Michigan Basketball’s Hot Shooting Proves Contagious In 80-62 Win

The Wolverines were on fire from the start, shooting an impressive 80% from the field in the first half. The hot shooting was contagious, as the entire team got involved and everyone was hitting their shots. The final score was 80-62, and the Wolverines remain undefeated.

Introduction

In a season in which the team has struggled to find its identity, the Michigan basketball team may have finally found its niche: shooting the lights out from long range.

The Wolverines shot a season-best 57.1 percent from three-point range en route to an 80-62 win over Maryland on Saturday afternoon, their fifth straight victory. It was a much-needed boost of confidence for a team that had lost four of five games prior to this streak.

For the season, Michigan is now shooting 37.3 percent from three-point range, which ranks sixth in the nation. And in Big Ten play, the Wolverines are even better, shooting 40.4 percent from beyond the arc.

Against Maryland, it was freshman guard Jordan Poole who led the way with a career-high six three-pointers, while senior guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman added five and junior guard Duncan Robinson chipped in four. It was a total team effort, however, as all five Michigan starters made at least one three-pointer.

It’s been a season of ups and downs for Michigan, but if they can keep up this hot shooting, they could be a dangerous team come tournament time.

What was the problem?

Before the game, Michigan was shooting just 29.1 percent from 3-point range.

How did the team solve the problem?

The team discussed the problem and came to the conclusion that they needed to work on their shooting. They decided to spend extra time in practice working on their shooting and it seems to have paid off.

What was the result?

The Michigan Wolverines defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes 80-62 in a Big Ten matchup. The Wolverines were hot from the start, shooting 58.3% from the field and 46.2% from three-point range in the first half. Their hot shooting proved contagious, as the Wolverines outscored the Hawkeyes by 14 points in the first half and never looked back.

What can we learn from this?

The Michigan Wolverines men’s Basketball team is red hot right now. After an 80-62 win against Rutgers on Saturday, the Wolverines have now won four games in a row and re shooting an incredible 53.4% from three-point range during that stretch.

What’s even more impressive is that all four of those wins have come against conference opponents, with three of them coming on the road. This recent success has vaulted Michigan up to second place in the Big Ten Standings just one game behind first-place Illinois.

So what has been the driving force behind this sudden surge? Well, it starts with the Wolverines’ improved shooting.

During their four-game Winning Streak Michigan is averaging 9.5 made three-pointers per game while shooting 53.4% from beyond the arc. Compare that to their season averages of 7.6 made threes per game and 37.3% Three-point shooting and it’s clear that something has changed for the better recently.

But it’s not just about making more shots, it’s also about taking smarter shots. Michigan has always been a good Three-Point Shooting team, but they sometimes would get too caught up in trying to make deep threes instead of taking the open shot that was right in front of them.

However, over their last four games, the Wolverines have shown much better shot selection and have been rewarded for it with a higher percentage of makes. If they can keep this up, there’s no reason to think they can’t make a run at the Big Ten title and beyond.

What’s next for the team?

Now that the team has won their last two games, what’s next for them?
The next game is against Iowa on January 17. The team has a 19-2 record and is ranked number 3 in the nation.

What’s next for the players?

There is no question that Michigan’s players are talented. The starting five is full of potential future NBA players and the bench has contributed heavily to the team’s success this season. But what’s next for these Wolverines?

Now that the regular season has come to an end, Michigan will turn its attention to the postseason. The Wolverines are currently ranked No. 4 in the country and are expected to be a top seed in the NCAA tournament But their ultimate goal is to win a National Championship and they will have to go through some tough teams in order to do that.

In the meantime, let’s take a look at what’s next for each player on Michigan’s roster:

-Zavier Simpson: Simpson will continue to be the Heart and Soul of this team. He is the team’s best defender and one of its most important leaders. He will need to continue to run the offense effectively and make Big Shots when it matters most.
--Jon Teske Teske has been one of the most improved players on the team this season. He has developed into a very good offensive player and he will be counted on to score inside against some of the best big men in the country.
--Isaiah Livers Livers has been a key player for Michigan all season long He is a very good scorer and rebounder, and he can also stretch the floor with his three-point shooting. He will be one of Michigan’s most important players in the tournament.
-Eli Brooks: Brooks has been a big part of Michigan’s success this season. He is a very good shooter and he can also handle the ball well. He will need to continue to hit big shots in order for Michigan to make a deep run in the tournament.
-Jordon Poole: Poole is one of Michigan’s best scorers, and he will be counted on to provide offense from the bench. He is also a very good shooter, and he will need to hit some big shots in order for Michigan to win games in March.-Christopheritch Hummels: Hummels has been a key player for Michigan all season long. She provides defense, rebounding, and leadership off
the bench.”

How will this affect the future?

As the game against Northwestern progressed, so too did Michigan’s shooting stroke. The Wolverines (11-3, 2-1 Big Ten) finally broke out of their season-long slump from 3-point range, hitting 12 of their last 15 attempts to finish the game at a 58.8 percent clip. It was a significant improvement from the team’s conference-worst 30.5 percent 3-point shooting entering the night, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

This sudden outburst comes as a bit of a surprise given how poor Michigan’s shooters have been up to this point. But it also bodes well for the Wolverines moving forward, as they showed tonight that they are capable of putting up big numbers from beyond the arc when they get hot.

Michigan will need to continue to rely on its outside shooting as the season progresses, as that is currently its best source of offense. The team is still struggling to score in the paint and generate good looks for its shooters, so knocking down shots from long range will be crucial if the Wolverines want to keep winning games

It’s encouraging to see Michigan finally start to hit its stride from 3-point range, and if tonight’s game is any indication, this could be the start of a dangerous stretch for opposing defenses.

Conclusion

In a game where every possession mattered, the Wolverines’ hot shooting allowed them to simply outlast their counterparts. Four different players scored in double figures, with freshman Franz Wagner leading the way with 19 points. Even more impressively, Wagner shot 50 percent from three-point range, while the team as a whole finished the game 12-for-24 from deep.

The victory was an important one for Michigan, who now sit atop the Big Ten standings at 5-1. They’ll have a chance to solidify their position in the coming weeks with matchups against Penn State Indiana, and Wisconsin on the schedule. But regardless of what happens in those games, it’s clear that this Michigan team is dangerous when they’re shooting well. If they can keep up this level of play, they’ll be a tough out for anyone come March.

Takeaways

1. Michigan’s hot shooting proved contagious in its 80-62 win over Nebraska on Thursday night

2. The Wolverines shot a season-high 58.3 percent from the field, including an impressive 16-of-25 (64 percent) from 3-point range.

3. Michigan’s balanced scoring attack was led by freshman guard Franz Wagner, who had a game-high 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range.

4. The Wolverines also got double-digit scoring contributions from seniors Charles Matthews (15 points) and Jordan Poole (11 points), as well as junior forward Isaiah Livers (11 points).

5. With the win, Michigan improves to 20-1 on the season and 9-1 in Big Ten play. The Wolverines will look to continue their hot shooting when they host Penn State on Sunday afternoon.