5 Takeaways From Michigan Win Over Ohio State

For 32 minutes of the contest, Michigan and Ohio State were bound together. Both teams put together plenty of runs, but neither squad could truly pull away. But the Wolverines’ made one final push in the final eight minutes that ultimately put them over the edge.

It wasn’t the best Michigan had looked all season — far from it — but a 12-point win over a conference rival is not to be taken lightly. The Buckeyes are a very solid team. Entering Friday night’s game, they were ranked No. 35 in NET, meaning if over the course of the season Ohio State moves up five spots, this could be considered a Quad 1 victory. No, it wasn’t a 40-point rout, but it was a good win nonetheless.

Michigan has two massive tests next week, so any momentum it gained at the end of the game could be massive heading into bouts against two of the Big Ten’s best teams.

Here are five key takeaways from the Wolverines’ win…

For the second straight game, graduate forward Yaxel Lendeborg looked more like his best self. While his 3-point shot still isn’t falling, he was hunting his own shot and was efficient from inside the arc.

He finished the game with 18 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Of his nine rebounds, six of them were offensive. 

On both sides of the ball, Lendeborg is a matchup nightmare. He can guard any player on the court — quite effectively, too — and is a true three-level threat on offense. Opponents have to pick and choose how to attack him, because there really is no good way to slow him down.

While he was recovering from his calf injury, he was still an effective player, but everything he did was just a little bit slower. He’s seemingly full strength now, however, and his play raises the ceiling of the entire team.

Just like Tuesday against Indiana, the Wolverines hurt themselves with early turnovers. In the first half alone, they collected eight of them, giving the Buckeyes plenty of extra possessions. 

While Michigan was still able to scratch a lead by halftime, its efficiency numbers far out-paced Ohio State’s. If the Wolverines were able to convert those turnovers into shot attempts, the halftime score would be skewed much more heavily in their favor.

These self-inflicted miscues haven’t been fully detrimental for the Wolverines so far this season, but as they start to take on tougher opponents, they may not be able to get away with mental errors.

Michigan’s shooting has been quite volatile this season — there have been soaring peaks, but also some deep valleys. Against the Buckeyes, the Wolverines were in a valley.

In total, they shot 5-for-23 from beyond the arc, good for 21.7%. Ohio State was even daring them to shoot at times, slipping into a 2-3 zone with soft spots on the perimeter.

Michigan’s identity is primarily focused on interior scoring and paint domination, but without the threat of outside scoring, forcing the ball down low gets much harder. They don’t need to be shooting lights out from deep, but they need to at least be a threat. 

The Big Ten’s leader in blocks per game, junior center Aday Mara is as good of a rim deterrent as they come. He finished Friday night’s game with four blocks, and he nabbed two steals as well.

When Mara is on the court, he allows Michigan’s perimeter defenders to have quite a bit of freedom. They can gamble on passing lanes or press up tight on shooters because in the back of their mind, they know Mara is behind them. Even if a player gets into the paint, they still have to get the shot off around the 7-foot-3 center.

Mara certainly has his limitations, primarily his lack of lateral quickness, but even when he’s not actively blocking shots, his mere presence makes the Wolverines’ defense better.

Next Tuesday, Michigan will face No. 7 Nebraska, and then it takes on No. 10 Michigan State in East Lansing three days later on Friday.

So far this season, the Wolverines haven’t had to face top competition in the Big Ten. Most of their opponents have been low- to mid-level teams in the conference, but that’s about to change big time. They get Nebraska at home, but taking on a top-10 Spartans squad in Breslin Center is one of the hardest games to play in the country.

Michigan definitely has the capability to go 2-0 next week, but it has a lot of things to clean up before that can happen. Whether it be taking care of the ball or shooting it better from three, The Wolverines will have to be in top shape in order to survive this two-game gauntlet.