The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542609
FEBRUARY 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 65 F or a month and a half, Michi- gan's men's basketball looked invincible. In 10 games from Nov. 19 to Jan. 2, the Maize and Blue smoked all com- ers. They won all of them by at least 18 points, seven by at least 30 points and five by at least 40 points. These weren't against cupcakes either. Three were Quad 1 wins, and U-M's aver- age margin of victory in those three was 32.7 points, including a 40-point lambasting of No. 9 Gonzaga in the Players Era Championship Game (still Gonzaga's only loss as of Jan. 12). At the beginning of this stretch, Michigan was 15th on KenPom. By the end, the Wolverines had the second-highest adjusted efficiency margin in 30 years. Michigan was dominating its op- ponents so thoroughly in a way that hadn't been seen in a long time. So much so that the conversation had shifted from whether the Wolverines were the best team in the country to whether they could go 40-0 and what even is the recipe for upsetting them. Then only a week later, we didn't need to wonder anymore. Michigan fell from the heavens and joined the rest of the mortals. It was nearly stunned in a two- point win at lowly Penn State on Jan. 6 before Wisconsin finished the job in a 91- 88 shootout in Ann Arbor on Jan. 10. So, what happened in these two con- tests that was so different from the pre- ceding 10? While forwards Yaxel Lend- eborg and Morez Johnson Jr. and center Aday Mara have been the driving force of Michigan's success this year, they were not at their best the last two perfor- mances. First, one would think that a lineup of Lendeborg (6-foot-9), Johnson (6-foot- 9) and Mara (7-foot-3) would clean up most of the bricks that clank off the iron or backboard, but that has not been the case. Michigan has a soft spot on the de- fensive glass. While the Wolverines are 47th in defensive rebounding rate overall (27.1 percent), they are a middle-of-the- pack ninth in Big Ten play (31.1 percent). This almost led to the upset in Happy Val- ley. Even though the Nittany Lions had only a 40.9 eFG% (effective field goal percentage) for the game, they tossed up 9 more field-goal attempts than Michi- gan due to 15 offensive boards and a 33.3 OREB% (offensive rebounding percent- age). For the most part, the Wolverines have an excellent shot defense, but that can be neutralized if opponents keep get- ting second chances on possessions. Second, Wisconsin hinted at a potential weakness that could open up Michigan's stout interior defense. The reason the Wolverines have hammered opponents is how they destroy their foes around the rim. For a good chunk of the season, they have led the country in two-point shoot- ing on offense and defense and currently still do (64.7 percent on offense, 39.5 on defense). With the length and skill of Lendeborg, Johnson and Mara, the Maize and Blue have generated easy look after easy look at the bucket, while opponents have been scared to challenge them in the paint. However, the Badgers had two stretch big men who got hot in a way Michi- gan hadn't seen yet. Forward Aleksas Bieliauskas knocked down 5-of-10 triples, with five in a row coming dur- ing a pivotal early stretch of the second half, and center Nolan Winter sunk another 3-of-4 from deep. Both had been sub-30 percent from three en- tering the game, but they lit it up in the Crisler Center. Michigan had to start extending its defense more to the arc, which moved U-M's trees from the paint. Then Wisconsin's guards had more success penetrating the paint and finishing around the tin. For the season, Michigan is second in rim shot defense (46.6 field goal percent). Yet the Badgers were able to convert 10- of-17 tries (58.8 percent) at the basket — by far the best versus U-M. Third, Lendeborg, who has been dinged up at different points this sea- son, is dealing with a calf contusion. While he is playing through it and has been offensively efficient, he un- derstandably hasn't looked as explo- sive and agile as he did during U-M's sensational stretch. If he, Johnson and Mara are not 100 percent, U-M's essential advantage with its roster constructions starts to slip away. While the Wolverines are still No. 1 on KenPom and T-Rank, they're just cling- ing on to the top spot. Michigan needs to stabilize its descent and rediscover its rhythm to hold on and secure two harder-than-they-seem wins during a West Coast road trip to Washington and Oregon. While the Huskies don't uti- lize a stretch big, the Ducks certainly do with two, and both teams love to crash the offensive glass. This is a pivotal time for head coach Dusty May to reorganize his group, get his big men on track, lock down the defensive glass and stifle the opponents' stretchy snipers. If U-M can do that before flying to the Pacific, the Wolverines may look unstop- pable yet again. ❑ INSIDE THE NUMBERS ❱ DREW HALLETT Regaining Invincibility Headed into the heart of Big Ten play, Dusty May will need bet- ter rebounding and defense from his big men, including from 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara, for the Wolverines to regain their dominating early-season form. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Staff writer Drew Hallett has covered Michigan athletics since 2013. Contact him at drew.c.hallett@gmail.com and follow him on X (Twitter) @DrewCHallett.