Michigan Basketball: 3 Key takeaways from Wolverines win at Maryland

Michigan basketball was stuck in a tight battle with Maryland but then the Wolverines took over and turned it into a dunk fest.

There’s no doubt that the Maryland game was supposed to be Michigan basketball‘s toughest test so far in this 2020-21 season but late in the game, the Wolverines made it look easy as they pulled away late from the Terrapins.

Midway through the second half, Maryland actually had the lead and the Wolverines were on a bit of a cold spell. But then Michigan basketball responded with a 17-2 run. Franz Wagner and Hunter Dickinson were flat out dominant and U-M rolled to an 11-point win in a game they were favored to win by just a single point.

Michigan is now 8-0 on the season and 3-0 in the Big Ten, including 2-0 in Big Ten road games and here are three quick takeaways from the Wolverines win:

Dickinson is a man amongst boys

Hunter Dickinson was from the state of Maryland and the Terrapins didn’t even recruit him. Well, the top-40 recruit who is well on his way to being Big Ten Freshman of the Year, made the Terps pay Thursday night as he scored 25 points, made 10-of-11 shots from the field and grabbed 11 boards, including four on the offensive end.

He was also 6-of-7 from the free throw line and got a bunch of and-one buckets. This kid is special and he’s the best freshman Michigan has had since Trey Burke.

Wagner is getting things going

Dickinson is going to steal a lot of the spotlight and rightfully so, but maybe the most important takeaway from Thursday was the performance of Wagner, who scored 19 points and made 3-of-7 shots from beyond the arc.

In the Wolverines win on Christmas, Wagner scored 20 points for the first time this season and for the second straight game, he reached double-digits in shots. He attempted 16 at Nebraska and 14 at Maryland.

As a result, Wagner scored 39 points and connected on five 3-pointers in the last two games. Isaiah Livers only scored seven points but others stepped up and really, if Wagner or Livers has a high-level game alongside Dickinson, this offense is hard to stop.

Mike Smith and Eli Brooks were incredible

Eli Brooks always plays better than the stats show, but on this night, he scored 10 points, grabbed two steals, blocked a shot, dished out four assists and had three boards.

On top of that, he was stellar on defense again. Whether it was with a 3-pointer or an absolutely empathic dunk, Brooks was and has been tremendous all year and he’s a huge reason for the 8-0 record.

As far as Mike Smith, it’s hard to imagine how he could have played better. He scored 16 points, hit 5-of-7 shots, was 2-of-2 from 3-point range, dished out six assists and was clutch.

Smith is great at picking his spots to score and if he and Wagner both start making shots from downtown consistently, this could easily be the best offense in the Big Ten and one of the best in the country.