Michigan Basketball: 2019-20 keys for victory against Creighton

By Adam Childs | Nov 11, 2019

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 06: Brandon Johns Jr. #23 of the Michigan Wolverines gets to the basket for a dunk next to Juwan Morgan #13 of the Indiana Hoosiers at Crisler Arena on January 06, 2019 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan won the game 74-63. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

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ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 27: Jon Teske #15 of the Michigan Wolverines shoots the ball during a practice session ahead of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament West Regional at Honda Center on March 27, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images) /

Michigan Basketball opened its season with a closer than expected win against Appalachian State. What do they need to improve on to beat Creighton on Tuesday night?

The Juwan Howard Era started off hot but got really cold in the second half on Tuesday night when the Wolverines took on the Mountaineers of Appalachian State. Michigan Basketball came away with the win, but not without some late drama in a game that should have been a blowout.

Michigan led by as many as 30 in the second half, but a huge scoring drought allowed the Mountaineers to climb all the way back to within five with a minute left to play. The Wolverines were able to hit some free throws late to pull out the game and the win, but it still got too close for comfort.

For the first 30 minutes of the game, the Wolverines looked very good, and defensively they played well. But then the shots stopped falling and they let it affect the intensity. The Mountaineers were starting to envision another big upset in Ann Arbor but came up just short.

There was a lot to like about the game even with the ugly last ten minutes of the game. Jon Teske had a double-double before halftime and Eli Brooks poured in 24 points as he started next to Zavier Simpson to start the season.

Michigan steps up their competition on Tuesday as they host the Creighton Blue Jays in the annual Gavitt Tipoff Games, where the Big Ten and Big East play a set of games. Creighton is coming off an easy win against Kennesaw State, so this will also be the first challenge.

So what do the Wolverines need to do to beat the Blue Jays? We take a look at three keys to the game for Michigan.

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