The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1433691
DECEMBER 2021 THE WOLVERINE 37 on, and we're going to do that this week coming up before the next game." More than anything, Howard said, they needed to get back to playing 'Michigan basketball.' It wasn't one big thing that disappointed him after the Arizona loss; rather, an overall lack of desperation and grit, especially when things started to go downhill. "There are several things I'd like to see. Let's get back to the Michigan way — stay connected, play hard from start to finish," he said. "I thought the last game, Arizona — give them credit, they had more energy and effort in areas of the ballgame that they showed, that we had. We did not play like we have done in the past." The Wolverines did show it in their previous game with UNLV, a solid team playing on its home court, in a 74-61 win. Though they lost the title game to the Wildcats in the Roman Main Event Tournament, the coach insisted it would pay dividends down the road. "That will now help us throughout the season," he said. "Going through the adversity we went through and learning to grow with it, I think we're going to have some special things com- ing … for the rest of the games to come. "We played against some really high- level teams, looking back to Buffalo, Se- ton Hall, UNLV and Arizona. Not tak- ing anything away from Prairie View A&M, [either]. They played extremely hard, and they won their conference last year." The Big Ten is a different animal, though, and conference play is fast ap- proaching. Games with the Tar Heels and San Diego State preceded contests at Nebraska and home against Min- nesota, a tough pre-Christmas stretch sure to test the Wolverines in December. Howard and his staff were back in the lab after the Thanksgiving holiday try- ing to figure it all out, confident they'd get back on track. Putting the puzzle together sometimes takes time, but they've got plenty of talented pieces with which to work. ❏ Sophomore center Hunter Dickinson ranked second on the team in scoring (14.8 points per game) and first in rebounding (8.2 boards per contest) during U-M's 4-2 start this season. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Top Five Big Ten Teams Through November The Big Ten took its lumps in the early part of the non-conference season, with several of its teams losing to lower-profile programs. Only Purdue, the Associated Press No. 2 team as of Nov. 29, remained in the top 10 after starting the season as the AP's No. 7 squad. Michigan (preseason No. 6), Illinois (No. 11), Ohio State (No. 17) and Maryland (No. 21) had all failed to live up to expectations. Of those teams, only the Wolverines (No. 24) were still ranked in the Nov. 29 up- date from the AP, with Michigan State checking in at No. 22 and Wisconsin No. 23, and Illinois the top vote receiver outside the top 25. Here are our top five conference teams in the early going: 1. Purdue: The Boilermakers look like the class of the Big Ten in ripping off six straight wins to start the season, led by guard Jaden Ivey (15 points per game) and center Zach Edey (17.7). They beat North Carolina, 93-84, Nov. 20, and then No. 7 Villanova, 80-74, a day later. Many would consider them the new favorite to capture the league title. 2. Wisconsin: The Badgers are flawed, but they've got an identity and some pieces. They started 5-1, beating Texas A&M Nov. 20 and following up with a 65-63 victory over No. 12 Houston Nov. 23. Guards Johnny Davis (20.2 points per game) and Brad Davison (13.3) were lead- ing the way for Greg Gard's group, though the veteran Davison was shooting only 26.2 percent from long range through five games. 3. Indiana: The Hoosiers really hadn't played anyone through six games, barely getting by Eastern Michigan in their opener (68-62) and squeaking by St. John's Nov. 17 (76-74). They were still one of the Big Ten's handful of undefeated squads, led by big man Trayce Jackson-Davis (20.5 points per game). Guard Xavier Johnson added 11.8 points per game and was shooting an impressive 55.6 percent from three-point range. 4. Michigan: The Wolverines looked bad in a loss to Arizona, struggling in giving up offensive rebounds and allowing the Wildcats to get into the paint, but they gave one away against a solid Seton Hall team. They led by 11 in the second half before fading down the stretch. This team is a work in progress, but center Hunter Dickinson hasn't played his best ball yet, and the freshmen are still developing. They'll need to rely on fifth- year senior guard Eli Brooks (15.7 points) and Dickinson (14.8) until the young guys come around. 5. Michigan State: The Spartans started the season 5-2, getting blown out by Kansas and Baylor, but pulled out a win over No. 22 UConn over the Thanksgiving holiday. Their guards hadn't been great, but small forward Gabe Brown showed signs of becoming a solid offensive threat. He was leading the team with 13.4 points per game as of Nov. 28. — Chris Balas