Michigan Basketball: 3 things we learned in win vs Northwestern

The Michigan Wolverines struggled against a very tough conference foe Northwestern, etching out a win 72-70 after blowing their lead late. 

Well, that was quite the game to watch. The Wolverines notched a late 72-70 win against Northwestern for their 3rd straight victory.

For a quick minute there it seemed as if Michigan basketball was dead in the water and had no chance of winning this game, but the Wolverines prevailed which to me is a fantastic sign.

Michigan in all honesty shot the ball really well, shooting 66% from deep and 55% from the field. The scoring was led by Caleb Houstan, who had 18, 2, and 1. Let’s talk about some of the things we took away after this gut-wrenching game.

1. Michigan basketball has some fight in them

The Wolverines have been often criticized for their lack of heart and effort on the court, seemingly correlating to the losses. Although the Wolverines did collapse in the second half like usual, they didn’t cave in and lose, they got back up and were swinging punch for punch with Northwestern.

It’s a clear sign of progression from the Wolverines that they’re able to fight their way back even in the deep end minutes of the game. With such a young team and the hardest conference ahead of them, it’ll be a lot of work, but if they can keep winning it’ll be a good sign that things are clicking.

2. Caleb Houstan train has left the station

We talked about how important this game was for Caleb, and how he can exponentially propel into the heights he was once projected to be at. Caleb had a tough first stretch of the season but has come alive these past few games, averaging roughly 16, 4, 1.

Caleb shooting well and providing double digits to the box score seems to have a direct correlation to the success of the Wolverines. These past few games, Caleb has played his best games and the direct result has been the Wolverines winning

It’s not just him chucking up shots either like he’s Steph Curry, he’s meticulous about his shooting selection. Shooting 75% and 71% in the Maryland and Indiana game. His 3 point shooting took a dip shooting about 60% from beyond the arc, but even that is fantastic if he can consistently do those numbers.

3. The turnovers and growing pains are back

In the past few games, it seems like the Wolverines have seemed to have outgrown the growing pains they were experiencing with such a new and young roster, but as we saw today they’re still there.

Michigan did indeed play a bit sloppy, turning the ball over 13 times and having 24 fouls in-game. While Northwestern did too, it’s no excuse. The Wolverines shot 70% from the FT line, which is great but at the end of the game, there were plenty of chances to blow the game that Northwestern seemingly just did not capitalize on.

Shoutout though to Devante’ Jones for making those free throws towards the end of the game, they proved to be the difference between losing and winning in this conference, and it goes to show you that at any night anyone can win or lose in the Big Ten.