Michigan Basketball: 3 things we learned from win over Indiana

Michigan was cold from deep and it still didn’t matter

One of the Wolverines strengths under John Beilein has always been their ability to knock down shots from the perimeter. However, this team is starting to build a different identity and Sunday, Michigan basketball proved it can beat a really good team without shooting well from beyond the arc.

When it was all said and done, Indiana actually made more 3-pointers than Michigan with a total of five. The Wolverines were 4-of-16 compared to a 5-of-14 effort from Indiana. Certainly, UM’s defense on Indiana helped keep it even, but the Wolverines won handily without hitting a bunch of triples.

That doesn’t happen a lot for Michigan basketball — at least not until the last couple of seasons. The Wolverines used to live and die by the 3-point shot — now they can win just as easily with defense and scoring inside.

Jon Teske isn’t a dominant scoring threat down low, but he managed six points, four boards and two blocks. Zavier Simpson also stepped up with 12 points and three of the Wolverines nine assists.

With Simpson, Poole and Matthews all able to attack the basket and with Teske able to provide help with the screen in the pick-and-roll, this Michigan offense is tough to guard and as Indiana found out, you need to protect the paint as much as the 3-point line.