Michigan Basketball: Grading win vs Spartans, looking ahead to rematch
Wings
Franz Wagner: A
This was one of the biggest moments of Wagner’s Michigan basketball career and he certainly met the moment. He wasn’t up to the task against Illinois, but he put the Wolverines on his back with his offense in this one, including two big-time 3-pointers late in the first half. He wound up hitting four total. He scored inside twice and finished with 19, in addition to six rebounds. And of course, he’s a Wagner, so he’s got to torment the Spartans.
Isaiah Livers: A-
It was so great to see Livers cut down the nets and win the Big Ten title. He’s been through a lot with this program. He started a national title game and is among the last connections to former head coach John Beilein. Isaiah only scored nine points but his impact was huge. He had the second-highest plus/minus for U-M and scored nine points, but grabbed seven boards, defended really well, and notched two steals. Franz hit the shots, Isaiah did a lot of little things.
Brown continues to struggle a little bit offensively. He didn’t score any points and only attempted two shots. He wasn’t able to get an open three in 12 minutes and got just a few boards. His defense is exceptional though so that’s why his grade is still ok.