Michigan Basketball: 3 things to watch for Wolverines vs Northwestern

Michigan basketball takes on Northwestern after back-to-back fantastic games against Maryland and Indiana. Here are three things to watch against the Wildcats. 

Michigan basketball displayed a master-class on dominant basketball against Indiana in the Hoosiers’ own backyard, but can Michigan stifle a very good and underrated Northwestern basketball team? I personally believe so, although I think it’s going to be a very hard-fought game.

There are some key things to look out for in this tricky Big Ten showdown for the Wolverines, so why don’t we talk about them!

1. Michigan needs to keep everything inside and not outside

Northwestern is a fantastic team in the paint on both sides of the ball. Against Michigan State, Northwestern outrebounded Sparty offensively to the tune of a 10+ margin.

You may be wondering why I mention that Michigan basketball needs to keep everything outside? Well, in that game Northwestern shot about 38% from the field, but the bulk of their points came from downtown.

This is not a one-off occurrence either, Northwestern consistently is hitting deep balls at a somewhat efficient rate. Michigan forcing Northwestern to take tough shots in the paint or even deep inside the arches is going to dictate how well Michigan does defensively.

2. Hunter Dickinson needs to keep up the momentum

Hunter Dickinson without a doubt has been the most electric player for the Wolverines this season. He’s really burst back onto the scene the past few games, which he seemingly left early this year.

Dickinson, who’s averaging 17, 9, and two this season has really developed into a leader of this young but talented Wolverines team. His efficiency down low and his defensive presence is so contagious that when he plays well, it correlates directly to the other players’ success.

He will meet his match however, Northwestern has multiple forwards like Pete Nance who love to drive the lane. Dickinson is going to need to have a stellar defensive performance down low in order for the Wolverines to pull this one out.

3. Eli Brooks needs to shake off the slump

In the past few games, Eli Brooks has been on a complete dry spell. We covered this after the Indiana game that he is such a valuable asset to the team, that him not performing how he usually does is not just bad for the team but it’s bad for his draft stock.

We all know how lethal of a shooter Brooks is, we saw it his freshman year when he was hitting unreal shots during the tournament and the end of the season for the Wolverines.

He’s experienced, he’s a veteran and one of the oldest guys on the team, so the room for error is now out the window. He needs to perform.

He started off the season hot, having poor performances every once in a while but he’s really hit a slump in the heart of the Big Ten schedule. Brooks needs to find his roots and figure out a way to shake all the dust off, and what better of a time to do that than against Northwestern.