Michigan Basketball: Gut reactions from a rare road win against Iowa

Syndication: HawkCentral
Syndication: HawkCentral /
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Michigan basketball did something it rarely does — win a game in Iowa and the victory was as important as any the Wolverines have had this season. 

This Michigan basketball team isn’t always consistent or always fundamentally sound. It’s not always pretty or perfect but the Wolverines have guts and they showed that again Thursday night.

Over the years, Iowa City hasn’t been kind to Michigan basketball. Even some of Michigan’s best teams have been unable to beat the Hawkeyes on their home floor. But with their NCAA tournament hopes potentially hanging in the balance, Michigan delivered a clutch win (84-79).

It was yet another quadrant-1 win for Michigan basketball and its second consecutive victory on the road. Of Michigan’s eight conference wins, four of them: Nebraska, Penn State, Indiana, and now Iowa have come on the road.

The common denominator between all of those wins has been Hunter Dickinson. Moussa Diabate may get the headlines and he was spectacular but Dickinson was the most important player on the floor with his 14 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and stellar defense around the rim.

Diabate scored a career-high 28 points and Michigan wouldn’t have won without him because that scoring output helped make up for a 4-for-20 showing from 3-point range but he got those shots because of the attention paid to Hunter, plain and simple.

Three of those made 3-pointers came in the second half and all were from either DeVante Jones or Eli Brooks, who made three himself.

It wasn’t perfect and the bench rotations got ugly at times. But Michigan needly this win in the worst way and here are the gut reactions.

Gut Reactions from Michigan basketball’s win over Iowa

  • No way anyone believes beforehand that Michigan wins shooting 20 percent from deep.
  • Moussa has the best matchup and took advantage. His development has been striking and he’s not coming back next season. Get over it.
  • The offense is always humming when it can run through Hunter.
  • Eli Brooks was just gutsy. That’s senior leadership right there.
  • Michigan is getting the exact opposite from Brandon Johns right now. He’s offered nothing.
  • Kobe Bufkin had a really good game. His 10 points were enormous. His turnovers hurt too but that’s part of playing freshmen.
  • The bench as a whole is a disaster.
  • Loved what Jace Howard provided.
  • This team plays its best when its back is against the wall.
  • Michigan is now playing with house money on Sunday at Wisconsin.
  • Three wins in four home games to close the season will get Michigan in the tournament.
  • A reminder of why this win was freaking huge.
  • Go Blue!