WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Michigan Wolverines basketball (13-1, 8-1 Big Ten) stayed atop the league standings by beating Purdue, 70-53, at Mackey Arena Friday night.
Here are our five biggest takeaways from the game:
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Player of the game: Isaiah Livers
For a second straight game, Michigan senior forward Isaiah Livers reminded many of why he had an NBA decision to make this past offseason, notching his fourth 20-plus-point performance of the year.
After dropping 20 against Maryland, Livers finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and three assists, and did so much for the Wolverines Friday. But it all started with his ability to continue knocking down open jump shots. Livers was 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. That continues to be the story for Livers, who has made 13 of his last 24 attempts from long range, over a four-game span.
Sometimes, it feels like Livers is the forgotten man. Earlier this year, freshman center Hunter Dickinson was receiving all the praise — and rightfully so — while sophomore wing Franz Wagner always feels the love from draft analysts and fans. After the win over Penn State in December, Livers actually fielded a couple questions on if he's fine with not being the headliner.
First of all, him not having to be the first option every night means Michigan is a very good team, which is true, but it also shows exactly what kind of player he has been throughout his career, especially the last two seasons — steady, consistent, willing to do the little things ... and a knockdown shooter who can explode for big-time numbers at any moment. That's what he did against the Boilermakers, and odds are he'll do it again down the road.
It's the second half of his senior season, and that means guys like him get into a different kind of rhythm. Livers looks like he's getting to that point.
Michigan's defense was fantastic
Michigan's defense continues to get better and better. In the beginning of the season, the Wolverines were failing to guard the three at a high level, with six of their first eight opponents making 35 percent or more of their looks from deep.
Now, it's night and day different. Out of the Wolverines' last six opponents, only Wisconsin, which lost by 23 to Michigan, shot 30 percent or better from long range (32.1 percent), with those teams shooting a combined 25.2 percent from three. Purdue went 2-of-12 on the night, a dismal 17 percent.
It's not just the three-point defense, though — Michigan is the real deal on the defensive end. Just over a month ago, Michigan ranked 28th in defensive efficiency on Kenpom, but has risen all the way up to No. 4 nationally after this game. The Maize and Blue are seventh in offense and No. 3 overall.
Purdue junior forward Trevion Williams got his 14 points (1.7 points below his average), but it took him 19 shots, and the Boilermakers only scored 53 points as a whole, shot 31 percent from the field and had just three players who posted more than seven points.
The Boilermakers were without redshirt junior guard Sasha Stefanovic, who averages 11.1 points per game and shoots a Big Ten-best 45.6 percent from three-point land, but, while a shooter can turn a game around, there wasn't much life shown from Purdue, with Michigan shutting down virtually everything the Boilermakers wanted to do.
