I think it’s pretty safe to say that Michigan’s solidified their 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Generally, I’d be afraid to say such a thing in fear of jinxing the team, but the Michigan Wolverines are too impressive for generalities. After a win over a Top 5 Ohio State team, the Wolverines turned around a few days later and put down the Iowa Hawkeyes in blowout fashion 79-57.
If you’ve watched Iowa the past few years, you know that shutting down Luka Garza is the key to beating the Hawkeyes. Obviously, most teams have struggled to do this, as he’s averaged over 24 points per game at 54.8% from the field and 8 rebounds per game this year. Against Michigan, however, he was contained to just 16 points on 31.5% shooting. Hunter Dickinson did phenomenally on defense, and give some credit to Austin Davis, as well, for his work there down low defensively.
On the other side of the court, Franz Wagner continues to climb closer to his ceiling, putting up 21 points in an extremely efficient 9-12 shooting effort. Isaiah Livers added 16 points, staying extremely hot from distance at 4-5 from behind the three-point line. Finally, Dickinson added tons of value on offense, as well, putting in 14 points and 8 rebounds.
Overall, there’s nothing else I need to say to you to convince you that this Michigan team is the real deal. It’s time to enjoy the ride.
Timestamps:
- 00:00 - Intro
- 00:20 - Highlights
- 18:43 - Stats
- 19:10 - 3 Key Points