Iowa Hawk eyes
57
Michigan Wolverines
79
Michigan basketball did the same for Iowa as it did for many teams this season, which was eliminated in the second half in another impressive victory.
It is becoming increasingly clear that basketball in Michigan is the best team in the Big Ten and possibly even in the country after the Wolverines did what few teams did – stop Iowa.
And I don’t mean to win the Hawkeyes. Five other teams did this this season, ahead of Thursday night’s game at the Crisler Center.
But no team dominated the Hawkeyes in defense like Michigan. It was as impressive a victory as Michigan’s this season and here are our quick tips:
The defense was unbelievable
Iowa entered this game with an average of 1.20 points for possession, which is really difficult to do. And Michigan kept Iowa well below that. At the end of the second half, Iowa was below 0.9, which shows how dominant that defense was.
The biggest reason was the defense at Luka Garza. Hunter Dickinson deserves great props, despite being in trouble, the game plan of having Dickinson and Davis alone against Garza worked perfectly.
Keeping Garza on a 6-in-19 pitch from the field was huge, but limiting Iowa as a team to the same number on the 3-point line, which is only 31 percent, was the key to the game.
The bottom line is that Iowa just can’t match Michigan, and that includes the central position, where I would take Dickinson every day of the week and twice on Sundays in Garza.
Franz Wagner debutante party
The defense was a big reason for this Michigan basketball win, but the other reason was Franz Wagner, who may have his best game as a Wolverine.
With UM leading by just three at the break, Wagner scored eight points at the start of the second and helped Michigan extend his lead to double digits.
Wagner made 9 of 12 field shots, distributed four assists and made two of three on the field. Iowa had no chance to protect him and his ability to take control was one of the biggest differences between the two teams.
Joe Wieskamp is a very good player, but he is not Franz Wagner, who should be considered seriously as the Ten Player of the Year.
Michigan needs consideration # 1
Gonzaga and Baylor are two very good teams and one of them could win the national title in April. The Zags defeated Iowa after allowing them to score 88 points and, although they have defeated several ranked teams, no win has gone down the road.
They also did not play with a qualifying team during the conference game because the West Coast Conference is a joke.
I don’t mean it as a scorn. But compared to the Big Ten, it’s a joke. Gonzaga is not hitting anyone while Michigan has won four consecutive games against teams that will be playing in the NCAA tournament, with two of them on the road.
Yes, the Zags are a marvel in analysis. But they played as a team with a pulse in a month.
No college team has a better curriculum than Michigan, which is why, at this point, the Wolverines should be ranked first.