College Basketball

Michigan Basketball: How the Wolverines Are Putting It All Together

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 10:50 p.m. ET

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Mar 15, 2016; Dayton, OH, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach John Beilein looks on during a practice day before the First Four of the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament at Dayton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan basketball was in need of a resume-building win and got one in blowout fashion against Indiana.

Thursday’s 90-60 win over the Indiana Hoosiers was peak Michigan basketball. Ruthlessly efficient on offense, scrappy on defense, and led by a combination of senior leadership and a commitment to moving the ball. Indiana had no answer for a Wolverine team that, finally, played as a cohesive unit.

Michigan improves to only 14-7 (4-4), but this win was a long time in the making. Join GBMWolverine for an examination of what brought Michigan basketball to last night’s blowout.

Jan 26, 2017; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan basketball guard Derrick Walton Jr. (10) shoots the ball over Indiana Hoosiers forward Juwan Morgan (13) in the first half at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Walton and Irvin take center stage

Derrick Walton Jr. and Zak Irvin had high expectations coming into their Michigan careers. After a freshman campaign that was a jumper away from the Final Four, foot and back injuries have prevented them from reaching their ceiling.

On Thursday, the two once again demonstrated all the potential they have. The two crashed the boards, found their teammates for easy buckets, and got to the line for impressive stat lines: 21 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds for Walton; 12, 3, and 4 for Irvin.

Walton has done so by improving his efficiency on offense, with a couple factors coming into play here. One, Walton is no longer dealing with a foot injury that sapped his first step last year. Second, the Wolverines sport a full offensive arsenal around the point guard, allowing him more open looks. In any case, Walton is shooting better from the field (43% in 2016-17 vs 37% in 15-16) and from deep (42% in 16-17 vs 38% in 15-16). As a result, Walton’s scoring is up this season despite taking less shots. He’s also been highly dependable in the clutch this year, with one notable example below:

Walton’s assists are down on the season, but a big reason for that is the emergence of Zak Irvin as a playmaker. The senior wing has shown a much improved ability to pick his spots this season, upping both his assist rate and percentage from the field. Irvin has seven games with 5+ assists on the year, compared to just five all of last year. Additionally, the Fishers native has been Michigan’s leading scorer, reaching double digits in the last 12 games. In particular, Irvin is getting to the rim, beating people on the first step. It also helps that Irvin has upped his three point percentage, even with shots like this:

The two have provided a steadying presence for a Wolverine team full of emerging stars, and are the keys to a NCAA tournament run. Read on for other reasons the Wolverines might be dancing in March.

Dec 6, 2016; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Kerwin Roach Jr. (12) in the second half forward Moritz Wagner (13) and Michigan basket forward D.J. Wilson (5) blocks a shot at Crisler Center. Michigan won 53-50. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan basketball big men keep producing

The Michigan big men have the storyline of the season as we get to the midpoint of league play. DJ Wilson and Mo Wagner each averaged 3 points a game last season. There were flashes of promise, and this season has turned out to be the best case scenario for their careers. A summer working on their games has shown improved 3-point shooting and post moves. They didn’t need to lead the headlines in this team effort, but each provided essential contributions.

Wagner scored eight of Michigan’s first 10, and capped his night with a filthy turnaround jumper. I’ve been comparing him to Kristaps Porzingis all season because of his handles, and plays like this:

But the fadeaway looked so much like Dirk Nowitzki that even ESPN announcer Rece Davis had to comment on it. If Wagner can fully utilize a combination of the Latvian’s versatility and the German’s low post work, he will dominate in the Big Ten.

While it was Wagner’s only bucket of the second half, his early scoring barrage gave his teammates the liberty to operate. He has shown the ability to score in bunches, with two 20 plus games. Plus, the big man doesn’t need many shots to get his. He’s shooting an ultra-efficient 60% from inside the arc, and remains a threat from deep at 43%.

His counterpart, DJ Wilson, has spent the season cementing himself by dunking from all conceivable angles. Wagner found him for one such exclamation to end the first half:

But it was just Wagner returning the favor from earlier in the half. Wilson has proved to be a hugely effective zone buster this season, able to see over the top of any defense. At the 5:57 mark in the first half, the Sacramento native zipped a pass to Wagner under the basket. A second late, it would have been stolen. Wagner is also adept at stepping behind the line, shooting a percentage point better than his German counterpart at 44. Wilson’s ceiling is his 28 point, 14 rebound performance against Iowa. But against Indiana, he proved he could contribute in other ways. Taking only seven shots, he focused on defense, snagging five boards while blocking four Hoosier shots.

The emergence of Michigan’s big men has added a whole new dimension to the offense. Finally, we have the two headed monster at shooting guard in Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Duncan Robinson.

Mar 18, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Michigan basketball guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (12) shoots over Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Bonzie Colson (35) in the first half in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Wolverines stocked full of shooters

Irvin takes 12 shots a game, with Walton coming in second with eight. The two big men are the next options after the seniors, which doesn’t leave much for Michigan’s shooting guards. However, both Abdur-Rahkman and Robinson have managed to put up six looks a game. But for a driving slasher and a three point magician, that isn’t very many reps to get in rhythm. It didn’t matter as the two made the most of their opportunities against the Hoosiers.

Against Indiana, MAAR only took six shots (in line with his season averages) from the field, finishing with 12. The Philadelphia native made all of his threes, in addition to showing off the driving ability he displayed last year, getting to the line a couple of times. Offense hasn’t come easy for the guard this season, and this was a positive step. It’s easy to forget that he dropped 25 points last year as a sophomore against ranked Purdue. Additionally, the junior played lockdown defense on IU star James Blackmon, holding him to 4 points just days after Blackmon’s 33 against MSU.

Duncan Robinson has moved to the bench this year, becoming John Beilein’s designated microwave. Like Rahkman, a lack of involvement seems to occasionally hamper the senior’s confidence. As a shooter, it’s tough to come in cold and immediately hit shots. Yet the former D-3 player was up to the task, hitting his first two deep balls before the third came up just short. It’s difficult to overstate how much Robinson has rounded out his game despite coming off the bench. His improved handle was on display, hitting Walton with a lefty, one-handed assist back door. Robinson also made a couple 3s right in the eyes of IU defenders, bound to boost his confidence for the future.

Jan 26, 2017; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines guard Duncan Robinson (22) celebrates with guard Zak Irvin (21) after scoring in the first half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Final thoughts

This was Michigan basketball at it’s most complete. Their top six scorers had between 6-8 shots each, all willing to defer to each other’s strengths.

Much has been made of Michigan’s lack of identity over this season. I’ve argued that the identity is in the depth of options, and Michigan proved this can work with the decisive victory against Indiana.

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— Michigan Basketball (@umichbball) January 27, 2017

There’s still a hierarchy with Walton and Irvin leading the offense. The rest fall in behind them as ancillary pieces, allowed a green light to take their shot within the offense. The downside is that shots usually get squeezed from someone, often Robinson or Abdur-Rahkman.

But in a victory like this, Michigan showed it can overwhelm opponents as a team. There will be games where a particular player has the hot hand, but Thursday Michigan demonstrated just how many players that could be.