Michigan-Ohio State is just what college basketball needs.
The most anticipated game of the regular season has probably obscured the hype, offering more compelling play and interest in the schools’ rivalry than football could offer over the past decade. A bonus: this was the first top-five match between the universities between the programs in their history. The third position in Michigan has, according to a resume point of view, the best victory on the road this season with a 92-87 victory at number 4 OSU.
It was just as entertaining and challenging a match between two teams we’ve seen over the last three months.
It’s been a rocky season – as predicted – in college basketball. Every week 40-80 matches are postponed or canceled. High-ranking teams like Gonzaga, Baylor, Michigan, Villanova and Florida State have taken a few weeks off. You never want your best teams out of sight (so out of your mind), but that’s how it’s done over the last three months. Of course, it was a joy to have university basketball, even with the problems a season presents in the midst of a pandemic, but it is fair to say that the sport has a bit of juice because it is staggering after all. lost the 2020 NCAA Tournament.
It all seems to have disappeared within two hours on Sunday when a national audience agreed to tune in for March. A top-five tilt gilded by two of the biggest athletics brands in the university, which ultimately offers a high-octane, non-turn-off result. Chef’s kiss delicious.
It was the third time in the past three months that university basketball has donated a match between two top-five teams. On December 2, Baylor no. 2 along Illinois 5 to 82-69. Seventeen days later, the top-ranked Gonzaga dropped No. 3 in Iowa, but it was a 99-88 finish in favor of the still unbeaten Bulldogs.
The state of Michigan-Ohio brought what the two games did not do – a home field element – in addition to the background of both teams projected the No. 1 seed.
A lack of fans does not suck the drama or viewing experience out of this one. It was a title-level competition. Michigan ended the game with a fiery 1.37 points per possession. (OSU just finished at 1.30.) For the hardliners of the sport, Michigan center Hunter Dickinson was no secret. He was consistently ranked among the top five of CBS Sports’ Frosh Watch. But for a wider audience, it was an extensive introduction today. Although the state of Ohio missed the second chance a few times and had two bad turnovers in the end, one team eventually won the 7-foot (who looks like the man from “Empire Records”) and the other team that did not have him seemed to have the difference. Dickinson had 22 points, nine rebounds, two blocks and at least four easy buckets against an OSU team that did not have a player higher than 6-8.
“The hard thing about them is that they shoot it well in different places,” OSU coach Chris Holtmann told CBS Sports. “And Dickinson is a burden.”
The teams together made 22 three-pointers and shot 49% from outside the arc, in addition to Michigan, which made 57% of its 2-point shots, and Ohio State 55% of its efforts within the three-point line. Offensive, offensive, offensive – and not because of poor defense.
Along the way, we got an amazing potential preview of the Final Four. Both of these teams are obviously good enough to tackle the final weekend. What Michigan managed after a 23-day break is almost jaw. A week ago, the Wolverines outscored Wisconsin 40-20 in the second half, shaking off any rust flakes in the process and winning on the road. Thursday brought a real, never-doubtful house W over Rutgers. Sunday was the best yet. UM starts with an absurd 10-of-13 shooting performance of the first half from outside the arc. It ends 11-out-23, offering flashbacks from some of John Beilein’s best teams in the process.
Could this group be better than its Final Four teams for 2013 or 2018? At this point, it’s on the table. Holtmann told me that you can see an impact on Howard’s NBA in the way Michigan executes some of his offensive sets, and that’s what makes this team round.
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“I think what’s so impressive about them is that you can just see that they really adopted his personality,” Holtmann said. “Competitive, smart, tough. I put this team on the same level, almost like the very good Beilein teams, and it’s impressive to see how he does it. [in his second season]. “
Over two seasons, Howard has done what Beilein has done just once in eleven years: a win in the state of Ohio. It was the Wolverines’ first win over Columbus in seven years and only the second time since 2005. Michigan is now 11-1 in the Big Ten, its best start in league play since 1976-77. Juwan Howard was then 4 years old.
The Big Ten is obviously going to earn at least one of its teams a number 1 position. This is the first time since 2015 (Wisconsin) that the league was able to find the first line on Selection Sunday. Michigan is not yet a lock to no. 1 to be (matches against No. 11 Iowa, No. 5 in Illinois and the Big Ten tournament all await), but it’s as close as possible to the final status on February 21st.
“They are a complete team,” Holtmann said. “That’s why everyone is so high on them and rightly so.”
This is one of the best stories in university hoops. There was a time recently when a job started in Michigan. There was a man pushing behind the scenes to get hired. He was a famous man, an alumnus and someone who found success in his playing and coaching career as a forward. Can a return to college work? Fans did not matter at first, as they were delighted to have the prospect of having a beloved face on campus, of having someone who has enjoyed serious success at the highest level, of being able to coach Michigan again. Even better: to beat Ohio State.
No, not Jim Harbaugh. Another JH: Juwan Howard. The University of Michigan’s men’s basketball team is dominant, relevant, and in a way that its football program can only imagine at this point.