Gut reactions: Michigan basketball has life after beating Ohio State

The Michigan basketball team controlled Ohio State from start to finish on Sunday and here are the gut reactions to the Wolverines’ win. 

It’s too early to say that Michigan basketball has righted the ship or that the Wolverines are going to make the NCAA tournament. There is a lot of work to do.

However, the win Sunday over Ohio State was huge and another reminder of how good this team can be when it plays up to its potential.

You could tell early on, it was going to be a good day for the Wolverines who didn’t trail once. Hunter Dickinson got a couple of buckets early and his effort on one offensive board told me he was locked in.

What ensued was one of the best performances of his career with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. It was exactly what Michigan needed. Ohio State isn’t well equipped to defend Dickinson, but most teams aren’t and Hunter is capable of this on any given night.

It wasn’t just him though. Kobe Bufkin (13 points, eight rebounds, five assists) was spectacular again and he keeps growing by leaps and bounds. He stuffs the stat sheet.

Jett Howard (16 points) hit some big shots as usual and Dug McDaniel (eight points, three assists) even knocked down a couple of 3-pointers, as did Joey Baker off the bench (eight points).

Holding Ohio State to less than 70 is a solid defensive effort and Michigan basketball held the Buckeyes to 41 percent shooting. I wrote prior to the game that U-M needed Ohio State to shoot closer to 30 percent from 3-point range than 40 and the Buckeyes shot 31 percent.

The rebound battle was even at 33-33. Ohio State also assisted on just six of 26 field goals which meant Michigan made the Buckeyes take tough shots. It was an effective strategy.

Michigan is now 13-10 overall and 7-5 in the Big Ten. The next two games are at home against Nebraska and Indiana. If the Wolverines win those games and get to 15-10, they will at least have a fighting chance of making the big dance.

Here are the gut reactions.

Gut reactions to Michigan basketball win over Ohio State

• Hunter Dickinson wasn’t going to lose that game and if he keeps playing that way, this team will go dancing.
• Kobe Bufkin keeps getting better, and better, and better.
• Jett Howard is the best shooter Juwan has coached at Michigan.
• The Juwan hot seat talk was premature.
• Being thrown into the fire will be great long-term for Dug McDaniel.
• Michigan needs Joey Baker to stay productive. No other bench players scored on Sunday.
• The defense has been vastly improved in the past two games.
• There is still a lot of work to do. Every game is a must-win.
• A sense of urgency has returned and makes you wonder, why it hasn’t been there all along.
• On the same note, a loss in one of the next two games erases all progress.
• Go Blue!