Michigan basketball has new life after win at Indiana

Just like that, Michigan basketball has life.

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Game recap, box score from Michigan basketball’s victory at Indiana

Desperate for a big win, the Wolverines came out swinging in Bloomington. They took an early lead, expanded it, gave some of it back but never completely wilted. They dominated in stretches and came away with a huge, 80-62 win at Indiana.

Three games in a row now they’ve looked like the team we expected to see this year, led by center Hunter Dickinson. He scored inside and out (three triples) in carrying his team in the second half, notching 25 points and nine rebounds.

The freshmen, meanwhile, continue to make strides. Caleb Houstan knocked down five triples and is starting to “get it” on defense, while Moussa Diabate notched 10 points, making six of seven free throws.

They helped make it tough for the Hoosiers after taking an 11-4 lead at 15:20, never letting the lead get below six the rest of the game. The lead ballooned to 16 a few times, but Indiana never quit.

Nor should anyone have expected them to. The Hoosiers came in winners of four out of five, including a 68-65 win over No. 4 Purdue earlier in the week. Michigan took the crowd out of it early.

“This team has a chance to get better and better each and every game. How the roster is designed, we have a mixture of seniors and some freshmen and some sophomores,” head coach Juwan Howard said. “And keep in mind, the sophomores, this is their first time playing on the road with a crowd.

“Last year it was COVID, and you didn’t have a crowd. All this is somewhat new for a lot of them. At the same time, they’re getting better and better each and every game. I see that. From what we have from the disposition in practice, I’m not surprised we played well today.”

But even he probably couldn’t have seen the three-point barrage his team unleashed on the Hoosiers. Michigan made 11 of 17 behind the arc, including the five from Houstan. His improvement was always going to be key to a U-M turnaround, and he’s starting to play with confidence.

“He’s always been rock-solid — every time, all the time,” Howard said. “Coming into practice, getting his work in, watching film, learning the game and staying dialed in mentally. It’s beautiful for a young man that is wired that way.

“Special things are going to be happening for him in the game of basketball because of how his mindset is designed. I admire being around a guy like Caleb because I see so much growth in him, game after game.”

It’s the same with his team, which improved to 9-7, 2-2 in Big Ten play. Two of their next three games are at home — vs. Northwestern and Nebraska Feb. 1 — and they’ll have opportunities for Saturday road wins at Michigan State and Purdue the next few weeks.

They’re back on track for an NCAA Tournament berth at this point and got the road win they needed to get there.

“I’m just so proud of how our team competed today,” Howard said. “They’ve been competing all year. There’s nothing like coming on the road and getting a road victory in a tough environment.

“We’re going to continue to go back in the gym each and every practice and see how we can grow, but it was beautiful to see all the contributions coming from everyone that touched that floor.”