Busting Brackets
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Michigan Basketball: 2018-19 keys for the Wolverines at Rutgers

By Adam Childs

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 29: Jordan Poole #2 of the Michigan Wolverines reacts after taking a second half charge while playing the Ohio State Buckeyes at Crisler Arena on January 29, 2019 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 29: Jordan Poole #2 of the Michigan Wolverines reacts after taking a second half charge while playing the Ohio State Buckeyes at Crisler Arena on January 29, 2019 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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MADISON, WISCONSIN – JANUARY 19: Ethan Happ #22 of the Wisconsin Badgers attempts a shot while being guarded by Jon Teske #15 of the Michigan Wolverines in the second half at the Kohl Center on January 19, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MADISON, WISCONSIN – JANUARY 19: Ethan Happ #22 of the Wisconsin Badgers attempts a shot while being guarded by Jon Teske #15 of the Michigan Wolverines in the second half at the Kohl Center on January 19, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

1. Stay out of foul trouble

This seems like an obvious key, but one we need to cover. This has not been much of an issue for the Wolverines because they do not foul much, but it bit them in the rear end against Iowa on Friday. The Wolverines are not very deep this year playing mostly a seven man rotation and sometimes eight. But when Jon Teske and Jordan Poole got in foul trouble early it caused a lot of guys to get big time minutes that the Wolverines have not had to rely on this year.

While the bench guys did not do horrible it made the offense look out of sorts and they were a down grade defensively. Teske has been a great defender inside but without him in there it changes how teams attack the Wolverines. Poole is a good defender but Michigan needs him out there for scoring. He is one of the best scorers on the Wolverines and for an offense that is struggling, they need him on the court.

The talent gap between Rutgers and Michigan is big and if the Wolverines get in foul trouble it allows that gap to shrink. Many will say that the fouls they called early in the Iowa game were cheap and should not have been called, but it still left the Wolverines short-handed. They need to avoid that same fate on Tuesday night and keep their key players on the court. If they can do that they should be able to come away with a road victory.

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