Michigan Basketball: Workmanlike effort pays off in huge road win

In Michigan basketball’s first bona fide road test the Wolverines waxed Maryland on their home court.

The Michigan basketball team got off to a rock steady start by taking the fight directly to Maryland from the tip. The Wolverines energy and enthusiasm was a constant presence all the way through the opening half and eventually all 40 when all was said and done.

The emptiness in the arena became a positive factor in what is normally one of the scariest place to lace up the shoes in the hefty Big Ten.

Both teams shot the lights out in the initial 20 minutes. The Terps went 9-of-11 from deep to keep things tight at the break. On the other side, the freshman sensation Hunter Dickinson continued his sweltering play by leading the way with 11 points. Franz Wagner also kept his hot streak away from Crisler going to add 10.

In the second it went back and forth like a prized boxing match for about eight minutes. Michigan basketball got up six with an emphatic throwdown by Eli Brooks, but Maryland came right down the court and cooled the momentum from it with a couple of big makes.

The Wolverines then spurted out to a lengthy run of their own to take the lead for good.

Dickinson garnered a double-double with another ho hum performance that the Michigan faithful have grown accustomed to. He was a mismatch again that no one could guard, this time for Maryland. He came in with the mindset of being disrespected by the lack of attention that Maryland treated him with in recruiting and it glaringly showed once more.

The kid is putting the consistent work in like a seasoned vet and it is paying dividends for him. Iowa’s Luka Garza may be the player of the year in the conference, but it’s clear that Dickinson is not far behind him. It will have Michigan fans worried on whether Dickinson goes pro after one year, which will depend on how far he progresses as the season advances.

There’s not enough words that haven’t already been said for the freshman phenom. With pending matchups against Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan State and so on, it will be a sight to see if he hits a wall or keeps bowling over the competition.

The remaining schedule is only going to get tougher and will showcase this team’s true colors with March coming to the forefront before you know it.

Mike Smith had his best game as a Wolverine. He paced the offense with 6 assists, while earning 6 boards on the defensive end. Franz Wagner finished with 19 as he has stepped up his game over the last two road victories.

When Michigan plays like this they could be the team to beat in the most rugged conference in all of college basketball.