Michigan basketball: Takeaways from dominant win over Michigan State
Michigan needs to be more consistent from three-point range
One trend that has continued all season long for the Wolverines has been the inconsistency from three-point land. One game, it seems as if Michigan cannot miss from downtown, and the next, they can’t even buy one from range. This inconsistency makes it hard to tell whether or not the Wolverines will make strides in either tournament or if they will fall short early like Ohio State or Illinois did in 2021.
Against the Spartans, some unfamiliar faces showed up from deep, such as forwards Brandon Johns Jr. and Terrance Williams II. Both players came off the bench and combined for 14 total points, 12 from beyond the arc. This is productivity that the Wolverines would love to see become a trend from their bench players — and will undoubtedly need going forward to compete in March.
Another key three-point shooter against Michigan State was Michigan freshman Caleb Houstan, who shot 2-2 from three-point range, one of four Wolverines to shoot 75 percent or better from long range. The other three were Brandon Johns Jr. (1-1), DeVante Jones (1-1), and Terrance Williams II (3-4).
As a team, Michigan shot 58.3 percent from three-point range, making up 21 of the Wolverines’ 87 points. Surprisingly, Michigan did not take very many threes, but when they did, they often went in, giving the Wolverines a considerable edge over Michigan State.
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The win over Tom Izzo’s Spartans moves Michigan basketball to 16-12 on the season and pushes Michigan State to 19-10. If both teams can manage another win or two as the regular season ends, they should be safely in the NCAA tournament.