The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1451622
86 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2022 MICHIGAN BASKETBALL games over the last month, including the 75-67 loss at Rutgers Jan. 4, the 68-53 setback at Illinois Jan. 14 and the 83-64 win over Maryland Jan. 18 in which he scored a season-high five points. Though he scored only two points ver- sus the Illini, he also notched two offen- sive rebounds and went toe to toe with behemoth center Kofi Cockburn. Michi- gan outscored Illinois by 10 points when Howard was on the floor despite losing by 15. Michigan was shorthanded, missing starting center Hunter Dickinson and backup forward Brandon Johns (COVID protocol) but trailed by only a point with about seven minutes to play. Howard was a big part of it. "It's what we needed," Jace Howard said of his role. "And how many times in your career can you guard a preseason All- American or a potential national Player of the Year?" Howard then forced several turnovers while running the point of the press in the 82-76 loss at Purdue Feb. 5, disrupting on defense and sparking excitement among his teammates in diving for loose balls and creating steals. Michigan trailed by double digits early at Purdue before the Wolverines made a run. Though they never led, they tied the game early in the second half before the Boilers pulled away again, only to have Howard spark the run. His father — his coach — was proud of him. "It was huge, man," Juwan Howard said. "One of the things about that young man is that he's a competitor. He doesn't have another choice. And with that, he's embraced being in this situation where he belongs. That's the key; he belongs here, and he embraces being able to do what- ever he can to help his teammates." They've all noticed, several of them noting the energy he brings in his game minutes is always what they see in prac- tice. "His teammates, of course, applaud a young man who's diving on the floor for loose balls and battling a big that's over- sized or weighs more than he does," Juwan Howard continued. "Attacking the basket and doesn't care if the shot gets blocked … not trying to finesse it but going in there and finishing over the top. "Defensively, he's moving and sliding his feet. It was just inspiring to watch." He hopes to see more of it down the stretch with the Wolverines fighting for an NCAA Tournament berth. — Chris Balas Three Best Players 1. Sophomore center Hunter Dickin- son: Playing at a Big Ten Player of the Year level, Dickinson scored 20 or more points in six of the last nine games, after missing the Jan. 14 tilt at Illinois with an illness. The Alexandria, Va., native has added an- other element to his game, too. While he shot three-pointers on occa- sion earlier in the season, he's 11 of 24 in the last nine tilts. At 39.0 percent for the campaign, Dickinson is actually U-M's second-best three-point shooter. Oppo- nents can no longer just key in on the big man in the post and ignore him on the perimeter. 2. Fifth-year senior guard Eli Brooks: The veteran guard has come alive from outside, nailing 15 of his last 30 three- point attempts, and has scored 16 or more points in three of the last four out- ings. He went off for 20 points in a narrow victory over Nebraska Feb. 1 and hit all four of his triple tries in a Feb. 10 win over Purdue, totaling 18 points. 3. Fifth-year senior guard DeVante' Jones: The Coastal Carolina transfer had his fair share of struggles early in the season, but has come into his own as of late. He's become more aggressive, getting downhill and to the rim, and is drawing more fouls. Jones ranks fifth in the conference in ball-screen efficiency among those with at least 100 attempts, per Synergy, gen- erating 0.922 points per possession. He's made 20 of 25 free throws over the last nine games, has scored in double figures five times and is averaging 5.4 assists per outing since Jan. 18. Key Play Nebraska led U-M by seven points with 6:08 remaining Feb. 1, before Cornhusker guard Keisei Tominaga committed a per- sonal foul, voiced his displeasure with the call and drew a technical. The Wolverines hit all four free throws, and the sequence sparked an 18-6 U-M run to close out the 85-79 victory. Best Highlight The top highlight wasn't one play in particular, but instead a barrage of five three-pointers during a stretch that lasted just over four minutes late in the second half to seal the Wolverines' 82-58 win over Purdue Feb. 10. Fifth-year senior guard Eli Brooks and freshman guard/forward Caleb Houstan each nailed two triples, while sophomore center Hunter Dickinson got in on the fun with one of his own. The shots that fu- eled a 15-5 run brought the Crisler Center crowd to its feet and created a frenzy on a night to remember. Bold Prediction Michigan will win three of its four remaining home games — against Rutgers, Illinois, Michigan State and Iowa — and steal one of the three road contests left (at Iowa, Wisconsin and Ohio State) to finish the regular season 17-13 overall and 11-9 in league play. That would put U-M in good position to make the NCAA Tournament, and the Wolverines may not even need a win in the Big Ten Tournament to earn a bid to the Big Dance. — Clayton Sayfie Superlatives For U-M's Nine Games From Jan. 18-Feb. 12 Sophomore center Hunter Dickinson has added three-point shooting to his arsenal and is second on the team through 23 games with a 39.0 percent success rate from behind the arc. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL