The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JANUARY 2022 THE WOLVERINE 37 of. If you look at some of our offensive numbers, we're right there with the best team in the country [also Baylor]. "But one thing they have done better with is they have more possessions than we do." In short, Howard said he and his Michigan staff want to see their kids try to make the simple play and value the basketball. Many times they'll overthink or force plays. They've seen it on film, talked about it in practice and continue to stress it. It's a learning process, Howard added, to know if a teammate is open, and how to deliver the ball on time, on target. "If he does it, then make the pass and trust that your teammate will make the right play," Howard said. He's confident they'll get there. They turned it over 12 times against So u t h e r n U ta h , b u t p o i n t g u a rd s DeVante' Jones and Frankie Collins only had one between them, which showed improvement. Jones, in particular, had been strug- gling in that area, but his assist to turnover ratio went up with his 6-to-1 showing against SUU. In addition, the Wolverines dished 18 assists in sharing the ball. "I really love and value this group, and trust them," Howard said. "And not only that — I have a positive attitude know- ing that we will improve. I'm not giving up on it, and they know it. "It's going to continue to be stressed until we become one of those teams that have 11 or less turnovers per game, be- cause that's more realistic than 13.5." Defense, too, needs to be more con- sistent. Minnesota shot 64 percent in the second half of the win over U-M, notching 29 field goals with only two assists. Fifth-year senior Eli Brooks was especially disappointed with that aspect, and the fact that some of the young guys weren't "hitting anybody." "We're in conference play. Every single game is impor- tant," Brooks said. "… So hav- ing the urgency of getting every single win you can possibly get in the Big Ten is huge, because it will al- low you to win the Big Ten." But not without continued improve- ment. The Wolverines face a gauntlet in the new year with games at Rutgers, and home against Michigan State and Pur- due, before traveling to Illinois. That stretch could well determine the direc- tion of the season, meaning it's time to pick it up. ❏ Sophomore center Hunter Dickinson paced the Wolverines in scoring (15.6 points per game) and rebounding (9.1) through 11 contests. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL What They're Saying About Michigan Basketball What some national pundits are saying about U-M's inconsistent play: Kerry Miller, Bleacher Report: "Unlike most of the teams on [our most disappoint- ing teams] list, Michigan still feels like a good bet to get into the NCAA Tournament. However, our preseason projection of the Wolverines as the No. 3 overall seed is unlikely to come true. They wilted late in a 67-65 home loss to Seton Hall. They got drilled by a combined margin of 39 points in losses to Arizona and North Carolina. And they did not look good at all in a 10-point home loss to Minnesota. "In those four [losses], they shot 12 of 63 (19.0 percent) from three-point range and struggled to defend the paint, particularly in the Arizona game. Considering they shot 38 percent beyond the arc and had one of the best two-point defenses in the nation last season, it's been an alarming start to the year." Andrew Kahn, MLive.com: "The 6-4 start is concerning. Michigan entered [Dec. 12] ranked No. 49 in the NCAA's NET. Sure, one could point out that Michigan's schedule has been tough: Arizona is No. 1 in the NET, Seton Hall is better than expected, Min- nesota might be good. Those sound like excuses, though, for a team picked to win the Big Ten. "The last Michigan team to start 6-4, in 2014-15, was the last that failed to reach the NCAA Tournament. Michigan had the same start the year before that and wound up winning the Big Ten and reaching the Elite Eight. "This year's team has time to get right, and now would be a good time. Southern Utah (118 in the NET) and Purdue Fort Wayne (294) are the next two opponents, both at home. Road trips to UCF (62) and Rutgers (170) are after that, meaning Michigan won't be an 'underdog' for a month, until Jan. 8 against Michigan State." Jeff Borzello, ESPN.com: "After the success he had with Mike Smith as a graduate transfer point guard last season, Juwan Howard went back to the portal in the offsea- son and landed DeVante' Jones, the Sun Belt Player of the Year from Coastal Carolina. After establishing himself as one of the better two-way players in the country last season, Jones has struggled in Ann Arbor. He's averaging 6.8 points, 3.9 assists and shooting just 25 percent from three-point range [before the win over Southern Utah]. He might be the key to whether Michigan can turn it around." Sophomore center Hunter Dickinson "I think right now we're just trying to get bet- ter, each and every day. We know there are no championships being won in December. That being said — there's some type of haste to try to get better and not go through another 4-4 record in a stretch. Obviously, we think we're better than what we're showing out there."