Ohio Recap

Where do I even start the analysis from yesterday’s game against the Buckeyes.  Michigan was the last remaining undefeated team in college basketball, with number one and the first major road win of any team in the B1G this season on the line. The Wolverines came out flat and were overwhelmed within the first 2 minutes of the game.  The avalanche continued for the first 11 minutes of the game which left Michigan in a 29-8 deficit.  Incredibly, the Wolverines managed to tie the game at 46 before the last media timeout of the game.  Somehow, then that team up north just forgot any reason they were able to come back at all, which left Ohio State holding on to a 3 point win. 

The frustrating aspect of losing the game is that Michigan is clearly the better team, and I would welcome a return visit to Columbus to play the Bucknuts.  The Wolverines played the worst game I could even imagine them playing yesterday and still managed to lose by 3 points in a game where they had many chances to still grab a victory.  I know Ohio State has a good record and are an elite defensive team, but they are a less than average offensive team.  Michigan spotted them 18 points off turnovers, but they still only managed to score 56 total.  Ohio State scored 27 points in the last 29 minutes of game time, never mind the points per possession stat as the Buckeyes scored less than a point per minute.  The Wolverines are one of the best shooting teams in the country, but managed to connect on only 38% of their shots including 30% of 20 three point attempts.  After Michigan came all the way back and tied the game at 46, they closed out the game shooting 2-11.  One field goal was a transition dunk, and the other was a circus three pointer after the game was already decided. The Wolverines chucked up 9 threes in this span, but only 2 could be argued as good shots. 

The encouraging side of the story is that Michigan is still the youngest team in the conference, and for the first time all season it showed yesterday.  The 4 most important freshmen looked lost at times and nervous throughout.  It was the first major road test of the season, and the young Wolverines now know what to expect when they travel to Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan State, etc. I am really surprised that Ohio State was able to slow down GRIII as much as they did.  He is usually good for 4-5 field goals within 2 feet of the rim, but yesterday was held to 2 dunks in transition.  Stauskas didn’t even look like he belonged on the floor for long stretches.  He is clearly the worst defender in the 9 man rotation, and Ohio State isolated him against Thomas multiple times.  On the offensive end, he forced 2 of his 3 attempted shots and stood in the corner for most possessions.  McGary finished with his normal complete stat game, but was slow to rotate and hedge off of the ball screens in the first half which led to multiple easy scoring opportunities.  Once Michigan switched to the 2-3 zone, then he became the most effective big man on the court.

I know Aaron Craft is a great on ball defender and if I was a Buckeye fan I would love him, but I cannot stand his style of play.  I really expected Trey to be able to take over the game at times, and at the very least finish with a 3-1 assist to turnover ratio.  Burke looked to try to bring the team back by himself at times by forcing terrible shots and passes in defended lanes. If a road loss in a tough environment is what this team needed to begin to play poised no matter the situation, then yesterday will be a huge benefit moving forward.  It will be interesting to see what team shows up on Thursday in Minnesota.  Their individual defense is not nearly as good as Ohio State’s, and they will lack someone who can really slow down Trey Burke like Craft did.  The game will be played at a little higher pace, so the freshman should feel more comfortable in the wide open game.  Minnesota has too much offensive firepower to allow Michigan to come back from a 21 point deficit, though.  The Wolverines cannot start slow on Thursday.  Also, my early prediction of Ohio State’s return trip to Crisler will result in a 15+ point Michigan victory.