Published Feb 8, 2020
Fab Five: Takeaways From Michigan's Win Over MSU
Clayton Sayfie  •  Maize&BlueReview
Staff Writer
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@CSayf23

Michigan Wolverines basketball improved to 14-9 overall and 5-7 in the Big Ten with a win over MSU on Saturday afternoon.

Here's five takeaways from the game.

RELATED: Wolverines Respond To Howard's Challenge, 'Set The Tone' In Win Over MSU

RELATED: Videos: Juwan Howard, Players Talk Postgame

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Cassius Winston Was Held In Check By Eli Brooks

Throughout the last four years, an interesting subplot to the Michigan-Michigan State series has been the matchup between U-M's Zavier Simpson and MSU's Cassius Winston.

Simpson got the better of Winston in the first few matchups of their careers going head to head in college, after the two battled on the AAU circuit in high school. Then, it was Winston's turn. He out-played Simpson in all three matchups when the two were juniors in 2019.

Winston also got the better of Simpson in the first meeting this season, scoring 32 points at the Breslin Center on Jan. 5 to lead the Spartans in an 18-point victory over the Wolverines.

Then came what could be the final act (barring the two teams playing in the Big Ten Tournament or NCAA Tournament).

The difference this time was that Simpson didn't guard Winston most of the game. Winston hadn't guarded Simpson much over the years; he's not much of a defender. But, Simpson is, and he seems to take his matchup personally.

Insert U-M junior guard Eli Brooks.

Brooks has seen Winston before. He guarded him semi-frequently in the first meeting, but this time it was the game plan for Brooks to take on Winston, and he delivered beautifully for head coach Juwan Howard.

Winston didn't score his first points of the game until there was 3:55 left in the first half. Brooks did a great job staying in front of him, cutting off the angles and stopping him in transition.

Winston scored 20 points, but those 20 points came on 18 shots (shot 5-for-18 from the field). He also hit seven free throws.

It was a gem all around from the junior who continues to impress this season.

Zavier Simpson Answered The Bell

Simpson didn't guard Winston primarily, but he answered the bell in other ways. He had three turnovers, including one inexplicable pass to the post that led to a pick-six, but he shot the ball well from deep, going 4-for-7.

He had 16 points, eight assists and four rebounds, out-dueling his counterpart Winston.

MSU head coach Tom Izzo has questioned Simpson's shooting ability over the years in his postgame press conference following losses, and did so again this afternoon.

"Maybe their worst three-point shooter goes 4-for-7, so give him credit," Izzo said after the game.

The facts, however, say otherwise. Simpson touted the fourth-highest percentage from three (33.3 percent) coming into the game, out of Wolverines who have attempted more than 50 shots from deep on the season.

Isaiah Livers Added A Huge Boost ... Again

Junior forward Isaiah Livers added a huge boost two Saturdays ago in a close loss to Illinois. He got hurt again early in the second half of that game, and had to watch from the bench as his team choked away a late lead.

Livers missed the next three games, but gave it a go today. He didn't look 100 percent, and he did say he tweaked the groin again in this one, but it wasn't bad enough to keep him out.

In a gutsy performance, Livers put up 14 points on 5 of 10 shooting and four rebounds. His impact, though, went well beyond the box score.

He was great defensively, both on the ball and off it. He has the ability to switch onto anybody, and in the age of "position-less basketball," that has become increasingly important. Off the ball, he's one of the top communicators on the team, and helps mightily in U-M's defensive rotations.

On both ends of the floor, he helps in a category you can't measure — leadership. This team has needed another voice out there on the court while Livers was out, and it was refreshing for U-M to have him back in that capacity, too.

Everybody knows U-M is better with a healthy (or near healthy) Livers. Today proved that and then some.

Michigan's Defense Was Spectacular, Even Beyond Eli Brooks

We mentioned Brooks' performance guarding Winston and Livers' added boost on that side of the floor, but it was an outstanding performance by the entire team.

The first big thing we noticed with how U-M played defense, other than Brooks guarding Winston, was how much of an emphasis it was to get back on defense and matchup in transition.

In the first meeting between the two teams, MSU scored 21 fast break points. Today, it was only six — four in the first half and two in the second half. At the postgame presser, Howard was proud of that, and especially proud of the fact that the number even diminished in the second half. The game plan was followed to a tee, and U-M reaped the benefits.

In the half-court, U-M gave great help on drivers and in the post, while still rotating and closing out on shooters at a high level.

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Black Socks Circa 1992

The Wolverines' players wore black socks today, and they all said it was for their head coach and former Fab Five member. The Fab Five, of course, were some of the first to wear black socks on the basketball court.

U-M wore these earlier this season against North Carolina in the Bahamas, a big win. They broke them out today, and got another big W.

It wasn't the socks, though, that stand out from how U-M was similar to the Fab Five this afternoon. It was the way in which the Wolverines carried themselves.

U-M out-toughed MSU, grabbing every loose ball it seemed, which is something that frustrated Izzo after the game. The Wolverines played with a swagger, a confidence and an attitude that were reminiscent of the way Howard's teams played when he was a student athlete (and other good U-M teams through the years).

Howard was touched by the gesture that his team showed him by wearing the socks, but was surely even more touched by the way their play was a tribute to teams of old.

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