Michigan Basketball: Getting off the schneid with rare road vanquishing

Michigan Basketball found a pulse away from home without arguably its two best players out.

Nebraska got off to a 5-0 start and things began to look bleak once again for the struggling Wolverines. After Michigan basketball calmed down they started to make some shots and eventually took the lead for the remainder of the first. A combination of bigs and Eli Brooks were a large part of that because the Cornhuskers didn’t have enough answers to slow them down.

The size differential was quite noticeable throughout. Franz Wagner, Brandon Johns and Jon Teske all made their respective presence felt because of it. Wagner got in the paint and used his height to score over defenders. Johns was a powerful force near the basket with his interior post play. While big sleep Jon Teske did more of his same mannerisms on both ends of the floor.

Eli Brooks has really come on the last two outings. He drilled four from behind the line to keep his confidence trending upward. He found open spots in Nebraska’s porous defense and made them pay for it. Something that won’t show up on the stat sheet though is how well he handled the point with DeJulius having an off night. It really helped Michigan basketball run its offense a lot smoother in the second 20 minutes.

For Nebraska, Cam Mack kept his hot play going. He’s been in double digits for two straight months and counting now. As a whole their Big Ten worst defense is the reason why they can’t get anything to go right for them on this current drought. Fred Hoiberg will have to live with that in his first year to get his squad where he had Iowa State at in the past and that is excelling in a strong conference.

Juwan Howard’s task now will be to somehow keep this winning streak alive. He’s been talking about how close his club is lately and a victory can do wonders for a crew that has been in a real funk. Falling from grace over the last month can become mighty humbling, so a road victory in the toughest conference in the country is exactly what can cure a sleeping giant.

On Saturday, Michigan travels to the most iconic arena in basketball to face a historically good Rutgers bunch. It’s another must-win at MSG for Michigan who obviously needs every single one of them in the worst way right now.

If Simpson and/or Livers returns than Michigan’s chances improve drastically in what they know that they must treat as a tournament game. Every game from here on out has to be treated as such if the maize and blue have eyes on making the NCAA’s again.