No. 3 Michigan Wolverines basketball (18-1, 13-1 Big Ten) rolled Indiana in Bloomington Saturday afternoon, 73-57.
The Maize and Blue are now one step closer to a Big Ten title, and could actually clinch one come this afternoon — if Wisconsin beats Illinois and the league announces it will be basing the standings on win percentage (since not every team will have played the same amount of games).
Here are five takeaways from the game.
RELATED: Michigan Handles Indiana At Assembly Hall In Impressive Fashion, 73-57
1. Player of the game: Franz Wagner
“When Franz is aggressive, we’re definitely the best team in the country,” senior forward Isaiah Livers said Thursday after Michigan thumped No. 9 Iowa.
Well, sophomore Franz Wagner was certainly aggressive Saturday afternoon against the Hoosiers, getting in the lane at will once again and either drawing contact or finishing through traffic. He attempted and made eight free throws — seven in the first half.
Wagner's 14 points before halftime carried the Wolverines offensively when things were out of sync. His value was also shown when he left the floor for two and a half minutes in the middle of the first half, with Indiana going on a quick 5-0 spurt to get back within one point after the Wolverines led by six. Michigan's offense was out of sorts during that stretch.
He finished with 21 points on an efficient nine shots from the field (six makes), with six rebounds, one assist, one block and three steals. His hands were extremely active defensively — per usual — disrupting the flow of an already struggling Indiana offense.
Wagner has now scored 20-plus points in three of his last four games. He's heating up at the right time and is proving why — barring something unforeseen — going to be drafted this coming summer.
2. The ultimate dilemma
Defenses have a tough time guarding this Michigan offense — that has been obvious, with the Wolverines ranking fifth in the country in offensive efficiency. But why it's been such a challenge was on full display in this one.
Wagner does things not many players in the country can. Freshman center Hunter Dickinson is a force in the middle — and a snub for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award's list of finalists for the nation's top big man — and that allows the Wolverines to play inside out. With shooters like Wagner, fifth-year senior guard Mike Smith and, most especially, senior forward Isaiah Livers, it's a 'pick your poison' scenario. The opposition usually needs help to guard Dickinson in the post, but can't help off Livers and others, otherwise they'll get burned.
And that's what happened on multiple occasions this afternoon. Livers, a 45.6-percent three-point shooter, was left open too many times for Indiana head coach Archie Miller's liking — and he made the Hoosiers pay, nailing four of his seven attempts from deep and finishing with 16 points.
