Michigan basketball needs more 'want to,' not more wake-up calls

On3 imageby:Chris Balas11/21/22

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For a good portion of Sunday night’s 70-66 Michigan overtime win over Ohio, the Bobcats were the better team. They were more in synch, played with more energy — frankly, like they wanted it more.

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That’s the second game in a row it’s been that way, in fact, and probably the third time in the last four games going back to Eastern Michigan.

There are several issues with Juwan Howard’s fourth Michigan team — shooting, point guard play, free throw shooting, defensive rotation. But the ‘want to’ …. that’s where it starts if this team is going to reach its potential this year.

And yes, this team still has the players to put together a good team. But it won’t start until they start realizing they need to bring it on every play, in every game, and on both ends of the floor.

“I have to give credit to Ohio,” Howard said after Michigan escaped. “I can’t say that we came out flat. Ohio did some good things out there that caused some of the missed shots. [They had] seven offensive rebounds in the first half, which, of course, gave them seven extra possessions. They also made some shots from three. 

“The first half, we missed some shots. We missed some good, open looks. I thought our defensive disposition in the beginning of the ball game wasn’t as solid as it should be … [but] we were up by two at half. Going into the locker room, it was time to take ownership and be held accountable for not doing things that we worked on and we watched on film.”

Initially, they did. Point guard Jaelin Llewellyn made some shots — he’d finish with 10 points, and while he’s still a work in progress, he provided a spark. They leaned on Hunter Dickinson again 24 points, 14 rebounds), and his two triples were essentially the difference.

But then they got a bit lax again, and Ohio was right back in it. After Michigan opened a 6-point lead, the Bobcats fittingly took the lead on a second-chance triple that made it 47-45. The Wolverines started pressing, and at the under 8:00 mark, they were on the ropes, down 57-50.

“I think part of it is mental fatigue, as well as effort. It’s a combination of both,” Howard said. “I trust that after we take a look at it, guys will get the chance to see. The film don’t lie. You will see who was involved in it. I’m sure those guys will do better, because every guy in the locker room, their heart is in the right place. They’re competitors. They want to do well out there on the floor.

“You’re going to get some guys sometimes where it’s not going to go as some people may think it should go as far these blowout wins. You’ve got to give respect to your opponent. They’re older players that have been through some challenging moments and have won games in the NCAA Tournament versus high-level, Power Five teams.”

Which is understandable. And supporting his guys publicly is exactly what Howard should be doing, especially given how they finished. They turned it up and pulled out a huge win behind clutch plays down the stretch from Dickinson, freshman wing Jett Howard (13 points) and sophomore Kobe Bufkin (9 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists).

Bufkin still isn’t shooting like he can (1-for-6 triples), but he is gaining confidence.

“Toughness,” Howard said. “He made some plays when it was time to make them. He also made some really tough free throws. That’s a pressure moment.

… “Ohio — give them respect. They deserved to be in the game today. They’re well-coached, and they played hard.”

Michigan did at times, too — really, the last 8 minutes when it was do-or-die. Before that, there was a lot of going through the motions and uncertainty, and that’s now a trend. Ohio finished with 19 offensive rebounds — unacceptable, frankly — and got too many good looks, too comfortable on offense.

It’s something that needs to be fixed — soon — if this team is going to be competitive in Big Ten play.

We’ll find out soon enough, as Howard likes to say, if Michigan really is “for competitors only.”

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