Michigan Basketball: 3 Keys to Wolverines beating Northwestern

Get Franz Wagner going early

Franz Wagner had a rough start to his sophomore season on the offensive end of the floor. He scored in the single digits four out of his first six games and really struggled from beyond the arc.

Luckily for Michigan, despite his early struggles on offense, he continued to be a lockdown defender and solid rebounder.

As of late, it appears Wagner has turned a corner on offense in Big Ten play by playing his best two games of the season against Maryland and Nebraska.

Over the last two games, Wagner is averaging 19.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and three assists per game while knocking down five threes and shooting over 50% from the field.

This team is different when Franz is scoring and playing aggressive. It frees up Isaiah Livers and gives Dickinson more room to operate down low when teams have to focus on Wagner.

I expect Michigan basketball to try to get Franz Wagner going early and get him plenty of touches in the first half. When a streaky player like Franz Wagner has it going, you have to do everything you can to keep him rolling.

Northwestern will have a hard time matching up with Wagner’s length and I do think that is a matchup Michigan can look to exploit.

If Michigan basketball can play through Hunter Dickinson, defend the three, and get Wagner going early, the Wolverines should avoid an upset on Sunday afternoon against a surging and sharpshooting Northwestern team.