NCAAB · 9 months ago

NCAA Tournament: 5 Things We Learned About the Michigan Wolverines

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

5. Winning the Rebounding Battle
The biggest strength for the Texas A&M Aggies heading into the matchup with Michigan was thought to be rebounding. Michigan was seen as the more finesse team, trying to win the game by overwhelming Texas A&M with three-pointers and simply outscoring them. Someone forgot to tell Michigan they were supposed to get hammered on the glass. Michigan brought the fight to Texas A&M and outrebounded the Aggies 43-36. Finishing at +7 on the boards against Texas A&M is incredibly impressive. Beyond that, Michigan eschewed a lot of three-pointers and attacked the rim. They consistently beat Texas A&M defenders off the dribble and finished in the paint.

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1. Dusty May Has Righted the Ship
Dusty May and the Wolverines were cruising in February and were the favorites to win the Big Ten title. They went to Indiana and knocked off the Hoosiers. May and the university announced a new contract extension to keep him with the school long term. They beat Purdue by two and Ohio State by three and entered a showdown with rival Michigan State on a hot streak. Things changed as they got trounced by the Spartans and then scored only 49 points against Rutgers, lost by 20 to Illinois, and fell to Maryland before closing the regular season with a 17-point defeat to MSU. After that late-season swoon, May has righted the ship. The Wolverines won the Big Ten Tournament, survived against UC San Diego, and handled Texas A&M to reach the Sweet 16.

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2. Roddy Gayle to the Rescue
Roddy Gayle struggled to make a positive impact for much of the season. The Ohio State transfer changed that against Texas A&M. He was the major difference-maker for the Wolverines, exploding for a career-high 26 points on 7-14 shooting in 30 minutes off the bench. Gayle connected on four three-pointers, and his play, combined with 11 points from L.J. Cason, helped Michigan have a considerable edge over Texas A&M in bench points.
3. Wolverines Take Care of the Ball
A common theme in Michigan’s defeats down the stretch had been turnovers. The Wolverines were among the worst teams in the Big Ten at taking care of the ball, and the turnover percentage was a major issue heading into the NCAA Tournament. That figured to be a problem against the pressure defense and physicality of the Texas A&M Aggies. Still, Michigan only had nine turnovers in the game and generally handled the switching defenses that Buzz Williams threw at them without much issue. That must continue if they want to push past the Auburn Tigers in the Sweet Sixteen.
4. Goldin's Shining Performance
Big Ten fans know about him, but this tournament should remind a national audience just how good Vlad Goldin is. Goldin tends to take a backseat to guys like Danny Wolf when people talk about Michigan, but he has been remarkably consistent and productive. His play stood out again against UC San Diego and Texas A&M. The Aggies got a career day from Pharrel Payne, but Goldin was plenty good himself, playing 32 minutes, making 9-11 from the free-throw line, grabbing 12 rebounds, blocking a few shots, and scoring 23 points. The matchup between Auburn’s Broome and Michigan’s Goldin is must-see TV.
5. Winning the Rebounding Battle
The biggest strength for the Texas A&M Aggies heading into the matchup with Michigan was thought to be rebounding. Michigan was seen as the more finesse team, trying to win the game by overwhelming Texas A&M with three-pointers and simply outscoring them. Someone forgot to tell Michigan they were supposed to get hammered on the glass. Michigan brought the fight to Texas A&M and outrebounded the Aggies 43-36. Finishing at +7 on the boards against Texas A&M is incredibly impressive. Beyond that, Michigan eschewed a lot of three-pointers and attacked the rim. They consistently beat Texas A&M defenders off the dribble and finished in the paint.

Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.
1. Dusty May Has Righted the Ship
Dusty May and the Wolverines were cruising in February and were the favorites to win the Big Ten title. They went to Indiana and knocked off the Hoosiers. May and the university announced a new contract extension to keep him with the school long term. They beat Purdue by two and Ohio State by three and entered a showdown with rival Michigan State on a hot streak. Things changed as they got trounced by the Spartans and then scored only 49 points against Rutgers, lost by 20 to Illinois, and fell to Maryland before closing the regular season with a 17-point defeat to MSU. After that late-season swoon, May has righted the ship. The Wolverines won the Big Ten Tournament, survived against UC San Diego, and handled Texas A&M to reach the Sweet 16.

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NCAA Tournament: 5 Things We Learned About the Michigan Wolverines

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