Michigan Basketball: 3 Things we learned in win over UCF

Michigan basketball got off to a slow start, but two freshmen saved the day and helped turn a deficit into a blowout win over UCF. Here’s what we learned.

The most immediate thought during the early stages of Michigan basketball‘s win over UCF, during which the Wolverines struggled and found themselves down by 12, was this team doesn’t like to play on Sundays.

But when head coach Juwan Howard put in freshman Terrance Williams, along with some others off the bench such as fellow freshman Hunter Dickinson, Chaundee Brown and Brandon Johns, the Wolverines changed the game and turned a 12-point deficit into a 22-point win.

Franz Wagner picked up two early fouls and only played 16 minutes all night, scoring eight points on six shot attempts. While his slow start continued, Isaiah Livers didn’t have his best night and was just 1-of-6 from 3-point range and was replaced after he got his pocked picked.

That led to a breakaway hoop for Central Florida and that was the lowest point of the game. That’s when you seriously wondered if Michigan could fall victim to an upset.

But Williams, as he did against Oakland, provided a spark off the bench. He got a 3-point play and things began to turn around. Then, Hunter Dickinson was able to take control in the paint and once Brown got into the mix and got hot from deep, it was over for UCF.

Now, the Wolverines will turn their attention to North Carolina State, but with the Wolfpack having a positive test and cancelling their most recent game, it’s up in the air. If that gets canceled, the Big Ten opener will be next Sunday vs Penn State.

So the season is picking up but here’s what we learned in the win over the Knights.