Fab Five: Takeaways From A Michigan Blowout Win Over Indiana

Michigan Wolverines basketball (16-9, 7-7 Big Ten) blew out Indiana (16-9, 6-8 Big Ten) Sunday afternoon at Crisler Center.

Here's five takeaways from the game.

RELATED: Videos: Juwan Howard, Players Recap Game

RELATED: Instant Recap: Michigan Blows Out Indiana In Impressive Fashion, 89-65

Usually "on fire" refers to a guy shooting the ball, but today it's the way you could describe how senior point guard Zavier Simpson was dialed in, running the offense and carving up the Hoosiers.

Simpson had 11 assists to only one turnover, and was lethal in the ball screen offense. He scored 12 points on 4-for-7 shooting.

The Hoosiers were hedging ball screens, and Simpson made them pay by penetrating, collapsing the defense and making the right decision just about every time.

After today's game, he takes a slight lead now as the country's leader in assists per game, at 8.2 per contest. There was no stopping U-M's attack today, and a big reason for that was Simpson's doing.

Here's a filthy pass by the senior to sophomore guard Franz Wagner for an easy finish.

Junior forward Isaiah Livers was shaken up after going for a loose ball and getting rolled up on by an Indiana player. It was a scary moment inside Crisler Center, and there was a silence that swept the arena for the moments that followed. Livers has missed nine games this season, and if he were to be out any more down the stretch, it would be a detriment to the Wolverines.

Thankfully for U-M, Livers was able to return to the game. He was limping around a bit when he came back in, before being taken out for good (the game was in hand). Howard said Livers is "day to day," but him being able to return to the game is a positive for the immediate future.

If you thought redshirt junior forward Austin Davis would slow down a bit after averaging 7.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game in the five outings coming into Sunday's game against Indiana, you were wrong.

Davis came in and scored nine points on 4-for-6 from the field and 1-for-2 from the free throw line. He was calm, cool and collected in the post, once again being decisive around the basket and finishing well.

After the game, Juwan Howard was asked if Davis' play as of late could be used as an audition for a fifth season with the club. Howard said he and Davis have sat down at breakfast and discussed his role "right now and in the future." We're still not sure if Davis will be with the team next season, but he's going to be hard to turn down for an extra year if this level of play continues.

His effort and energy are one of the highest on the team. U-M is settling into its roles nicely, as Howard talked about after the game. The energy from Davis, sophomore forward Brandon Johns and sophomore guard David DeJulius is exactly what the Wolverines need off the bench.

Johns scored 14 points on 3-for-3 from three-point range and 5-for-8 on free throws.

He looks looks like a much different player in the second half of the season. The only positive about losing a player like Livers is that there's opportunity for others to step up. Johns has done that, and is playing like a guy who could start on a good Big Ten team. The luxury of having that caliber of a player off the bench is huge for U-M.

U-M honored its basketball alumni Sunday by inviting them back to the game. Almost 150 former players, staff and managers were honored in a pregame ceremony at center court.

One of those former players in attendance was former big man Moe Wagner, who just played in the NBA's Rising Stars Game over the weekend. The game was extra special for Wagner, since it was the first time he has gotten to see little brother Franz Wagner live in action as a U-M player.

The younger Wagner scored 16 points on 7-for-11 shooting and 2-for-4 from deep, and added eight rebounds. The threes were especially encouraging from Wagner, who came into the game shooting just 28.6 percent from long range.

U-M has now won five of its last six games, including three-straight victories. The Wolverines have won their last two games by 25 points (Northwestern) and 24 points (Indiana), in a season where blowout wins have been elusive in the Big Ten.

The Wolverines are not a "lock" for the NCAA Tournament at this point. The only way they'd be considered as such is if they could lose the remainder of their games and still go dancing. But, each win at this point in the season is big for not only making the tournament, but seeding, conference standings, momentum and so on.

This final February stretch is usually when U-M teams play their best ball, especially the last several years under former head coach John Beilein. That seems to be carrying over this season, at least for now, but there's more work to be done ahead, including a tough two-game stretch this week at Rutgers and at Purdue.

Just how good is U-M playing right now? According to Kenpom, the Wolverines are playing the best out of anyone in the country in the last three games, since Livers returned against Michigan State.

With today's win, Simpson and senior center Jon Teske became the winningest players in U-M basketball history, with 105 career victories. Austin Davis has been around for all those wins, but does not get official credit for the wins during his redshirt year, 2016-17.

This win won't be the last for this senior class, either, as the Wolverines look to be playing great basketball at the most crucial of times. Simpson and Teske have played in the biggest of games during their careers, including on a Monday night in April. They know how to win, and they could be in for quite a few more W's before its all said and done.

Juwan Howard honored the duo postgame:

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