NCAA Basketball: Oregon’s potential, Livers’ importance and more takeaways
By Brian Rauf
1) Isaiah Livers is Michigan’s most important player
Michigan rose from unranked to No. 4 in the country after winning the Battle 4 Atlantis two weeks ago, but they have gone just 1-3 in their four games since. There are a number of reasons for that (true road games, poor shooting, etc) but many of those factors boil down to one thing – Isaiah Livers has not been the same player.
The 6-8 junior averaged 17.0 points per game in November during Michigan’s 7-0 start, including three 20-point games. He became their go-to scorer and was a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses because of his size, athleticism, and shooting ability.
However, in December, Livers is averaging just 10.5 points per game and Michigan’s offense has sputtered.
Obviously, a team’s offense won’t be as effective when their leading scorer isn’t scoring at his usual rate, but Michigan’s offense is a more fragile ecosystem than most. Zavier Simpson runs the show but is a playmaker first and is not a good three-point shooter. Jon Teske is efficient but needs others to create shots for him. The same can be said for their supporting cast, who has been inconsistent.
Livers is the only versatile scoring threat they have. He has the size to punish smaller defenders down low along with the athleticism and range to draw bigger defenders away from the basket. Because of that, he requires extra attention from defenses when he gets going and is aggressive, which makes everyone else’s jobs easier.
The Oregon game was a perfect example of this.
Livers didn’t score in the first half, and Michigan only managed 23 points while trailing by as many as 16. He then scored 13 in the second half – Michigan put 40 on the board and forced overtime. Livers then didn’t score in overtime, and the Wolverines lost.
Michigan’s defense is good enough for them to be ranked pretty much all season long but, if they’re going to be the team we saw at the Battle 4 Atlantis, Livers will be the one who makes it happen.