Michigan Basketball: Offense awakens, defense dozes off in Iowa win

In the total opposite of Tuesday’s loss to Louisville, Michigan basketball held off a feisty bunch of Hawkeyes led by Luka Garza.

Iowa managed to score 91 on the Michigan basketball team in a loss on Friday evening. It was a bit misleading though as half of their points came from one man.

Big Ten leading scorer Luka Garza did it again. He was a total mismatch in this one. The junior big put in an astounding 44 points with most of his points coming from inside the paint. If not for Garza, then Michigan wins it comfortably.

The rest of the Hawkeyes could only muster 47 points. Michigan basketball alone had 50 in the first and 53 in the second half respectively. They were clearly the more balanced team on the night. All five starters had double digits in the point column, while Brandon Johns added 12 off the bench. Freshman Franz Wagner piloted the way with his best work to date.

The talk of the night had to come from Austin Davis though. The senior only saw his fourth game action of the year, but he had some pivotal moments in helping the Wolverines earn the victory.

Davis banged down low with Garza and was able to give coach Howard some valuable minutes off the pine that Colin Castleton could not provide. The senior should continue to earn time if things go well for him.

Brandon Johns was a rebounding machine during certain stretches throughout. He gave the maize and blue multiple second-chance opportunities with longer possessions. His effort got rewarded with a couple of highlight-reel dunks in both halves. Even coach Howard took notice by saying “he’s going to have more nights like this.”

Michigan’s shooting was a far cry away from Tuesday night’s affair in Louisville. It outscored their entire point total in both halves. It turned out to be a complete team effort offensively. On defense, the Wolverines didn’t allow anyone besides Garza and Connor McCaffrey in double digits. Giving up 91 to a quality Big Ten foe can be concerning, so Howard will have to have his squad work on cleaning that up for the remainder of the agenda ahead.

A trip to Champagne to matchup with Kofi Cockburn and the Illini is coming next Wednesday. According to the ESPN matchup predictor, Illinois is a favorite. They head to Maryland on Saturday, so more will be known about the Illini after their Big Ten opener and their loss suffered earlier in the week to Miami at home.

For the Wolverines, it will be another showdown with an NBA caliber talent in Ayo Dosunmu. He’s the go-to guy for Illinois. Dosunmu and Cockburn will have their mates ready to spoil Michigan’s business trip, so Howard and company must be prepared for anything in a hostile environment.