NCAA Basketball: Michigan/Ohio State recap, at-large hopes among key questions

Although there were a number of NCAA Basketball games from the week prior, we still got treated to arguably the best matchup of the season in No. 3 Michigan vs No. 4 Ohio State. It ended up being a great and close game for all 40 minutes, with the Wolverines ending up winning, 92-87.

So what should be made of that game? Are both teams still legit national title contenders or could there be weaknesses that were exposed? That’s one of the questions asked in this week’s roundtable. Here is that, along with the other four questions and the five participating writers.

Anthony Brown – @ABrownSports

Andrew Tineo – @D_Tineo4

Benjamin Zacher – @beezacher

Jacob Zinkula – @1PerfectBracket

Joey Loose @jloose128

1. What were your biggest takeaways from Michigan vs Ohio State?

Brown

My biggest takeaway from the Michigan vs. Ohio State game is that the Wolverines are dominant when they move the ball well in the half-court, run the fast break and bully people in the paint.

While I say that, I recognize that both teams played a four out and one in the paint style of offense. Because of this, they were able to get better traction when driving to the basket.

The Wolverines can run with just about any team in the league. In this game, they had a distinct advantage when running the fast break and looked like the better team down the stretch.

I noticed from the Wolverines that they relied heavily on the three-point shot because it was working for them in the first half. They were 10-of-13 (77 percent) from out there and 1-of-10 in the second half.

Ohio State was more balanced in the first half with their shooting which kept the game close going into halftime.

I think that the Wolverines are a Final Four team, as many other analysts believe, but depending on the three-ball could hurt them if they’re not careful.

Tineo

Sunday’s game did not disappoint as it was among the best games of the year and both teams have Final Four potential, regardless of the result.

Ohio State has an elite guard-forward duo of Duane Washington Jr. and E.J. Liddell. Both of them can shoot the three well and the team as a whole gets to the free throw line at a high rate.

For Michigan, Hunter Dickson’s IQ is among the best in the conference and Isaiah Livers is the most underrated player in the conference. They rebound the ball well and among the best shot blockers, averaging five a game.

Regardless of the result, they put on a top 3 game of the year and was well worth the hype. Both programs are heading in the right direction and may have a second meeting down the road.

Zacher

Firstly, and most obviously, just how good both teams genuinely are.  Outside of the canceled Gonzaga/Baylor matchup a while back, this was the most anticipated game of the entire season – and both teams lived up to expectations.  Surpassed them, even.  Both teams averaged over 1.30 points per possession, shot over 55% from inside the arc, and over 47% from the perimeter.  That’s insane.

But it also gave a glimpse of two teams with players who know their role, accept those roles, and thrive in them – no matter if it’s in the starting five or off the bench.  That type of depth and system can be deadly for the opposition in the tournament, and it’s no wonder that these two squads are among basketball’s best.

Look at players like Michigan’s Mike Smith or Chaundee Brown, both of whom averaged double-digits at their previous schools – Columbia and Wake Forest, respectively – but have been willing to take a backseat and serve as complementary pieces to Hunter Dickinson and Isaiah Livers.  The same goes for the Buckeyes, too – bench players like CJ Walker and Zed Key, once in the starting lineup at some point this year, provided key minutes against Michigan.

Obviously, this game also just showed how good players like Dickinson and Livers, as well as Ohio State’s Duane Washington and E.J. Liddell, truly are.  Those four alone amassed 87 combined points in this game.  Barring any meltdowns, both these teams are more than deserving of earning number-one seeds in the NCAA Tournament.

Zinkula

I thought Michigan was the better team heading into the matchup, and the game gave me no reason to think otherwise. For many, the big takeaway from the outcome seems to be that Michigan might belong in the “top tier” conversation with Gonzaga and Baylor. While I still view Michigan as a tier below, there is definitely a compelling argument to be made for this.

With regards to Ohio State, the Buckeyes continue to impress. Chris Holtmann’s squad seems almost immune to a letdown game — churning out one high-level performance after another — and it’s becoming harder and harder to imagine Ohio State slipping up before at least the Sweet 16.

I’ve questioned whether the Buckeyes have the high-end talent necessary to compete for a championship, but Duane Washington (30 points vs. Michigan) is turning me into a believer. He’s one of the better off-the-dribble 3-point shooters in the nation and has an underrated burst on his drives to the basket.

Loose

Barring something bizarre, there should be two #1 seeds from the Big Ten. This game was exciting from start to finish, even if the final score wasn’t as close as expected. These two teams belong in the top 4 and both have a postseason run in them.