Published Feb 4, 2019
Defensive Clinic Against OSU Gives U-M 2nd Best Scoring Defense In CBB
Austin Fox  •  Maize&BlueReview
Staff Writer
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There was plenty of good and bad on the court this past week for Michigan, with the 65-49 drubbing of Ohio State on Tuesday representing the former, and the 74-59 blowout loss at Iowa signifying the latter.

At 20-2 overall and 9-2 in league play, U-M now sits in a three-way tie for first place in the conference (with Michigan State and Purdue) as we head into the stretch run of the season.

Offensive Statistics:

• Field goal percentage: 170th (44.9%)

• Points per game: 246th (70.8)

• Three-point field goal percentage: 171st (34.4%)

• Turnovers per game: 2nd (9.6)

• Free throw percentage: 255th (67.8%)

• Assists per game: 199th (13.4)

• Total free throws attempts: 280th (376)

Defensive Statistics:

• Field goal percentage defense: 15th (39.2%)

• Points allowed per game: 2nd (56.1)

• Defensive rebounds per game: 66th (26.9)

• Three-point percentage against: 18th (29.4%)

• Total fouls committed: 11th (293)

• Turnovers forced per game: 200th (13.2)

• Blocked shots per game: 61st (4.3)

Miscellaneous:

• Assist-to-turnover ratio: 21st (1.41)

• Turnover margin: 20th (3.8)

More Player/Team Stats:

• Sophomore forward Isaiah Livers (42 percent), sophomore guard Jordan Poole (40.3 percent) and freshman forward Ignas Brazdeikis (37.8 percent) are the only three players on the Wolverines' roster who are shooting better than 33.3 percent from behind the arc this season (among those with more than one attempt).

• Redshirt junior guard Charles Matthews is connecting on 62.4 percent of his free throws this year, while junior guard Zavier Simpson is converting on 60 percent. The former only made 55.8 percent of his attempts last year, while the latter connected on 51.6.

• Simpson's six assists per game are the second most in the Big Ten, trailing only Michigan State junior point guard Cassius Winston's 7.3. In fact, outside of Winston and Simpson, only two other players in the entire conference are averaging more than four assists per contest — Wisconsin fifth-year senior center Ethan Happ (5.1) and Maryland junior point guard Anthony Cowan (4.5).

• Michigan's 39.2 field goal percentage defense is tied (with Nebraska) for the second best mark in the Big Ten, trailing only MSU's 36.7 percent.

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