Michigan Basketball: Northwestern -- Preview

Posted at 12:00pm — 1/17/2015

Michigan Wolverines Basketball: Northwestern — Preview

Michigan at Ohio State Wrap-up / Northwestern Preview

Northwestern at Michigan
Crisler Center — Ann Arbor, Michigan
8:15pm — BTN — DirecTV Channel 610

A Friend Took Me To Low Places

A few weeks ago, while vigorously enjoying the holidays, one Chris Hill kept on and on about getting tickets to the Ohio State basketball match-up of the previous Tuesday. On and on I declined, and on and one Mr. Hill pursued his end goal- to get me back into the mausoleum that serves as a monument to the bigness of The Ohio State University, but a place that really has no soul, like the wonderful former venue St. John Arena that is a mere large block away. St. John is in great disrepair and the word is this incredible venue is coming down. The engineering underlying St. John Arena was light years ahead of the 1950’s.

Somehow, Mr. Hill says I acquiesced to his request and lo and behold tickets were secured within one minute.

So off we went, first dodging a 20-minute traffic jam less than one mile from the Big Schott. Mr. Hill wore a Michigan jersey with the number four boldly emblazed on both sides.

Unfortunately the report concerning the team is discouraging. We have no idea how bad the game looked on TV, but in real life, simply it was ugly for Michigan.

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The primary observation centers on the obvious: how bad this team attempts to run the Michigan offense. Time after time, four guys on the perimeter standing around while whoever had possession of the ball tried to attempt a cure. Time after time the result was 25-30 seconds goes off of the clock and then a forced, less than one in three (or four) shot is fired up. Sometimes Ricky Doyle would screen backside low, but when Mark Donnal was in he set up mostly on the perimeter.

Early on Derrick Walton Jr. played pretty well, but still it was easy to see how limited he was, and he simply did not/could not establish a middle game. Any occasion Michigan managed to penetrate the Ohio State defense was thwarted by backside help that swatted shots away.

Ohio State was much bigger than Michigan, mostly in height, but also somewhat in bulk. It may not have been the classic boys and men scenario, but it was close. Ohio State has a nice team. The locals moan away about lack of inside talent and about everything else, but the bigs are above average. The belief here remains that Ohio State is the most physically gifted team in the league. Leaving the zone seems to have energized this team. D’Angelo Russell has the smoothest, best spin shot I have viewed in several years. He is a pure shooter, knows it, and will shoot anytime he is out of the locker room. Will he be a one and done, that is the big question in Columbus?

Michigan Wolverines /

Michigan Wolverines

Michigan gave a little fight for the first ten minutes, but after that the play was uninspiring and the locals frankly became bored with the game. It was a 25-point game, regardless of the final score. Kam Chatman again offered little and Audrey Dawkins was perhaps too quick on the trigger. Both guys need to progress well into March, really to set up next year. The ball handling was lazy and sloppy once again, with Michigan being stripped of the ball unaware of the defender. Ohio State ran to the basketball, Michigan watched the action.

Of the 25 point line mentioned, about half of this total was self-inflicted. Michigan again was lazy getting back and gave up uncontested layups. Michigan had practically zero backside help. To beat Michigan simply drive and kick the angle pass to the backside cutter; it is that simple.

Today for many Michigan fans is a football-recruiting day. But the Wolverines play Northwestern tonight. Northwestern is 10-7, like Michigan, but has played tough. The Wildcats took Michigan State into overtime in East Lansing last week. Look for plenty of three point shots to be launched by both teams.

Alex Olah is a junior seven-foot center. Northwestern will try and get the ball to him early and often. If Doyle gets in early foul trouble, the Wolverines are vulnerable inside. Olah has achieved several double-doubles this season.

Bryant McIntosh is a nice looking freshman guard, averaging nearly 13 points a game. Veteran Tre Demps, the second guard, also averages near 13 points a game.

Obviously, both teams need this game to float on the Big Ten water. Hopefully, Michigan plays with much more energy and creates some makeable shots.

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Written by GBMWolverine Writer — Doc4Blu

Go Blue — Wear Maize!

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