Another night, another blowout victory for the Michigan Wolverines’ basketball team. This one occurred in a 70-53 beatdown against Purdue at Mackey Arena, a place the Boilermakers hadn’t lost all year.
U-M once again came out with its foot on the gas, racing out to a quick 14-4 lead and then eventually a 34-21 advantage at halftime. Purdue never threatened significantly after that.
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The Wolverines’ defense has become their calling card as of late, and they used it once again tonight to stifle the Boilermakers. Purdue only shot 31 percent from the field and 17 percent from behind the three-point line, with the Maize and Blue blocking five shots and tallying six steals.
“We wanted to make them feel uncomfortable for 40 minutes, and that’s what we did,” senior guard Eli Brooks exclaimed after the win. “We forced turnovers and scored off of them, and that was a big emphasis in our game plan coming in.”
“We thrive off that,” senior forward Isaiah Livers added. “Coming into games, we know it’s about defense and our focus isn’t even on the offensive end. We’re just out there having fun and staying disciplined.
“Teams know we’re going to pressure them, so we try to be aware of back cuts.”
Michigan’s offense wasn’t too shabby either, nailing 45 percent of its shots and 40 percent of its three-pointers. Livers was the catalyst tonight, scoring a game-high 22 points and draining three of his five three-point attempts.
“I’m just locked in right now,” he admitted. “I’m going out there and playing my game, and not overthinking things. I’m a confident shooter and think the ball is going in every time I shoot it.
“The only reason I can play under Coach [Juwan] Howard though is because I also play defense and I talk out there. Getting an easy bucket early helps get in a rhythm and get going on offense, but it’s mostly about defense.”
Defense will undoubtedly win U-M a few games in the future when its key cogs aren’t having good nights, as was the case this evening with sophomore guard Franz Wagner and freshman center Hunter Dickinson.
They each scored below their season averages, with the former tallying eight points on just 2-of-10 shooting and the latter eight points on 3-of-7 from the field. Dickinson and Wagner having subpar offensive showings wasn’t a problem whatsoever for the Maize and Blue though.
“That just shows how deep we are and how many guys are ready to play,” Brooks explained. “Coach says that if we’re ready, we don’t have to get ready. [Senior guard] Chaundee [Brown], [freshman forward] Terrance [Williams] and [fifth-year senior forward] Austin [Davis] are always ready to step in and make an impact on the defensive end.”
Tonight’s win kept the good times rolling for the 2020-21 Wolverines, who improved to 13-1 overall and 8-1 in conference play. They have been a consistent dominant force for several weeks now, are arguably the best team in the country and are in the midst of a special season in Ann Arbor.
So what has impressed Brooks and Livers the most so far this year?
“How well we get along and the energy in the locker room,” the former revealed. “We all cheer for each other and there’s so much energy on the bench from everybody. How connected we are is excellent, and that’s one of the reasons we’re doing so well.”
“The way it’s a different guy each night [is what impresses me most],” Livers said. “It was Franz and Hunter at Maryland, and then a well-rounded win at Nebraska before that.
“You never know who it’s going to be. We have it going right now, and it’s all about giving to the team. It’s beautiful how unselfish we are — we don’t hold the ball and don’t mind swinging it to others because we know they’ll make the right decision.”
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