The Michigan Wolverines had to find a way to win without Juwan Howard at the helm. Midway through the second half, a heated argument between Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon and Juwan Howard resulted in 3 technicals, 2 of which gave Howard a ticket to the locker room. Despite a quick 7-0 run from the Terrapins after the ejection, the Wolverines settled in and rode the play of Mike Smith and Eli Brooks to a comfortable 79-66 victory.
The aforementioned Mike Smith had a career day, putting up 18 points and a Big Ten Tournament record 15 assists. Even more impressing, he ended the game with zero turnovers. It was his best day in a Michigan uniform, and possibly his best performance in college thus far. Eli Brooks put up 16 points of his own, looking extremely (and surprisingly) healthy after injuring his ankle against the Spartans this past weekend. Having him back greatly increases Michigan’s chances not only at extending their run in the conference tournament, but in their quest for a national title.
The path only gets harder from here, with the high possibility that all 4 semifinal teams could be top 10 teams between Illinois, Iowa, and Ohio State. The Wolverines take on the Ohio State Buckeyes at 1PM EST on Saturday after they prevailed over the Purdue Boilermakers in overtime fashion Friday afternoon.
Timestamps:
- 00:00 - Intro
- 00:39 - Highlights
- 24:05 - Stats
- 24:36 - 3 Key Points