The streak is over. For the first time since Dec. 9, when Michigan pummeled Villanova by 28, the machine-like Wolverines failed to score 100 points in a game. They’d exploded for 101 against Maryland, 102 against La Salle and 112 against McNeese earlier this week — entrenching themselves as the most analytically sound team in the country — but fell two baskets shy of triple digits when facing No. 24 USC in Ann Arbor on Friday night.
Oh, the horror.
Michigan still eviscerated the Trojans, 96-66, for a wire-to-wire victory that extended its perfect record to 13-0 overall and 3-0 in the Big Ten. The Wolverines held USC scoreless for more than six minutes to begin the game and by that point, with the Trojans having already turned the ball over six times, the outcome felt somewhat inevitable. Such is the domination displayed by head coach Dusty May’s team so far this season.
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Listed here are my takeaways:
1. Michigan’s protection smothered USC from the beginning
(Picture by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Photographs)
The primary few possessions had been all that anybody wanted to grasp why the Wolverines lead the nation in defensive effectivity below Might, who took FAU to the Ultimate 4 in 2023. Michigan entered the night having solely given up greater than 72 factors in a recreation as soon as since Nov. 11 — a dominant 10-game run. The Wolverines rank first in each efficient discipline purpose proportion protection (40.7%) and two-point proportion protection (38.2%), in response to KenPom, after ending exterior the highest 235 in each classes the yr earlier than Might arrived.
On Friday night, Might’s havoc-wreaking group compelled three consecutive turnovers to start the sport, as a beginning lineup that includes three gamers listed at 6-foot-9 and taller confounded the undersized Trojans. Towering heart Aday Mara, a 7-foot-3, 255-pound switch from UCLA, snagged three steals by the under-16 media timeout alone, clogging the passing lanes time and time once more. His occupation of the paint performed a major function in USC lacking its first seven photographs. His infinite wingspan whereas defending a baseline out-of-bounds play prompted the Trojans to burn an early timeout.
Almost seven minutes elapsed earlier than USC lastly scored, with energy ahead Ezra Ausar muscling by contact for a conventional three-point play on the 13:19 mark. His was the primary of solely three discipline objectives for the Trojans within the opening 10 minutes as Michigan stretched its result in double digits.
2. Damage scare for Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg
(Picture by Gregory Shamus/Getty Photographs)
To assist his rebuild of a program that crumbled below former coach Juwan Howard — who was fired after ending 8-24 general and 3-17 within the Massive Ten throughout the 2023-24 marketing campaign — Might splashed huge cash within the switch portal to land 4 of the top-60 general gamers: Mara, former North Carolina level guard Elliot Cadeau, former Illinois energy ahead Morez Johnson Jr. and former UAB point-forward Yaxel Lendeborg. As a complete, the quartet ranked second within the 247Sports Staff Switch Portal Rankings behind the seven-player haul assembled by St. John’s.
No participant was extra coveted than Lendeborg, the No. 1 general switch within the nation. He averaged 17.7 factors, 11.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 37 video games for the Blazers final season, rating twelfth nationally in offensive score amongst gamers who used no less than 24% of their workforce’s possessions. That Might satisfied Lendeborg to comply with by on his dedication to the Wolverines regardless of widespread NBA curiosity — Lendeborg doubtless would have been a late first-round choose in final yr’s draft — speaks partly to how compelling Michigan’s monetary package deal proved to be. In whole, the Wolverines’ roster reportedly value greater than $10 million to assemble.
Lendeborg’s affect by the primary two months of the season has been nothing wanting revelatory. He leads the Wolverines in scoring at 15.7 factors per recreation and ranks second on the workforce in each rebounding (7.2 per recreation) and assists (3.6 per recreation) — all whereas taking part in a number of positions as a 6-foot-9, 240-pound ahead with the ball abilities of a guard. He’s the single-most environment friendly participant within the nation, in response to analytics web site EvanMiya.com, with a Bayesian Efficiency Ranking of 13.55 that might have led the nation in each season however one for a database that dates again to 2009. Former Purdue heart Zach Edey (14.28 in 2023-24) is the one participant with a greater mark.
Lendeborg performed quarter-hour within the opening half in opposition to USC earlier than exiting with what Michigan described as a bruised calf. He limped off the court docket late and towards the locker room late within the opening stanza, flanked by a member of the Wolverines’ medical employees. Although Lendeborg returned for the beginning of the second half, he continued to maneuver gingerly and stretch his leg throughout stoppages. Lendeborg, who scored eight factors, solely performed 4 further minutes earlier than sitting down for good.
3. Dangerous choice by USC coach Eric Musselman shortly backfires
(Picture by Gregory Shamus/Getty Photographs)
Few Massive Ten groups, if any, have leaned extra closely on a single participant by the opening stretch of the season than the Trojans with switch guard Chad Baker-Mazara, previously of Auburn, San Diego State and Duquesne. He leads the workforce in scoring (21 factors per recreation), 3-point discipline objectives (30) and free throws (83) whereas sustaining a utilization price of 29.2% in Massive Ten video games, highest within the convention.
Projected to share the beginning backcourt with fellow switch guard Rodney Rice, who averaged 13.8 factors per recreation at Maryland final season, Baker-Mazara’s function expanded nearly instantly. Rice suffered a shoulder damage throughout the Maui Invitational in late November and finally underwent season-ending surgical procedure shortly earlier than Christmas. It has fallen on Baker-Mazara to soak up most of Rice’s workload.
Towards Michigan, whose relentless protection induced 21 turnovers, that meant hoisting seven of the Trojans’ first 15 discipline purpose makes an attempt, together with 5 tries from past the arc. He scored a team-high seven factors throughout that stretch to maintain USC from getting blown out earlier than many of the followers had even arrived.
However the identical aggressiveness that fueled Baker-Mazara’s offensive outburst additionally resulted in him committing three fouls by the 4:32 mark of the opening half, two of which had been separated by simply seven seconds of recreation time. Quite than preserve Baker-Mazara on the bench till the second half, Musselman re-inserted his star for the Trojans’ closing offensive possession, determined for any sort of spark earlier than the break. That call proved catastrophic when Baker-Mazara turned the ball over and was whistled for a foul in transition — his fourth.
The fourth foul sapped from Baker-Mazara any semblance of defensive depth within the second half, forcing him to play passively to guard from disqualification. It thrust the Trojans, who by no means led, right into a precarious place as a result of their finest offensive participant was little greater than a matador on the opposite finish of the ground. He shunned difficult for rebounds and allowed Michigan guard Trey McKenney to glide previous him for a simple transition bucket. However with out him, it’s unclear which guard the Trojans may have trusted to attain.
Baker-Mazara completed with 12 factors.
4. No perimeter taking pictures, no downside for the Wolverines
(Picture by Jaime Crawford/Getty Photographs)
Michigan entered this recreation taking pictures 38.3% from 3-point vary, a more-than-respectable price that was adequate for twenty eighth nationally and fourth within the Massive Ten behind Purdue at 39.9%, UCLA at 39.8% and Iowa at 38.6%. It represents a noteworthy enchancment from final season, when Might’s workforce ranked 205th within the nation and shot simply 33.2% from past the arc.
The Wolverines’ newfound perimeter prowess included six gamers with no less than 12 made 3-pointers forward of their date with USC — all of whom had been taking pictures no less than 37.5% — and three gamers north of 20 made 3s in McKenney, Cadeau and Lendeborg. As a workforce, the Wolverines rating almost 33% of their whole factors from 3-point vary, up greater than two full proportion factors over final season.
However these photographs hardly ever fell in opposition to the Trojans on Friday evening, with Michigan lacking 17 of its first 19 makes an attempt from past the arc. Lendeborg missed six of his first seven. Taking pictures guard Nimari Burnett failed to attach on his first 4. McKenney missed all three of his makes an attempt. No person on the Wolverines’ roster made a couple of 3-pointer, with Might’s workforce ending 6-of-30 general — an unpleasant 20% clip.
And but, it hardly mattered given how productive Michigan was within the paint. With Lendeborg restricted by damage and Mara solely taking part in 17 minutes, the Wolverines leaned on Johnson to terrorize the undersized Trojans with rim runs, post-ups and put-backs for which the guests had no reply. The energetic and electrical Johnson poured in a career-high 29 factors on 10 of 12 taking pictures as Michigan completed with a plus-22 benefit for factors within the paint and shot a staggering 71.4% from contained in the arc. This was the second-consecutive 20-point outing for Johnson and his third within the final six video games.
4 ½. What’s subsequent?
(Picture by Gregory Shamus/Getty Photographs)
After one other blowout victory for Michigan — its tenth in a row since notching a four-point win over TCU on Nov. 14 — the query of when somebody will legitimately take a look at the Wolverines turns into more and more troublesome to reply. A particularly pleasant opening run in convention play means Michigan gained’t face one other ranked opponent till it hosts No. 13 Nebraska on Jan. 27. The Wolverines’ most troublesome run will are available in late February and early March, after they face No. 5 Purdue, No. 6 Duke, No. 20 Illinois, No. 25 Iowa and No. 9 Michigan State in a span of three weeks. They won’t face a lot adversity between from time to time.
For USC, in the meantime, a brutal three-game street haul continues subsequent week with video games in opposition to Michigan State (Monday) and Minnesota (Friday). That is the primary of two journeys to the Jap Time Zone for the Trojans, who can even journey to Penn State and Ohio State in early February. They’ll be keen to achieve the again half of a Massive Ten schedule that retains them on the West Coast for six straight video games to finish the common season.
Michael Cohen covers faculty soccer and faculty basketball for FOX Sports activities. Comply with him at @Michael_Cohen13.
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