Michigan Basketball: 3 Things we learned from domination of Northwestern

The offense is unstoppable

Even though Franz Wagner had a bit of a slow start to the season, you knew eventually he would play like the pro prospect he is and that player is coming into form.

Sunday night was the best example yet.

Wagner is known as an offensive player and he’s been getting better and better on that end of the floor, but Sunday his defense was maybe his most impressive thing. He was huge in limiting Pete Nance of the Wildcats and taking him out of the game.

Beyond that, the 6-foot-9 wing wreaked havoc. Wagner blocked five shots, got two steals and also tore down 10 rebounds. Offensively, he dished out five assists, scored 14 points and made two 3-pointers, which was the third straight game he’s hit at least two times from deep.

It took a minute, however, Wagner and Dickinson have clearly established themselves as the top players on this team, with others like Isaiah Livers, Eli Brooks, Chaundee Brown and Mike Smith right there.

That top six is as quality as any six players in the Big Ten and with Brandon Johns showing signs of life, that gives the Wolverines seven starting caliber players in my book.

You wondered starting the year who would create the shots and while Dickinson does a lot of that, Smith has done that in ball screens and Wagner has been brilliant attacking the bucket and moving without the ball.

He doesn’t need his 3-point shot to score but when it’s going, you get a stretch like he’s had the last three games where he’s averaged just under 18 points.

And when you have Wagner and Dickinson going, plus all the other guys capable of knocking down open looks, as well as assisting on 22 of 32 makes, it’s hard to imagine slowing this offense down, at least the way its playing right now.