3 things we learned from Michigan basketball win over Purdue Fort Wayne

Michigan basketball cruised to a 31-point win on Sunday and here are three things we learned about the Wolverines.

Michigan head coach Dusty May reacts to a play against Iowa during the second half at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
Michigan head coach Dusty May reacts to a play against Iowa during the second half at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan basketball made quick work of Purdue Fort Wayne on Sunday. It was a game that could have been scary in the right scenario but the Wolverines put that to bed quickly in the 89-58 win.

The Wolverines have struggled to finish at times, but they start well. They also shot the ball much better than the last game, making 48 percent from 3-pint range and 63 percent overall. Michigan basketball made 71 percent of its 2-point attempts.

Tre Donaldson led Michigan with 16 points. He also had six rebounds and three assists. Vlad Goldin added 13 on 6-of-7 shooting while Nimari Burnett and Justin Pippen managed 10. Here are three thoughts on Michigan's ninth win this season.

Teams can't stop Michigan's 7-footers

Danny Wolf only scored four points on Sunday but also took just three shots. Wolf had five assists and 13 rebounds and just allowed others, like Goldin, to do the heavy lifting.

Quiely, Goldin has been just as dominant in the paint. He only missed one shot on Sunday and is averaging 21 points per game over this last five. He's also made 77 percent of his shots in four of the past five games.

Turnovers are going to be a problem

Purdue Fort Wayne is good at forcing turnovers. They are one of the best teams in college basketball at forcing turnovers. So it's not shocking that the Wolverines had 18 turnovers. It was frustrating. Michigan basketball felt like lt scored or turned the ball over for much of the game.

When you bring up concerns about this team, there's maybe an issue with super athletic guards (who doesn't?), but most importantly, turnovers. Michigan only had 10 against Oklahoma, then turned around and had 18. It feels like this is a wart that might not get better.

Michigan is incredibly consistent

So far, the Wolverines have dominated their buy games. I know that teams are supposed to do that, but how many times did we see Michigan struggle against someone ranked outside the top 100 in the prior 2-3 seasons?

More often than I want to see happening. This season, May's team plays well regardless of opponent. U-M hasn't played a poor game all season. The three games they lost were by five points and they led each by at least 11 points.

They have to finish against good teams but from game to game, they have been incredibly consistent and have won all of their "buy" games by at least 23.

Schedule

Schedule