#2 Michigan Makes Big Ten History: Secures Win #21 vs Penn State
After two wins over AP Top 10 teams last week, Michigan was in danger of delivering a let down performance when Penn State came to the Crisler. Spoiler alert: there was no letdown.
The Wolverines opened the game with a 15-2 run, leading the way to a convincing 110-69 victory over the Nittany Lions. Michigan pushes its record to 21-1 and continues the momentum in its quest to win the Big Ten regular-season title.
With this 41 point victory, Michigan has broken the Big Ten record for the most 40+ point wins in a season, a record that shows how dominant Dusty May and company have been all year long.
The biggest story in this game was Nimari Burnett, who detonated for a career high 31 points, hitting 7 shots from beyond the arc, and was the key to breaking the zone that Penn State was utilizing.
Yaxel Lendeborg also contributed with 6 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. This performance was another showing of how Lendeborg is the most versatile player in the country and the key to potential success for Michigan in March.
A Legitimate Title Contender?
There have been some question marks regarding Michigan in the past couple of weeks, especially after a tough loss to Wisconsin at home, however these critics have been silenced by the past few performances.
This performance has solidified Michigan as a Tier 1 contender to win the National Championship this year, joined by Arizona and Duke. Michigan has the opportunity to play Duke in Washington DC later this month, a game that will be a great test for the Wolverines as they continue through the regular season.
The threat of this team starts with the incredible frontcourt that Dusty May was able to put together through the transfer portal. Lendeborg and Morez Johnson are listed at 6’9”, while Aday Mara towers at 7’3”.
This size, combined with the extraordinary athleticism of Lendeborg and Johnson, allows Michigan to switch screens on the perimeter, take away passing lanes, and also dominate the rebounding game.
Despite the Maize and Blue’s dominant front court, however, it will be the guard play that will make or break a deep tournament run in March.
When the tournament starts, and the stakes are raised, teams start playing their quality players more minutes, and are dialed into game-plans for every matchup. Guard play becomes especially important at this time, when teams key in on star players, and every possession becomes more valuable.
This means that Elliott Cadeau and Trey McKenny, with their ability to create with the ball in their hands at the end of games, will be a key aspect for Michigan throughout the postseason.
Cadeau and McKenny have already proven their ability to step up in big moments, as seen in the Nebraska and Michigan State wins from last week. Both of them delivered timely buckets, helping to propel Michigan to quality wins.
If this continues throughout the tournament, do not be surprised to see the Wolverines cutting down the nets in Indianapolis, bringing another national championship to the city of Ann Arbor.
