The deck was stacked against the Michigan men’s basketball team when it took the floor against No. 23 Ohio State on Sunday.
For one, the Wolverines were still without Juwan Howard — the reigning AP National Coach of the Year who spent Sunday afternoon finishing out his five-game suspension. With less than four hours until tip off, Michigan also learned All-American center Hunter Dickinson (stomach ailment) would be unavailable.
Dickinson spent Saturday night miserable at the team hotel. A stomach illness kept him awake until 6 a.m., according to interim head coach Phil Martelli. If you noticed bags underneath the eyes of Terrance Williams II, it’s because Williams is Dickinson’s road roommate. Williams noticed his childhood friend vomiting at 3:30 a.m. last night, and Dickinson told him to brace for his absence.
Less than 12 hours later, Williams poured in 17 points off the bench — his second-highest output of the season. In the face of a raucous Columbus crowd of over 18,000 fans, the Wolverines dug deep to pull out a 75-69 victory.
Leading up to Sunday, Michigan was teetering on the edge of the NCAA Tournament cutoff. But after securing conference win No. 11, the Wolverines should feel good about their bubble fate going into next week’s Big Ten Tournament.
Sunday’s underdog triumph wasn’t a coincidence. Rather, it’s the mark of a team that has grown.
“I’m just in awe of the players’ character,” Martelli said. “I’m in awe of the support staff’s knowledge, (assistant coaches) Saddi Washington and Howard Eisley. I managed that game, and Howard Eisley coached the offense every possession. It was Saddi Washington’s scout, and we collaborated on how we wanted to deal with not just one of the best players in the country, but an offensive mind in (Ohio State coach) Chris (Holtmann) and his staff. It was a challenge.”
Without Dickinson, the Wolverines sent multiple double-teams at Ohio State star E.J Liddell. He torched Michigan for 28 points in their February meeting, but on Sunday, the Wolverines held Liddell to 16 points on just 4-of-10 shooting.
At the other end of the floor, Williams and DeVante’ Jones rose to the occasion. The former knocked down a trio of 3-pointers to keep Michigan in the game in the first half, while the latter piloted a near-flawless offensive effort in the second half.
Jones finished with 21 points and dished out nine assists, building on a season of personal growth. Through the Wolverines’ first eight games, Jones averaged just 6.4 points and 3.5 assists. Over his past nine games, however, his averages are up to 13.3 points and 6.6 assists.
On Sunday, Jones’ 21 points and nine assists were critical to Michigan’s success. He operated well out of the pick-and-roll, reading the Buckeyes’ big men as they committed one way or the other. When they stepped in front of Jones, he dumped it off to Moussa Diabate for easy dunks. But when they collapsed onto the screener, Jones took it all the way to the rim for a layup.
“We have confidence, he has confidence and I’m really happy with his finishes,” Martelli said. “I believe, in college basketball, you win through your point guards. And certainly, (Jones) led us today.”
From a big-picture standpoint, Sunday’s win was a statement in multiple ways for Michigan. For one, it shows the Wolverines can win in March even when they’re not at full strength. But with Howard and Dickinson expected to return next week, that may not be a concern for long.
More importantly, Sunday was a demonstration of how far Michigan has come. In previous road games this year, the Wolverines fell apart in the second half against North Carolina, Michigan State, Central Florida and others. No longer is that the status quo for this group.
Even in the face of a seven-point halftime deficit in a critical road game, Michigan remained unfazed. The Wolverines banded together ahead of a 26-7 run to open the second half, displaying grit they lacked for the first three months of the season.
In March, those are the gutsy characteristics necessary to succeed. Michigan is far from re-establishing itself as a legitimate contender, but Sunday was a major step in the right direction with the postseason looming.
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