5 Takeaways From Michigan’s Win Over Minnesota

It wasn’t necessarily pretty, but Michigan did just enough to take down Minnesota, and, as an added bonus, clinch a share of the Big Ten Title.

This game was one of the Wolverines’ uglier wins. The Golden Gophers were able to slow the pace of the game way down and force Michigan to play out of its comfort zone. The Wolverines pretty clearly had more talent — and that talent ultimately prevailed — but Minnesota definitely didn’t make it easy.

In the end, a flurry of 3-pointers in the second half helped Michigan open up an 18-point lead with five minutes to play, and the Gophers weren’t able to respond.

Here are five key takeaways from the win…

There was little celebration following the game, and that was to be expected. The Wolverines made it quite clear that they aren’t satisfied with simply owning a share of the Big Ten Title, they want it all to themselves. 

While they view the job as unfinished, the fact of the matter is that this is an incredible accomplishment in just head coach Dusty May’s second year. Less than two years ago, Michigan was the worst team in the Big Ten and was wrapping up a 3-17 conference slate. Now, May and his squad are on top of the mountain

Obviously, the Wolverines have a lot more work to do to achieve their ultimate goal of a national championship, but this title is one more step in the right direction, and it isn’t something to be taken lightly.

The Gophers had a plan to take Michigan’s frontcourt out of the matchup, and they executed it quite well. Minnesota is dealing with significant injuries, but even so, it runs a tight lineup. Against the Wolverines, the Gophers only played six players, and the tallest stood at 6-foot-9.

To counteract its major size disadvantage — and to conserve energy — Minnesota played in a 2-3 zone for the entire game.

Michigan struggled for a good portion of the night to crack the zone. The easiest way to bust a 2-3 zone is to get the ball to the high post and kick it out for 3-pointers, but the Gophers were doing a really good job of denying entry into the high post. And while Michigan has capable shooters, its identity revolves around scoring at the rim.

The Wolverines ultimately created enough offense to take home the win, but Minnesota’s unique defense definitely slowed them down.

Over his last seven games, sophomore guard L.J. Cason is averaging 12.1 points per game and is shooting 54.2% from three. He finished Tuesday night’s game with 14 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

Cason has been fantastic over the past month, and he isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. He’s playing with an immense amount of confidence, and rightfully so. He was pivotal in helping the Wolverines pull away against Minnesota, and he almost single-handedly willed his squad to a win over Northwestern on Feb. 11. 

Cason’s success doesn’t look like it’s simply a flash in the pan. He’s putting together quite the stretch of impactful performances.

Graduate forward Yaxel Lendeborg had probably his toughest game of the season. He didn’t look bad by any means, but he wasn’t playing at the level that he’s proven he can play at.

He finished the game with three points, two rebounds, and four assists in just 25 minutes of play. He wasn’t constantly turning the ball over or making bad decisions, he just looked slightly passive and sluggish.

Lendeborg has shown up in big moments all season, so with No. 10 Illinois on the horizon, history predicts he’ll be ready to play. Regardless, with tournament season quickly approaching, Lendeborg will need to be at his best from here on out.

For the first time all year, more than half of Michigan’s field goal attempts were from 3-point range. That’s exactly what Minnesota wanted to happen, but unfortunately for the Gophers, the Wolverines knocked down 42.4% of them.

By sitting in a zone, Minnesota was challenging the Wolverines to enter a 3-point contest, and they took the bait. Michigan shot 14-for-33 from deep while the Gophers shot 12-for-34. Minnesota got what it wanted, but the Wolverines still came away with the victory.