Richard Pitino: Michigan Has ‘As Much Talent as Anyone in the Country’
Michigan’s 82-57 win over Minnesota was as thorough a beating of a good team as there’s been in the Big Ten this year. The Wolverines dominated the second half in leaving the No. 16 ranked Golden Gophers in the dust and were never threatened after Minnesota made a late, first half run.
The Gophers were down by six at the half, but U-M’s stifling defense left they little room to move.
“Michigan had a lot to do with it,” Minnesota head coach Richard Pitino said of his team’s struggles. “They were very, very good defensively. They were very physical defensively. They were taking us out of our stuff; they were pressuring the ball. So give them credit. They did a great job on us, and defensively we didn’t do a great job on them."
That’s a bad combination, he quipped, noting ‘you’re probably going to be on the other side of a tough game’ when that’s the case.
But he was all about giving U-M credit. His group played well in wins over Ohio State and Michigan State, two teams that also come with a physical approach, but not Thursday. It finished with only six assists, shot 7 of 28 from three-point range and didn’t get many good looks.
Standout Marcus Carr needed 15 shots to get his 14 points, and the Golden Gophers only went to the line 14 times.
“I don’t think it was a bad whistle by any means,” Pitino continued. “I think we were so timid. Instead of trying to get in there and attack their physicality, we were playing on our heels, turning our shoulders, had a lot of live ball turnovers. But they had a lot to do with that, too. They were terrific.
“I’m definitely upset because we didn’t play great by any means, but I think they’ve got really good balance. They’ve got a guy in [Hunter] Dickinson (28 points) who puts so much pressure on you in ball screens; so big, so physical. Isaiah Livers has been a really good player in this league for a while. Franz Wagner has got size.
“They are a talented team … a very talented team. Juwan’s doing a great job.”
Dickinson was “phenomenal,” he added, comparing him to Iowa’s Luka Garza in his ability to get the ball quickly and do something with it before they could trap or double. He said he’s never seen a big with such great percentages around the bucket, where everything he shoots “kind of dies into the basket.”
Add it up and it amounts to absolute domination of a good basketball team.
“We’ve had great moments this year after 13 games, but three of them really were some duds. But those three duds were against some really good teams,” Pitino said. “I think Michigan has got as much talent as any team in the country that I’ve seen. I think Juwan is doing a really good job of getting them bought in.”
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