The Wolverine

January 2022

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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JANUARY 2022 THE WOLVERINE 39   MICHIGAN BASKETBALL and then there has to be a commitment from the five players on the floor." When that starts, he said, the Wolver- ines will get there. They showed prog- ress in wins over San Diego State and Nebraska, making 50 percent of their triples, but took a step back against the Gophers. They'll need to improve much more to compete in a rugged Big Ten. — Chris Balas GAME IS SLOWING DOWN FOR DEVANTE' JONES Coastal Carolina point guard transfer DeVante' Jones has had a rocky start to his Michigan career. The fifth-year senior picked up 18 fouls and fouled out twice in his first six games, and turned the ball over 19 times in his first seven outings, with 27 assists during that span. He scored in double figures just twice in his first nine con- tests, shooting 20 of 49 from the field during that span (40.8 percent). But it appears Jones has found his footing a bit as of late, scoring 14 points and adding three assists in a loss to Min- nesota Dec. 11, before playing his best game as a Wolverine in an 87-50 blowout win over Southern Utah Dec. 18. In 22 minutes, Jones scored 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including a 3-of-3 performance from long range, with six assists, three rebounds and only one turnover. He was under control, got the Wolverines into their offensive sets and pushed in transition when opportunities arose. "The first couple games, I was just so excited to be playing at Michigan," Jones said after the Southern Utah win. "It's slowed down for me, and I changed my routine a lot with certain things. "I've been at peace. I've been talking to [head] Coach [Juwan] Howard a lot and have been watching a lot of film. I have been talking to [former point guards] Zavier [Simpson] and Mike [Smith]. They've all been helping me with this transition." Jones has been up front about his struggles through the ups and downs. "I know I haven't had the best start to the season," he said. "I'm just thankful to my coaches and the players for having confidence in me. Each and every day, I come in and go to work. I watch a lot of film, just trying to see where the play is Superlatives For U-M's Five Games From Dec. 1-18 Three Best Players 1. Sophomore center Hunter Dickinson Dickinson put up just four points on five shot attempts in a loss to North Carolina Dec. 1, before posting double-doubles in each of the next four outings, averaging 19.8 points and 11.5 rebounds per game during a stretch in which the Maize and Blue went 3-1. The big man is connecting on 64.0 percent of his two- point attempts on the year and is leading the team in points (172), made shots (76) and rebounds (100, 9.1 per game). 2. Senior guard Eli Brooks He scored in double figures in all but one of the last five contests, ending with a blowout win over Southern Utah. While his shooting percentage has waned as of late (under 50 percent from the field in all five games), Brooks continues to defend the opposition's best guard and be one of the team's primary ball han- dlers. He has 14 assists and 14 rebounds during the span, while averaging 11.3 points per outing. 3. Freshman guard/forward Caleb Houstan The former five-star recruit's ups and downs continue, but he's shown incre- mental improvement throughout the season. Houstan scored 17 and 16 points in wins over San Diego State and Nebraska, respectively, and is shooting 42.8 percent from long range (9 of 21) over the last five games. His 19 made triples are tied with Brooks for the most on the team and have come on one fewer at- tempt (52). Key Play Houstan took a dribble handoff from Dickinson on the left wing and drove down the right side of the lane, missing a layup that was too strong. Dickinson grabbed the board over a defender, however, and made the put-back layup to give Michigan a six-point lead, 49-43, over San Diego State with 14:01 to play Dec. 4. That bucket sparked a 17-3 run and 25-15 finish to the game that wound up in a 72-48 victory for the Maize and Blue. Best Highlight With just under 13 minutes to play in the second half of Michi- gan's 87-50 thrashing of South- ern Utah Dec. 18, freshman guard Frankie Collins received a top-side ball screen from fresh- man forward Moussa Diabate, who rolled down the left side of the lane. Just inside the three- point line, Collins threw an un- derhanded lob towards the rim. Diabate elevated over a defender, caught the ball and finished all in one motion to cap off the al- ley oop and give the Wolverines a 63-28 edge. Bold Prediction Michigan will win its next three games before hosting Michigan State Jan. 8. The Wolverines are heavily favored over Purdue Fort Wayne Dec. 21, ahead of what should be a tight tilt at Central Florida Dec. 30. U-M re-enters Big Ten play with a road game at Rutgers Jan. 4, in a venue where the Scarlet Knights took down then-No. 1 Purdue Dec. 9. Kenpom.com agrees and projects the Wolverines to win all three games, which would put them at 10-4 before a rivalry showdown with the Spartans. — Clayton Sayfie Freshman Moussa Diabate is second on the team with 5.8 rebounds per game and fourth with 7.6 points through 11 contests while impressing with his athleticism. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL

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