It wasn’t long ago that many thought that it was unlikely that Michigan basketball would do much more than make the NCAA Tournament, let alone make it out of the first round. But after narrowly beating UC San Diego by three points on Thursday, the Wolverines came alive midway through the second half to send Texas A&M back to College Station, while the maize and blue will start planning a trip to Atlanta.
Missed opportunities led to perseverance
You can usually count on Michigan basketball to get points in the paint, especially with the two big men, Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf. However, the Wolverines really struggled to hit shots right under the basket for much of the game. It was the Achilles heel given how many looks (and rebounds) the Wolverines were getting, but staying with it, not getting too crazy trying to jack up 3s, and getting to the free throw line midway through the second half helped the maize and blue get back into the game and take a lead for good late.
Rebounding was actually good
One of the big worries coming into the game for Michigan basketball was Texas A&M’s rebounding prowess as the Aggies entered as the best team in the country when it came to corralling offensive rebounds. However, the Wolverines were up to the challenge, actually outrebounding A&M on Saturday. Michigan had 48 rebounds to the Aggies’ 39, while the Wolverines had one more offensive rebound at 15.
We’ve seen the football team do things better that their opponents were known for in the Jim Harbaugh, but it’s surprising to see it happen with Dusty May and the basketball team at such a critical juncture.
Steady as she goes
There was essentially no point during the first 25 minutes where the Wolverines looked like the better team, if not the first 30 minutes. But Michigan kept plugging away, making stops on defense while continuing to attempt tough shots. It wasn’t pretty for the bulk of the game, but all the maize and blue needed was a stretch where the Aggie offense stalled while their own offense started getting things going. A 14-3 run in the last half of the second half allowed the Wolverines to go from being down 10 with 13:17 remaining to up nine with 3:37 remaining. It was somewhat of an opposite look from most games where Michigan takes a big early lead, loses it somewhere in the second half, and then holds on for dear life to win a one-or-two-possession game.
It was a gritty win and the perseverance pulled off.
Roddy Gayle Jr. was the difference
When nothing was working, it was Gayle who came in and got things going. The bulk of his career high of 26 points came in that stretch when A&M couldn’t get much of anything going offensively. He hit some clutch 3s, got stops on defense, and made savvy shots from within the arc to help propel the maize and blue back after looking dead in the water.
What a big change from where he was just a few weeks ago.
Who knows where Michigan goes from here?
Now the Wolverines await their next opponent, but Dusty May has led an 8-24 team to the Sweet 16 in his first year. The maize and blue will play the winner of Auburn and Creighton with a chance to play in the Elite Eight. Given that this game was a bit different than the usual script, there’s really no telling what this team is capable of. Each game is a one-game season, and Michigan could be ousted next round, or it could go the distance.
There’s really no telling with this team. But considering the perseverance and effort, it’s pretty stunning that Michigan has advanced to the second weekend.
