that's a new one. pic.twitter.com/sudwY5dEl6
— Due# (@JDue51) February 23, 2017
Let's review the keys to the game:
Win the game. A bubble team playing Rutgers has but one goal.
Mission accomplished, at least.
Whether due to the soporific venue, their fourth game in 11 days, the proximity to Rutgers basketball players, or simple bad luck, Michigan couldn't get their shooting going all evening. Only Zak Irvin managed to hit 50% from the field among the starters, and the Wolverines went only 10-for-31 from beyond the arc. Free throw shooting was an issue down the stretch for the second straight game.
Other than Rutgers also shooting poorly, this game didn't follow the script. Michigan outrebounded the Scarlet Knights, which entered the game as the Big Ten's best offensive rebounding team. Rutgers outscored the Wolverines 15-7 off turnovers. Irvin was Michigan's most reliable scorer. Derrick Walton struggled with his shot.
The final Rutgers possession was sufficiently Rutgers—an airballed three, a missed putback, and a Michigan rebound—for the Wolverines to survive. It's a conference road win, so the ugly nature of this game won't hurt Michigan in the eyes of the tournament committee. The Wolverines will get one last chance at a statement win on Saturday in the home finale against Purdue. Let's hope their shots are a little more homed in at the friendly confines of Crisler.
February 22nd, 2017 at 8:47 PM ^
thanks Delaney
February 22nd, 2017 at 8:51 PM ^
great post.
February 22nd, 2017 at 8:47 PM ^
I was told there would be Muppets for winning rivalry games...
February 22nd, 2017 at 9:27 PM ^
....only if we beat the KenPom spread.
February 22nd, 2017 at 9:54 PM ^
A road win deserves at least B-level talent like Bunsen Honeydew or Scooter.
February 22nd, 2017 at 8:49 PM ^
Football Team scored 78 pts.
Basketball Team scored 68 pts
Well alrighty then.
February 22nd, 2017 at 8:49 PM ^
Haha Rutgers you suck at everything! Oh wait...
For whatever reason, this team can only do one thing right per game, and the rest falls off. Tonight it was rebounding, but we seemed to forget how to shoot 3's and FTs. Oh well, it's a road win.
February 22nd, 2017 at 8:51 PM ^
Looked like Rutgers tightened the rims for UM coming to town. No kidding, they actually change rims for a shooting team like us. Shooter rims are coming back at cozy Crisler ...
February 22nd, 2017 at 8:52 PM ^
how is that allowed
February 22nd, 2017 at 8:55 PM ^
Home court advantage - Rutgers sucks so tighten the rims and equalize UM's shooters. Big East ploy, just ask Syracuse.
February 22nd, 2017 at 8:51 PM ^
It is somewhat surprising we escaped with a win.
Nice to see Zak have a better game.
February 22nd, 2017 at 8:52 PM ^
It's "hones", as in knife.
You're confusing it with "homes in", like a pigeon or a missile or an alum to Rick's.
February 22nd, 2017 at 8:57 PM ^
that sentence irritated my eyes, thanks for explaining why.
February 22nd, 2017 at 8:58 PM ^
Thanks. Fixed.
February 22nd, 2017 at 9:39 PM ^
Well I think either or would suffice
February 23rd, 2017 at 7:47 AM ^
Can't believe I logged in for this, but Ace had it right the first time. You "home in" on something to bring focus to it (like a homing device), or you can hone something to sharpen it. Getting the shooting "homed in," while clunky, was right all along.
February 23rd, 2017 at 9:15 AM ^
Both are acceptable, homed is "more correct" but does sound clunkier for some reason.
February 22nd, 2017 at 8:58 PM ^
Just win the damn game. That's all I cared about tonight. Sloppy yes. But I've mentioned already that's what a Rutgers will do to you. Their defense is good and they are beyond feisty. They just don't have the offense to truly make a team pay for the "forced" mishaps on its own offensive end. I'll take it. Only a few days off and a huge one.
I almost wish we were home with NW and @ Purdue as that being the only home game left, it isn't looking good taking that one. I'm leaning towards saying 1-2 down the stretch is probably okay after securing tonight's must-win. It won't make us comfortable so, though. Taking next week and weekend's game would all but asure us a spot within the 10 seed line, probably no matter what happens in BTT. Win a game or 2 in that and 8-9 seed (whoopy-do).
February 22nd, 2017 at 9:22 PM ^
From floor and free throw line, we will beat Purdue.
February 22nd, 2017 at 9:30 PM ^
Not doubt Mitch's force was with us....
February 22nd, 2017 at 8:58 PM ^
Would a win at Northwestern not qualify as a "statement"?
February 22nd, 2017 at 9:00 PM ^
Not after Illinois just swept them
February 22nd, 2017 at 9:08 PM ^
it would qualify. Purdue is playing for seeding right now.
Any team capable of getting swept by Illinois can lose the rest of their regular season games (@IU, UM, Purdue) and sweat things out on Selection Sunday.
February 22nd, 2017 at 9:18 PM ^
and the statement would be: we won at Northwestern who is at least a tournament team. We don't have any of those kinds of wins yet.
February 22nd, 2017 at 8:59 PM ^
Rutgers is going to be annoying forward, apparently. They played NW really tough as well on the road, and they've played some good teams really tough (see going to OT against Wisconsin, were within 5 of Minnesota at home with under 2 minutes). This was an ugly game, but I didn't expect Michigan to run away with it. And this was the only game (save maybe Nebraska, and even that doesn't seem disastrous on the road) that Michigan could not afford to lose, and they did enough to win. Plus, if they hit their foul shots at the end, it's a comfortable win.
February 23rd, 2017 at 12:07 AM ^
I think Rutgers actually has a good coach now, so they have a puncher's chance of not being horrible forever. I give them credit for playing really hard tonight. I still wish they weren't in the conference, of course.
February 23rd, 2017 at 8:49 AM ^
Yes I agree. Their coach is a Jim Calhoun disciple.
February 22nd, 2017 at 9:01 PM ^
A win at Northwestern would qualify as a statement, for NCAA tournament purposes. 2 more wins to feel pretty good about getting in, 3 more to absolutely lock it up.
February 22nd, 2017 at 9:02 PM ^
Proving RPI is garbage, volume 123214213: we moved up five spots after that mess, to 49.
February 22nd, 2017 at 9:20 PM ^
in this case, the garbage is evening out, because it was garbage we were in the 50s.
February 22nd, 2017 at 9:26 PM ^
Yep - ANY road win is big in RPI.
February 22nd, 2017 at 9:33 PM ^
....especially when it is against your BIGGEST rival!
why can't the men share their tanning booth time with the women in NJ???
February 23rd, 2017 at 10:48 AM ^
moved UM up two slots. So is Kenpom also garbage?
February 22nd, 2017 at 9:06 PM ^
Need to beat Northwestern, that is fur sure ...
February 22nd, 2017 at 9:06 PM ^
"...and let us never speak of the shortcut again."
February 22nd, 2017 at 9:07 PM ^
We'll take it, but come on, guys.
Why does it seem like Irvin just tosses up some free throws with a casual, might make it but whatever approach?
February 23rd, 2017 at 9:26 AM ^
isn't what he is doing. He is struggling so badly with his shot that he is attempting to think about it the least amount that he possibly can. What Irvin is in right now is more than a "funk," he has the basketball equivalent of the yips. He is probably legitimately surprised that it is possible for him to struggle as bad as he is right now. He is a naturally gifted scorer whose game is betraying him. Right now, when you see him shoot a free throw, he has such little confidence that he is going to make that he is trying to physically conquer his apprehension with casual motion, false confidence if you will.
Truly, the only way for Irvin to get out of this is to keep shooting. Gradually, his shots are starting to look less like prayers by the game. I think coming back to Crisler for the first time since he broke out a little against Wisconsin will do wonders for him, especially playing against Purdue who he played really well against last year at home.
February 22nd, 2017 at 9:07 PM ^
If we stay within 12 of Purdue, I'll be happy.
February 22nd, 2017 at 9:19 PM ^
Plenty of teams have played them closer than that. PSU just lost a close game to them last night.
February 22nd, 2017 at 9:34 PM ^
Purdue will outrebound us by about 20, and get about 30+ in the paint, that's why.
February 22nd, 2017 at 9:55 PM ^
Still don't see why you'd be happy with a 12-point loss.
Incidentally, we beat them last year in Crisler.
February 22nd, 2017 at 10:00 PM ^
get 30+ from three. The game isn't being played in the 1950s.
February 23rd, 2017 at 9:52 AM ^
And yet last year Michigan outrebounded Purdue despite the Boilers being a significantly better team on the glass.
February 23rd, 2017 at 12:26 AM ^
and they're not that much better than us. It's a pick 'em game. We might even be favored. Soooo, I'll only be happy with a win.
February 23rd, 2017 at 8:40 AM ^
We have Spike providing insider intelligence from the Purdue huddle, so that might help us.
February 23rd, 2017 at 12:16 PM ^
We were favored by 6 on kenpom against Rutgers and Vegas liked us by 8.5. Vegas has consistently liked us better than kenpom this year and we're one point dogs on kenpon. Certainly a chance vegas has us favored.
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