NCAA Basketball: Michigan and South Carolina headlines Sunday Mailbag

What is the root of the Michigan Wolverines problems? – Tristan Freeman (@hoopsnut351)

Michigan is one of the most confusing teams in the country this season. Entering the season they were a top 10 team for me given how much they had returning as well as the great recruiting class they had coming in. I was also a firm believer in head coach Juwan Howard and his ability to win games in the Big Ten. Michigan has never come together, they look disinterested most times and they are losing to teams they should beat.

If you look at Michigan at the root of their problems appears to be a lack of chemistry. I will argue that starting point guard DeVante Jones should start sacrificing some of his minutes to freshman point guard Frankie Collins. Collins runs the offense better than Jones does. It would benefit Michigan to see more of a 50/50 share of the minutes the rest of the way. Jones is a much better scorer, but Collins is a better game manager, even as a freshman.

The Wolverines have a ton of freshmen and none are more important to their success than wing Caleb Houstan. The wing has started every game he has played and when he is scoring and impacting the game, Michigan usually wins. There are far too many times this year that Houstan has disappeared in a key spot in a game. One other thing that Michigan must fix if they want to make the NCAA tournament is to get star big man Hunter Dickinson playing like he was all of last season.

Dickinson has regressed and against big and physical big men like he is going to see in the Big Ten he has not fared very well. The fact that their big man has not always performed has arguably been the biggest reason for the Wolverines’ struggles this season. I don’t know if some of what ails Michigan is fixable. The chemistry problems seem real and it doesn’t seem like coach Howard knows how to fix them. If the Wolverines don’t figure this out they won’t be playing basketball in the NCAA tournament in March.