Michigan Basketball: 3 takeaways from spirited win over CSU
By Nick Popio
It was a frustrating first 20 minutes, but Michigan basketball took over in the second stanza to eliminate Colorado State from contention.
The Rams were in control to kick things off because of eight first-half 3-pointers and picking on Hunter Dickinson’s much too generous defense. They exploded out to a 15 point lead, but Michigan basketball came roaring back like a lion.
The Wolverines corrected their mistakes at the break and it reflected in the comeback. All five starters burdened the load without DeVante Jones to rely on due to a concussion.
Here are the three takeaways from the 75-63 win.
1. Frankie Collins filled in more than admirably for DeVante’ Jones
The freshman was well prepared for his first NCAA tournament experience in his career. Replacing Jones is not an easy thing to do, especially the way he has turned it on down the stretch, but Collins didn’t miss a beat. He went 6-7 from the floor and ignited the spark in the second by hitting Michigan basketball’s first three of the contest.
Frankie Collins won this game for Michigan. He was sensational on both ends, and he sparked the good guys at the end of the first half when we were all but dead.
— MichiganPodcast (@MichiganPodcast) March 17, 2022
Jones may or may not return Saturday, and we will probably not know until then, so Collins will have to be ready again for a very formidable Tennessee team. He and the rest of the crew deserve a round of applause for how well they did on the defensive end too. Colorado State’s best threat, David Roddy, only had 13 and the Rams didn’t hit much outside of the three-ball.
The second-half adjustment of getting the Rams off the 3-point line was noticeable. They only hit four triples in that period. Hunter Dickinson used his size as a clear advantage on both spectrums of the floor also with four blocks to add to the stat sheet and an unmatched inside attack.