Michigan Basketball: 3 things to watch for vs Ohio State

Michigan took down #3 ranked Purdue in electric fashion 82-58 led by Hunter Dickinson who had 22 points and 9 boards. The Wolverines will take on the Buckeyes Saturday at 6:00 PM ET.

Wow, what a performance by Michigan basketball. This was by far the Wolverine’s best game and win of the season. Although they’ve been bipolar this season, you have to take the good with the bad in this situation.

The Wolverines now sit on the fringe of a bubble seat for March, if the Wolverines are able to pull through with a victory over the much-anticipated rematch with Ohio State, they will be sitting firmly in March Madness projections.

Ohio State is coming off a disappointing collapse to Rutgers and is seeking revenge against the hot Wolverines.

Can the Michigan basketball pull off another win in Crisler? Let’s talk about some things to look out for.

1. Will the backcourt continue to amaze?

Devante Jones and Eli Brooks played amazing games against Purdue. Both limited their turnovers as well as mistakes and found a way to get the whole starting five in double digits.

Brooks was on fire from deep, shooting a whopping 100%. This type of play needs to continue against Ohio State if the Wolverines want to find a way to win. In short, a clean game with good guard play is the key to the Wolverine’s success.

2. Can Hunter Dickinson continue to draw attention?

Hunter Dickinson is such a game-changer that teams often have to double him down low, that being said Ohio State does not exactly have the height Dickinson or the Wolverines in general have, they need to use that to their advantage.

Getting it down low to Dickinson for the easy lay or a kick out to the outside when he’s doubled should be the play for the Wolverines. Juwan understands how to beat Ohio State with Hunter Dickinson, so he needs to go out there and do it.

3. Can this team play with as much heart as they did against Purdue?

This is the biggest rivalry in college sports, agree or disagree at this point I see it as a fact, and I am sure both Michigan and Ohio State fans can agree on that. The Wolverines need to attack Ohio State with what Jim Harbaugh would refer to as “an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.”

Some of these guys understand the magnitude of this game, others don’t, so the Wolverines need to feed off the pressure and shine in the big moment as they did against Purdue.

Failure to do so could result in a loss, however, I have faith in these Wolverines. As always, GO BLUE!