The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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APRIL 2022 THE WOLVERINE 47 MICHIGAN BASKETBALL Three Best Players 1. Sophomore center Hunter Dickinson: The second-team All-Big Ten selection continues to light it up from two-point range, shooting 53 of 96 over his last seven contests (he missed the March 6 tilt at Ohio State). He didn't score less than 13 points in a game during that stretch, and exploded for 20 or more points three times. His career-high 33 points on a career-best 13 made field goals in the Wolverines' 87-70 win over in-state rival MSU March 1 lifted the team to a blowout victory. He concluded the regular season with 18.4 points (fifth in the Big Ten) and 8.5 rebounds (fourth) per outing, consistently serving as U-M's most valuable player. 2. Fifth-year senior guard DeVante' Jones: The Coastal Carolina transfer elevated his play in the second half of the season and took his game to another level down the stretch. Dur- ing the eight-game span, Jones averaged 14.5 points, 5.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game, and poured in 20 or more points twice. That included a 21-point, nine-assist perfor- mance at Ohio State March 6, leading the Maize and Blue to a much-needed victory while playing without Dickinson. He became elite at running the pick-and-roll, scoring or assisting on 319 points out of ball screens during the regular season, which slotted third in the Big Ten. 3. Freshman guard/forward Caleb Houstan: The rookie's up-and-down freshman campaign continued, but he had more highs than lows late in the year. The former five-star recruit had four straight games of scoring in double figures from Feb. 23 to March 3, including two showings of putting up 21 points. Houstan went 11 of 20 from three-point range during that stretch. He also had four games since Feb. 17 in which he scored in single figures and was held in check, but his big games allowed the Maize and Blue to click offensively. They're 9-1 when he scores 13 or more points this season. Key Play With a 66-62 lead at Ohio State March 6, fifth-year senior guard Eli Brooks received a left-side ball screen from fresh- man forward Moussa Diabate. Two defenders followed Brooks, who drove left, tight-roped the baseline and found freshman guard Kobe Bufkin, a 20.5-percent three-point shooter at the time who had missed an open triple earlier in the half. Bufkin had two Buckeyes closing out on him as he fired from long range on the right wing, swishing the shot to give U-M a seven-point advantage with 1:20 to play. The freshman's splash helped seal the 75-69 victory in hostile territory. Best Highlight With just less than six minutes left in U-M's 87-70 beatdown of MSU March 1, Dickinson, who had 26 points at the time, posted up on Spartan big man Julius Marble II on the left block (Marble was one of four MSU frontcourt players who attempted to guard Dickin- son during the contest). He faced up, jab-stepped to his right and drove baseline left. Mar- ble got caught up behind him, and hacked the 7-1 phenom, who finished with a reverse, one-handed slam plus the foul that brought the house down at Crisler Center. Bold Prediction U-M will fail to make the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016, when it was also a bubble team that made The Big Dance by the skin of its teeth. The Wolverines have been inconsistent all season long — from game to game and even half to half — and haven't won consecutive contests since Feb. 8 and Feb. 10, going 10 straight games alternating wins and losses. While the team's offense has been very good all season, ranking top 20 nationally in offensive efficiency on KenPom. com, the defense has held it back and proved unreliable, slotting outside of the top 90 in efficiency after its loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament. U-M has proven it can beat great teams like Purdue, but it hasn't shown that sustained success is a realistic possibility this March. — Clayton Sayfie With the new date and schedule, the London Showcase event will feature a doubleheader of college basketball, with Marist playing Maine at 3:30 p.m. Lon- don time (10:30 a.m. ET), followed by the Wolverines and Wildcats at 6 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET). "After all that has transpired over the last few years for us, and even the world, it will be a tremendous opportunity for Michigan, Kentucky and college basket- ball itself to get the chance to showcase this game," head coach Juwan Howard said in a statement. "We had to wait, but it will be that once-in-a-lifetime expe- rience for our young men and our fans. "We are thankful the Naismith Me- morial Basketball Hall of Fame has con- tinued to provide this opportunity and make sure everyone is safe. This is going to be truly special." U-M and Kentucky have met on seven occasions, with UK holding a 5-2 series advantage. The Wolverines and Wild- cats will meet up for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign, when Kentucky came away with a victory over U-M in the NCAA Tournament Midwest Re- gional final. U-M already has two other events scheduled for the 2022-23 season. The Wolverines will play in the Legends Classic in Newark, N.J., along with Ari- zona State, Pittsburgh and VCU. They'll also take part in the first-ever Jumpman Invitational, which will include a game against one of North Carolina, Florida or Oklahoma in Charlotte, N.C. — Clayton Sayfie Superlatives For U-M's Eight Games From Feb. 17-March 10 Freshman Kobe Bufkin nailed a three- pointer with 1:20 to play to help seal a 75-69 win at Ohio State March 6. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL