'We definitely got better': Michigan basketball hopes points of emphasis at practice will pay off in pivotal two-game non-conference stretch

On3 imageby:Clayton Sayfie11/30/21

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Michigan basketball (4-2) hasn’t started the season the way many expected it to, with a home loss to Seton Hall and a setback to Arizona in the Roman Main Event serving as disappointments. The Maize and Blue have had several rocky stretches on both ends of the floor in the early going, and the pieces — which include seven newcomers — haven’t fit together as smoothly as they did a year ago.

After a 1-1 trip to Las Vegas, it was “back to the lab” for Michigan last week, head coach Juwan Howard said, but the team only had three days between the loss to the Wildcats and a home game against Tarleton State. The Wolverines struggled and held only a three-point lead with less than three minutes remaining, and the 65-54 win was clearly not the get-right game many hoped it would be.

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Michigan has turned the ball over on 21.5 percent of its offensive possessions, shot just 29.1 percent from three-point range and has looked out of sync for lengthy stretches. The defense has been inconsistent, especially against the tougher competition versus Seton Hall and Arizona.

The Wolverines got the next two days off (Thanksgiving and the day after), before practicing Saturday morning and getting back at it Monday. And maybe hitting the hardwood inside the William Davidson Player Development Center was exactly what the young squad needed before a pivotal week that features an ACC/Big Ten Challenge contest at North Carolina and a home game against San Diego State.

“Coming back on Saturday before the [football] game, I feel like that practice was really good for us,” sophomore center Hunter Dickinson said Tuesday morning. “We got a lot of really good work in. There were things that Coach [Howard] said [about] getting back to our habits of Michigan basketball and how we play.

“I felt like we definitely got better at Saturday’s practice. And then yesterday, we did a lot of stuff preparing for UNC and how they play offensively and defensively. Those were two really good back to back practices for us getting better and just getting that one percent better that we try to do each and every day.”

Howard has said some players haven’t been willing to take coaching as well as he would like, but that he’s not concerned in the big picture. A team leader, Dickinson isn’t hitting the panic button, either, but he still knows there is room to grow.

“I think just because we’re young,” Dickinson said when asked why the habits he spoke of haven’t always been present. “Last year, people got a little spoiled because of the fact that we were a lot more experienced than we are this year. We got a lot of new pieces. We have two new starters, if you don’t count B-Johns [junior forward Brandon Johns Jr.]. If you count B-Johns we have three new starters, so we’re still trying to click there. And then also, everybody coming off the bench, except for T-Will … most of those guys are guys who didn’t play last year and are coming into new roles.

“I think that’s something that we’re still trying to figure out — each other’s roles. Right now, obviously we’re not where we want to be, but that’s fine. We don’t want to peak at the beginning of the season; we want to peak at the end of the season when winning matters more, because there are less games to play.

“So for us, just taking it one step at a time and really having the guys buy into the Michigan system and what we’re trying to do here, offensively and defensively, takes time. It’s not going to be a thing that happens in a week or even a month. But I think towards the end of the season, when games are more important, we’ll become that think that everybody thought we were going to be at the end of the season.”

That’s the key, of course, but some of the signs are still concerning. Dickinson, for example, has turned the ball over 15 times, but he also hasn’t gotten as many post touches as many expected the 60.7 percent shooter to. A lack of perimeter shooting has clogged up the middle of the floor and messed with spacing.

“I think it’s a team thing. I don’t think we’re clicking as a unit, so obviously there is the trickle-down effect to that,” Dickinson said. “We’re just trying to find our groove right now and trying to find the chemistry and trust in each other, and I think that’s going to come over time as we play more and more with each other.

“As long as we just buy into the offense and what Coach Howard is teaching us, the plays and stuff like that, I feel like everything will sort itself out.”

North Carolina plays two big men in Armando Bacot and Brady Manek, a lineup look that has given the Wolverines trouble. Arizona’s two bigs helped the Wildcats score 54 points in the paint on Michigan, with the Wolverines not giving up much of a fight on the inside.

Michigan’s opponents are shooting 47.0 percent from two-point range, a mark that slots 119th in the country, and allowing the opposition to rebound 26.7 percent of their offensive misses (26.7 percent). Especially on the interior, Tar Heels will serve as a good measuring stick as to where Michigan is and how much it has improved in practice over the last week.

“Rebounding is definitely something we can get better at and something Coach Howard is constantly preaching to us, and it’s woven into our practices, working on rebounding,” Dickinson said. “So it’s something that we’re all conscious of and we’re all making an effort at. It’s something that people are just getting used to the level of play in high Division I. So I think people are just getting adjusted to that, and something I definitely had to get adjusted to.

“I don’t think it’s something we should be worried about. It’s something that we can get a pulse on and get better at over time.”

The Tar Heels have scored at a high level, pouring in 89 or more points in four of their six games and ranking 18th in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency.

“It’ll be a really good game and a really good test for us because they play two bigs and are a really physical team,” Dickinson said. “They’re good at rebounding, and they have really good guard play. Just a really good team overall, so I think that’s going to prepare us well for the Big Ten and it’s a really good test for us and a game that we would really like to win.”

Straightening out some of the issues against North Carolina and San Diego State — while also being mindful that these could be important games come NCAA Tournament selection time — will be key before Big Ten play begins next week.

Michigan and North Carolina will tip off at 9:15 p.m. ET at the Dean Dome Wednesday night.

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