Michigan Basketball: Can Abdur-Rahkman go on a run like Derrick Walton?

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman is dominating lately, can he lead Michigan basketball on a run like Derrick Walton did in 2017?

There are a lot of reasons why the Michigan basketball team is rolling right now, but chief among is Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman.

You might think his hot streak started last weekend, with a 28-point outburst against Maryland. Yet, he was equally impressive Friday at Madison Square Garden for Michigan basketball, scoring 21 points in a 77-58 win over Nebraska. He was 5-of-5 from 3-point range, grabbed four boards and helped make sure UM will meet Michigan State in the BIG semifinals.

But the run for Rahkman isn’t something new. If you look a little closer you will see it’s been coming for the past two months. In his last 11 games, he has reached double figures nine times. He’s also scored 20 points or more on three occasions, after doing that just once in the first 22 games.

During this 11-game stretch, the Wolverines are 9-2 and during it, Rahkman has been lights out. His scoring average is 16.5 and his 3-point percentage is 44, after making 26-of-58 shots from deep. Between Rahkman and Duncan Robinson, Michigan has senior assassins who look ready to make another run come March.

While many Michigan basketball fans wanted the matchup with Michigan State, which they will now get in the Big Ten semifinals, the win over Nebraska was key too. Beating the Huskers on a neutral floor qualified as a quadrant 1 win and UM got it by 19 points.

A win like that, plus recent wins over Ohio State, plus victories over Maryland and Penn State on the road, have beefed up Michigan’s NCAA resume. A second win over Michigan State Saturday would have to guarantee the Wolverines a top-four seed. Heck, they might be there already.

And Rahkman is a huge reason why.  When the Wolverines destroyed Maryland last Saturday, he was simply unstoppable. He was also big-time against the Ohio State, scoring 17 in that victory. He also scored 26 in a tough loss at Purdue.

It was hard to know what to expect from this Michigan basketball team at the start of the season. Walton and Zak Irvin, two pillars of the program were gone. D.J. Wilson, maybe the most talented player left for the NBA too. That was three enormous holes to fill.

Yet, somehow, the Wolverines have done a good job of filling them. Charles Matthews has been a huge part of that. Isaiah Livers and Jordan Poole too. But lately, Rahkman has been bigger than just about everybody.

Whether it’s with defense, timely perimeter shooting or his nifty ability to get to the bucket, Rahkman is making the Wolverines go right now. He, Wagner and Robinson more than anybody else, although that’s not meant to discount the contributions of Zavier Simpson, Poole and Livers among others.

There’s no doubt Wagner is Michigan’s best player. Hell, when he’s on, I’d argue he’s as good as any individual in the Big Ten. When he gets going, UM is really, really hard to beat. But as we all know, it takes more than one guy to win a championship.

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Whether it’s the Big Ten Tournament or the NCAA’s, you need great guard play and right now, Michigan is getting that from Rahkman. Just like they did from Derrick Walton and we all know how that turned out.