In a year where a lot went wrong for Michigan basketball, head coach Juwan Howard chooses among several potential keys for the Wolverines to continue their winning streak in Ann Arbor against Michigan State. Maybe.
Michigan (8-17, 3-11 Big Ten) hasn’t lost to MSU (16-9, 8-6 Big Ten) at Crisler Center in four games under Howard.
As he pointed out on Friday, the four winning teams were made up of different players with different skill sets, but they shared common traits such as defensive communication, aggressive rebounding, and knockdown shooting, to name a few. There was a theme.
But those weren’t the biggest things in Howard’s mind. Instead, he acted on a simpler hope.
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“Well, health,” Howard said, “health has to be right. We’ve always worked hard to do whatever we can to keep our players safe, but we’ve dealt with a lot of things. We are missing some players, so health is one of the things that is always required of the team.
“I know it speaks for not just me, but every team in college at this time. … But at the same time, always having fresh bodies and having everyone on the roster ready to go.” I hope.”
This is a puzzling statement, considering the Wolverines have had no notable health issues (point guard Doug McDaniel was unable to play on the road, but that was due to an academic issue). , a follow-up investigation did not yield a direct response.
Jace Howard missed UM’s games at Nebraska and Illinois, while Youssef Khayat played just two minutes against the Huskers, but given that the two aren’t necessarily key contributors, Howard It is unclear whether they were talking. In 18 total games, they are averaging 3.4 points per appearance.
“I think that’s a better question for Michigan Health or Michigan Health,” Howard said when asked who would be available. “We have some players who are sick and are missing practice, some are injured. We’re just hoping and praying that we’ll all be ready tomorrow.”
Of course, even if the Wolverines were perfectly healthy, their chances would be poor given the stretch this season in which UM has lost 12 of 14 games (and eight by double digits) and been at least an underdog. It’s hard to be optimistic about this. The last two times were 30 times each.
Meanwhile, the Spartans appear to be at their peak, having won four of their last five games and are likely on their way to making their 26th straight NCAA Tournament berth. Although MSU is not ranked in polls, it is ranked in advanced rankings such as Ken Pomeroy’s ranking (15th), Bart Torbic’s site (15th), ESPN’s BPI (17th), and most importantly, the NCAA’s NET ranking. Metric (No. 21) — Everyone seems to like Tom Izzo’s group.
No wonder Michigan State ranks 7th in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.75) and 21st in shooting percentage (40.1%). Again, MSU’s guard is strong. Tyson Walker is on the midseason watch list for the Naismith Award and is one of 10 finalists for the Jerry West Award. AJ Hoggard is one of only seven players in program history to score 1,000 points in both seasons. and 500 assists.
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And then there’s Jaden Akins, who scored a career-high 23 points (including seven 3-pointers) in the last game against the Wolverines at Breslin Center. Howard lamented the Wolverines’ woes versus Akins as one of the main reasons his team lost in the second half against Breslin last month despite leading by as many as nine points early on.
Howard also pointed out Michigan’s inability to stop transition scoring. In the loss three weeks ago, UM allowed the Spartans 17 second-half transition points (though they allowed just one point in the first half).
But Howard said forward Malik Hall was the biggest reason for MSU’s resurgence both in that game and later this season. The senior forward is averaging 15.8 points and 6.2 rebounds over the past 10 games, shooting 59.4 percent from the floor and 57.1 percent from 3-point range.
“He’s a talented young man. He can play inside and outside, he’s athletic, he’s strong,” Howard said. “He’s been around college basketball for a while, so he’s familiar with the different teams and coverages. He’s also confident in his skill set and doesn’t stray from what he needs to do.
“He plays winning basketball as much as he can and is a good player.”
Howard had another theme to draw from the Wolverines’ last win over Crisler vs. the Spartans. It was a raucous crowd that acted as a “sixth man.”
In addition to the usual energy of the rivalry, the Crisler crowd will be decked out in “corn costumes,” and some of the most successful UM teams of all time will be at the center of it, including the 1964 and He won the 1974 Big Ten title and the 1989 national title. — will be honored before the game. Approximately 50 to 75 former players are expected to participate.
UM will need that historic aura against a team that, as Howard said, “really doesn’t like us.”
“It’s going to be a very exciting weekend for Michigan basketball,” he said. “Being able to represent the University, the Block M, the Maize and the Blues and have a home base of former players and alumni who have done really special things here, to come back and feel that excitement and go back to those refreshing days. What they can do. Special times and all the special things they did for Michigan basketball.
“As a coach and former player, I’m excited to meet the people who paved the way for me and so many others. I’ll be able to celebrate them in a special way and I think it’ll be a great weekend. .”
