Michigan Basketball is ready for another run in March
Like it has in each of the past three seasons, the Michigan basketball team is playing its best ball at the perfect time.
If there is one thing you can say about John Beilein’s teams during his tenure at Michigan basketball, it’s that they always find a way to get better at the end of the season.
This year, Michigan basketball is doing it again. After putting an absolute beat down at Maryland Saturday, 85-61, the Wolverines finished the regular season with five straight wins. They have won seven of eight games total and won three straight on the road.
Two of those road wins came against Penn State and Maryland, two teams fighting for their tournament lives. Those victories, coupled with the Ohio State win at home and you could make the case that Michigan is playing as well as anyone in the Big Ten right now.
No matter what happens with Penn State and Nebraska Sunday, UM will finish fifth in the Big Ten. The Wolverines ended up with a 13-5 record in league play. They also finished 24-7 overall. Yet if the Huskers lose, Michigan gets fourth and the double-bye.
Michigan Wolverines Basketball
But, it’s not just that the Wolverines are winning, it’s how they are doing it. Michigan basketball is winning games by an average of 14.5 points during the win streak, with the only single-digit win coming at Penn State.
Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman is playing as well as he ever has. He finished with a career-high 28 points against Maryland, hitting six 3-pointers in the process. Duncan Robinson has also been on a roll. He scored 19 the other night against Penn State and has been on fire from deep. He is averaging just under 13 points a game during the streak and averaging three makes from beyond the arc per game.
Moe Wagner has been doing his thing. Same with Jordan Poole, who is averaging 10 points a game in the last five. He has also made 12 of his last 18 3-point attempts. With the way those guys are shooting and the defensive effort Michigan has put forth, UM will be tough to beat.
When you look at the Wolverines, it’s hard to find a weakness. UM can score, it can attack the basket, hit the three, defend and rebound. It has big guys in Wagner, John Teske and Isaiah Livers, as well as athletic wings like Poole and Charles Matthews. Zavier Simpson is getting better and better and Rahkman is locked in, simple as that.
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It’s not rocket science, but like so many other Michigan teams, the Wolverines are rolling into the postseason. And like many of those, it won’t be surprising to see UM make another run in March.