Michigan Wolverines basketball came away victorious on Christmas Day in Lincoln, defeating Nebraska, 80-69.
Here are five takeaways from the game:
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Player Of The Game: Franz Wagner
Michigan sophomore wing Franz Wagner wanted to be more aggressive and said he was going to be more aggressive coming into this game. Senior forward Isaiah Livers predicted it would be a good night for Wagner, saying the Huskers were a good matchup for him.
They were both right.
Wagner was phenomenal, in large part due to his increased aggressiveness. He sliced and diced through Nebraska’s defense, finishing in the lane more times than not. He wound up with a team-high 20 points on 9-of-16 from the field (and 2-of-7 from three) and added nine boards. In the first half and the beginning of the second stanza, it was Wagner’s dribble drives that sparked the offense. He made better decisions with the ball than he had at times entering the game, and that allowed for much more success for himself and, subsequently, the team. He also played great defense (we'll get to that below).
Mike Smith was great in dagger time
Fifth-year senior guard Mike Smith struggled early on in the game. He was going up against Nebraska guards that were five-plus inches taller than him, and had trouble defending them. He also had a quiet first half — like the rest of the team — with just three points.
But it was Smith late in the game that came up huge, proving once again that picking him up from the Ivy League was a great move by head coach Juwan Howard. When it was a four-point game with just over six to play, Smith nailed a huge three from the right corner to extend the edge back to seven. He assisted on Michigan's next two made baskets and helped the Wolverines put the game on ice.
Smith's performance shows that, yes, he has his limitations — but he's been a net positive, especially on the offensive end. He's going to be a key piece in more wins to come, and when he's not at his best, Howard has bench options — such as senior guard Chaundee Brown — that he can turn to.
