On ESPN, at 9:30 P.M., in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the eyes of the college basketball world would be on Michigan vs. North Carolina. Michigan responded in the same fashion the did for their first six games, a blow-away victory in their favor. Michigan topped the Tar Heels 84-67 in an impressive performance that somehow saw them give up the most points of the season with the lowest margin of victory. That stat is almost comical but tells you just how good this Michigan team has been.
Game Story:
Despite the final score, Michigan was troubled a bit early by UNC. North Carolina started strong early with two quick buckets, then a Luke Maye three kept the game out of Michigan's hands with an early 13-8 scoreline. That would stretch to 21-11 with eight minutes gone by and it seemed like Michigan would have a bit of a long night ahead. That changed with Zavier Simpson pick-pocketing a visiting man and swooping in for a lay-up. That started an 11-0 run, including threes from Iggy Brazdeikis and Eli Brooks (his to take a 22-21 lead) and an and-one from Brazdeikis as well. Charles Matthews capped off an extended 17-2 run with a breakaway dunk off a steal to make it 28-23 for Michigan. This swing happened in just under three-and-a-half minutes. Matthews and Jordan Poole hit back-to-back threes to end the half, and Michigan went into the locker room up 39-35, and with all the momentum.
The second half was more good for Michigan, and even worse for North Carolina. Michigan ran their lead to ten in under three minutes and forced Roy Williams to take an uncharacteristic timeout after a lob up to Jon Teske. Leaky Black hit a three for UNC, but made the mistake of talking trash to Matthews. What followed was a sequence that got Crisler rocking: a put-back and-one dunk by Matthews, a massive block on Black courtesy of Teske, then one on Black by Matthews, this one even more emphatic, then, on the Michigan offensive possession, an and-one lay-up by Simpson. The lead was 58-42 at this point, and things continued to go well. Michigan's biggest lead was 22 points and it was hit for the first of three times thanks to a Poole three. North Carolina made a run back into the game thanks to an 11-0 run (primarily thanks to a pair of Kenny Williams threes) but Matthews drilled another three, Michigan got a one-and-one miss from Garrison Brooks, and Brazdeikis had four unanswered to seal the game. Poole but the exclamation point on the game with a step-back three with 27 seconds left to clinch a final score of 84-67 in favor of the home side.
What Happened:
Michigan started slow and seemed a bit shell-shocked by a good North Carolina side. UNC got plenty of looks in transition in the first five minutes and seemed to do no wrong even in the half court. After the hot start, though, Michigan clamped down with their defense and UNC went cold from three. On the other hand, Michigan shot 50% on the game from deep for their top performance of the season. Eleven threes were made in a balanced barrage highlighted by Jordan Poole's five-for-eight performance for 18 points. In a slightly concerning stat, Michigan's three-point shooting was better than their free throw shooting, which was a 47.8% mark (11-for-22 from three, 11-for-23 from the line). Michigan may need to find more consistency from the line, but if they keep up their shooting from deep like it was against the Tar Heels, they will have a whole different dimension added to the team.
This is not just a solid Michigan team, this is a team that is running through opponents, currently, and doing so with swagger. Charles Matthews got into it with Leaky Black and seemed to come out playing even better. Ignas Brazdeikis rubbed imaginary money in his hands after a couple threes, Jon Teske was plenty animated after his dunks and blocks, and Zavier Simpson plays with the swagger of a kid who knows he's the best on the playground. It was a special night for the Wolverines in front of a packed house. Student tickets were sold out and the building itself had few seats open by tip-off time. This was a massive game not for the seasonal implications, but the basketball culture. Coming off a brutal football loss to Ohio State, Michigan sports needed a big win to bounce back. Crisler Arena came out in full voice and, despite not being known as one of the loudest arenas in college basketball, the crowd was rocking all night. And they had plenty to cheer about.
Looking at Michigan, a lot went right. They may only go eight deep (arguably seven, Austin Davis played only four minutes) but they are a diverse set of eight. All five starters played over 30 minutes, Isaiah Livers saw twelve, and Eli Brooks saw eighteen as he spelled Simpson at point, Poole at shooting guard, and even played with Simpson and Poole both. It was a big night for three men for Michigan, let's look at them:
Charles Matthews: The redshirt junior played with endless confidence and helped get the crowd fired up. He finished with 21 points, two made threes, and went a solid five-for-eight from the free throw line. He's shooting an even 70% since a zero-for-five start from the line, and the improvement from him is vital. He brings it on defense and helps set the tone for this team mentality wise as well.
Ignas Brazdeikis: The Canadian racked up his third-straight 20+ point game, finishing with 24 points in perhaps his new best outing of the season. He went nine-for-thirteen from the field, also hit two threes, and continues to impress on the defensive side of the ball. Guarding Luke Maye and Nassir Little, he stepped up and forced contested shots and misses from both while he had shifts on either man. His star continues to build, the eyes of the college basketball world surely must have taken notice of Iggy.
Jordan Poole: It was arguably the shooting guard's best game of the season. 18 points, five triples, and four assists made him valuable in all aspects of the game. He makes players alongside him better just by being on the court, and he played a lot of great defense on Cameron Johnson. The big wing-man hit his only two shots in the frantic comeback period at the end of the game and before then could not buy a chance to get on the scoreboard. he continues to improve greatly as well.
North Carolina, on the other hand, simply seemed to lose the plot. They came out at halftime frazzled and whatever Roy Williams said to them in the locker room seemed to have the opposite effect. Coby White dazzled several times and appears to be a clear star, but White struggled against Simpson and found more freedom in the transition or against Brooks in the half court. Both he and Little seemed at times to try and do too much in the game and Williams was visibly frustrated. UNC seemed out of sorts and the seniors who they needed, Johnson, Luke Maye (four-for-twelve, 15 rebounds, but lots of poor plays as well), and Kenny Williams (eleven points, six coming during the late comeback) vanished in crunch time. A criticism levied against Williams by some Tar Heels fans thus far was his odd usage of line-ups throughout the season to this point. However, on a night where no one is playing well, then what do you do? You can argue that the points leading up to this should have been managed better, but with Michigan in unreal form, there's not much to do.
Some other quick notes: Brooks, who I mentioned in passing, really seems to be building up confidence. His three-point shot is looking very nice and I really do like him as an off guard. Jon Teske's five blocks were brilliant, his 33 minutes were even more impressive. Simpson had six assists, his passing is his secondary attribute to his defense for my money. On the UNC side: Coby White is a talented player who I have my eyes on. He will likely be one-and-done, and him only playing 25 minutes surprised me despite Simpson playing good defense. Despite his struggles though, Nassir Little does not look like a freshman. His size and build was huge and NBA teams, despite his low minutes thus far, will like his potential. Finally, Luke Maye is a curious player. He started off fairly sound, then delved into a myriad of bad defensive plays, an airball, a few awful misses, and a pair of missed free throws. The Tar Heels will surely want him to get back to last season's form before ACC play rolls around.
What's Next:
The first two Big Ten games are right around the corner, and Michigan cannot afford to let the momentum slow. They play host to another top-20 team in #19 Purdue on Saturday, December 1, at 3:30, but Purdue dropped a one-point game to Florida State shortly after Michigan topped UNC. Following that, they travel to Evanston and take on Northwestern on Tuesday the 4th at 9 P.M. Michigan tripped up in their Big Ten opener last season, they will hope not to this time around.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well!
Game Story:
Despite the final score, Michigan was troubled a bit early by UNC. North Carolina started strong early with two quick buckets, then a Luke Maye three kept the game out of Michigan's hands with an early 13-8 scoreline. That would stretch to 21-11 with eight minutes gone by and it seemed like Michigan would have a bit of a long night ahead. That changed with Zavier Simpson pick-pocketing a visiting man and swooping in for a lay-up. That started an 11-0 run, including threes from Iggy Brazdeikis and Eli Brooks (his to take a 22-21 lead) and an and-one from Brazdeikis as well. Charles Matthews capped off an extended 17-2 run with a breakaway dunk off a steal to make it 28-23 for Michigan. This swing happened in just under three-and-a-half minutes. Matthews and Jordan Poole hit back-to-back threes to end the half, and Michigan went into the locker room up 39-35, and with all the momentum.
The second half was more good for Michigan, and even worse for North Carolina. Michigan ran their lead to ten in under three minutes and forced Roy Williams to take an uncharacteristic timeout after a lob up to Jon Teske. Leaky Black hit a three for UNC, but made the mistake of talking trash to Matthews. What followed was a sequence that got Crisler rocking: a put-back and-one dunk by Matthews, a massive block on Black courtesy of Teske, then one on Black by Matthews, this one even more emphatic, then, on the Michigan offensive possession, an and-one lay-up by Simpson. The lead was 58-42 at this point, and things continued to go well. Michigan's biggest lead was 22 points and it was hit for the first of three times thanks to a Poole three. North Carolina made a run back into the game thanks to an 11-0 run (primarily thanks to a pair of Kenny Williams threes) but Matthews drilled another three, Michigan got a one-and-one miss from Garrison Brooks, and Brazdeikis had four unanswered to seal the game. Poole but the exclamation point on the game with a step-back three with 27 seconds left to clinch a final score of 84-67 in favor of the home side.
What Happened:
Michigan started slow and seemed a bit shell-shocked by a good North Carolina side. UNC got plenty of looks in transition in the first five minutes and seemed to do no wrong even in the half court. After the hot start, though, Michigan clamped down with their defense and UNC went cold from three. On the other hand, Michigan shot 50% on the game from deep for their top performance of the season. Eleven threes were made in a balanced barrage highlighted by Jordan Poole's five-for-eight performance for 18 points. In a slightly concerning stat, Michigan's three-point shooting was better than their free throw shooting, which was a 47.8% mark (11-for-22 from three, 11-for-23 from the line). Michigan may need to find more consistency from the line, but if they keep up their shooting from deep like it was against the Tar Heels, they will have a whole different dimension added to the team.
This is not just a solid Michigan team, this is a team that is running through opponents, currently, and doing so with swagger. Charles Matthews got into it with Leaky Black and seemed to come out playing even better. Ignas Brazdeikis rubbed imaginary money in his hands after a couple threes, Jon Teske was plenty animated after his dunks and blocks, and Zavier Simpson plays with the swagger of a kid who knows he's the best on the playground. It was a special night for the Wolverines in front of a packed house. Student tickets were sold out and the building itself had few seats open by tip-off time. This was a massive game not for the seasonal implications, but the basketball culture. Coming off a brutal football loss to Ohio State, Michigan sports needed a big win to bounce back. Crisler Arena came out in full voice and, despite not being known as one of the loudest arenas in college basketball, the crowd was rocking all night. And they had plenty to cheer about.
Looking at Michigan, a lot went right. They may only go eight deep (arguably seven, Austin Davis played only four minutes) but they are a diverse set of eight. All five starters played over 30 minutes, Isaiah Livers saw twelve, and Eli Brooks saw eighteen as he spelled Simpson at point, Poole at shooting guard, and even played with Simpson and Poole both. It was a big night for three men for Michigan, let's look at them:
Charles Matthews: The redshirt junior played with endless confidence and helped get the crowd fired up. He finished with 21 points, two made threes, and went a solid five-for-eight from the free throw line. He's shooting an even 70% since a zero-for-five start from the line, and the improvement from him is vital. He brings it on defense and helps set the tone for this team mentality wise as well.
Ignas Brazdeikis: The Canadian racked up his third-straight 20+ point game, finishing with 24 points in perhaps his new best outing of the season. He went nine-for-thirteen from the field, also hit two threes, and continues to impress on the defensive side of the ball. Guarding Luke Maye and Nassir Little, he stepped up and forced contested shots and misses from both while he had shifts on either man. His star continues to build, the eyes of the college basketball world surely must have taken notice of Iggy.
Jordan Poole: It was arguably the shooting guard's best game of the season. 18 points, five triples, and four assists made him valuable in all aspects of the game. He makes players alongside him better just by being on the court, and he played a lot of great defense on Cameron Johnson. The big wing-man hit his only two shots in the frantic comeback period at the end of the game and before then could not buy a chance to get on the scoreboard. he continues to improve greatly as well.
North Carolina, on the other hand, simply seemed to lose the plot. They came out at halftime frazzled and whatever Roy Williams said to them in the locker room seemed to have the opposite effect. Coby White dazzled several times and appears to be a clear star, but White struggled against Simpson and found more freedom in the transition or against Brooks in the half court. Both he and Little seemed at times to try and do too much in the game and Williams was visibly frustrated. UNC seemed out of sorts and the seniors who they needed, Johnson, Luke Maye (four-for-twelve, 15 rebounds, but lots of poor plays as well), and Kenny Williams (eleven points, six coming during the late comeback) vanished in crunch time. A criticism levied against Williams by some Tar Heels fans thus far was his odd usage of line-ups throughout the season to this point. However, on a night where no one is playing well, then what do you do? You can argue that the points leading up to this should have been managed better, but with Michigan in unreal form, there's not much to do.
Some other quick notes: Brooks, who I mentioned in passing, really seems to be building up confidence. His three-point shot is looking very nice and I really do like him as an off guard. Jon Teske's five blocks were brilliant, his 33 minutes were even more impressive. Simpson had six assists, his passing is his secondary attribute to his defense for my money. On the UNC side: Coby White is a talented player who I have my eyes on. He will likely be one-and-done, and him only playing 25 minutes surprised me despite Simpson playing good defense. Despite his struggles though, Nassir Little does not look like a freshman. His size and build was huge and NBA teams, despite his low minutes thus far, will like his potential. Finally, Luke Maye is a curious player. He started off fairly sound, then delved into a myriad of bad defensive plays, an airball, a few awful misses, and a pair of missed free throws. The Tar Heels will surely want him to get back to last season's form before ACC play rolls around.
What's Next:
The first two Big Ten games are right around the corner, and Michigan cannot afford to let the momentum slow. They play host to another top-20 team in #19 Purdue on Saturday, December 1, at 3:30, but Purdue dropped a one-point game to Florida State shortly after Michigan topped UNC. Following that, they travel to Evanston and take on Northwestern on Tuesday the 4th at 9 P.M. Michigan tripped up in their Big Ten opener last season, they will hope not to this time around.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well!
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