Michigan Basketball: 3 Keys to Beating Wisconsin for Big Ten Title

The bigs need to come to play

Mo Wagner opened the game against Minnesota with a turnaround jumper on the elbow. That shot is virtually unguardable, and frees up driving lanes for the big man.

After that, he stepped in to screen for Irvin and Walton. Irvin found him rolling to the hoop, and Walton found him spacing out to the 3-point line. Then Mo brought out another turnaround — nothing but net. It was a good sign for the German, who had low scoring games against Illinois and Purdue. When Wagner gets rolling, he adds a whole dimension to the offense.

On the opposite block, DJ Wilson has continued to have a great season. He’s a huge difference maker on the defensive end, averaging a block and a half a game. His game against Purdue was the perfect example of his ability on both sides of the ball. He poured in a game high 26, and also blocked a Boilermaker shot to send the game to overtime.

Like Wagner, Wilson is great at blowing by slower big men on the perimeter. In addition, the big man has a solid shot from behind the arc in his own right at 37%.

With so many offensive weapons on Michigan, the two tend not to have big games at the same time. The Wolverines will want to make sure they look to their big men early and often against Wisconsin. The pick and pop, with the Californian and German traveling to the widest parts of the court, is deadly. The pick and roll is always there with the threat of Michigan’s shooting off screens. They can attack by drawing Ethan Happ and Nigel Hayes out to the perimeter, two players Michigan would prefer to have in foul trouble.