On Sunday, Michigan basketball (13-10, 7-5 Big Ten) took down the Ohio State Buckeyes (11-12, 3-9 Big Ten) at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, MI. The win was much needed for the Wolverines, who have seen an up-and-down season to this point. If Michigan expects to make another memorable NCAA tournament run this March, it will need to continue stringing together key wins as they did today.
Michigan basketball takes down Ohio State
To this point, Michigan basketball has been called many things — inconsistent is one of its most frequent names. One weekend, the Wolverines will take down a Quad 1 opponent, the next, they’ll fall to a Quad 4 opponent at home. Winning two games in a row feels like a massive accomplishment for this year’s Michigan basketball team; the last time the Wolverines won two-straight was in early January when Michigan knocked off Maryland and Penn State in consecutive games.
The Wolverines’ 77-69 win over Ohio State was bolstered by junior center Hunter Dickinson, who had 26 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks this afternoon. Additionally, Michigan basketball saw significant performances from Jace Howard (16 points) and Kobe Bufkin (13 points). This win does not fix the Wolverines’ issues entirely, but could be a huge win if Michigan can use it for momentum down the stretch.
Michigan must put together a late-season winning streak
This afternoon, Michigan basketball took down its biggest rival: the Ohio State Buckeyes. Michigan’s win came at a crucial point in the season — if the Wolverines want to make a tournament push, they’ll need to use this afternoon’s win as a momentum builder and string together a massive winning streak. The good news for Michigan is that it now boasts two Quad 1 wins: Northwestern and Maryland.
The bad news is that the Central Michigan loss is a massive mark on its resume — Quad 4 losses are not looked at fondly by the tournament selection committee. Still, there is plenty of season left. Michigan basketball will host its next two opponents: Nebraska and No. 21 Indiana. These two games will be just as big, if not bigger, than today’s win over the Buckeyes. If Michigan can emerge victorious in both games and improve to 15-10, it will be right back in the NCAA tournament discussion.
Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Managing Editor at [email protected] or DM him on Twitter, @CJsWrld_.