ANN ARBOR, MI — Juwan Howard is still learning what buttons to push with his first Michigan basketball team. The one he pressed Thursday in an 84-78, double overtime win over Purdue helped avoid disaster and kept the Wolverines afloat in the Big Ten race while they await Isaiah Livers' return.
Playing without his junior forward (groin injury) for the second straight conference game, Howard turned to his small lineup with freshman Franz Wagner at power forward for the last nine minutes. The sacrifice on the defensive glass was offset by more offense on the other end, giving U-M the space it needed for senior guard Zavier Simpson (22 points) and sophomore David DeJulius to help lead a critical conference win.
"I look at the game and I read the game and how situations are thrown at us, and I mix and match with some different types of lineups," Howard said. "It’s not the first time we’ll use Franz at the ‘4’ spot. We also practiced it. Franz was prepared to play that position.
"They didn’t have both bigs in, and I needed another ball-handler as well as a shooter. I knew at times on the defensive boards we may get beat on the glass, but Franz was in there scrapping. They all were ... X, David, Eli [Brooks], Jon [Teske].”
They were gassed at the end, especially Teske. They all played every minute of the last two overtimes in addition to the last 9:13 — in the future, Howard might want to spend a few more well-placed timeouts if he's going to go that route given the toll it took — but it worked. They pulled away to start the second overtime, withstood some terrible free throw shooting and Purdue resolve to hold on.
A home loss to a Boilermakers team that has been awful on the road (37 points at Illinois last week) wouldn't have been a season-ender, but it would have put U-M behind the eight-ball in conference play and moving the wrong direction after peaking at No. 4 nationally following a great showing in winning the Battle for Atlantis Tournament in the Bahamas.
Instead, they lived to fight another day ... a day coming up quickly with a road contest at Minnesota Sunday.
"That group is very dynamic," Howard said of his small lineup. "They have five skill guys. Franz is a very skillful guy that can put the ball on the floor and shoot with good length. He also defends very well, which he’s not given enough credit for.
"Eli can shoot the ball and create off the ball screen. X, David, we all know they’re good off ball screens, too. It’s a hybrid lineup. I'm not saying I’m always going to it every time ... just got to read the time and situations.”
The first half was a hodgepodge of lineups that struggled mightily, at times. Sophomore Adrien Nunez struggled mightily on both ends of the floor, and sophomore Colin Castleton is still searching for consistency. Both played significant minutes but struggled to find a groove.
Brooks, meanwhile, continues to struggle offensively (though his defense was outstanding), and Teske was once again called upon to battle a talented big man on an island. The Wolverines continue to make it too easy for opposing bigs at times — Trevion Williams went off for 36 points and 20 rebounds, most in one on one situations — but got just enough on the defensive end.
Howard spoke of his trust in Teske, and his big man battles on the defensive end. At times, though, they'll need to reconsider their strategy. Iowa's Adam Garza went for a career-best 44, and while U-M guarded the three-point line well against the Hawkeyes (and again Thursday), the twos are coming too easily.
At the end, though, they were saved by their senior point guard. For his limitations in height and as a shooter, Simpson remains the heart and soul of this team.
"“He's just a winner,” Purdue coach MattPainter said. “He won in high school. He's won here. That's who he is.
“He embraces the moment. That guy has been in a lot of games ... been in a lot of tight games, big games. He made some huge plays for them.”
He finished with 22 points, many of them with slick drives and finishes in the overtime sessions. When Michigan needed a clutch bucket, they turned to Simpson.
“I have one of the best point guards in college basketball,” Howard said. “We have one of the best leaders in college basketball, one of the toughest competitors in college basketball. He’s a kid that has been counted out so many times, but he has always figured it out and rises to occasion when needed.”
Howard continues to figure it out, as well, in Livers' absence. The Wolverines warts have been exposed as most teams' are in Big Ten play, but they held serve at home. They'll have two opportunities this week for road wins at Minnesota and Iowa, a chance to get right back into the thick of the Big Ten race.
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