#2 Michigan Overcomes a 16-Point Deficit vs. Northwestern, Eyes Big Ten Regular Season Title

With 14:22 left in the 2nd half, a Northwestern floater brought the score to 42-58. Down 16 points, the game was starting to slip away from Michigan, which hadn’t been able to build any momentum throughout the night. From that moment on, Michigan scored on 20 straight possessions, closing out the game with an 87-75 victory over the Wildcats.

It seems like every game, someone new steps up to lead the Wolverines, and this game was no different. Wednesday night was all about L.J. Cason. The true sophomore guard led the team with 18 points, 13 of them coming in the 2nd half. He also added 3 assists and 4 steals while having a +21 plus/minus on the night.

Cason’s career night marks the 6th different player who has led Michigan in scoring in the past 7 games. This depth of talent is one of the biggest reasons that Michigan is projected to be a 1 seed in the tournament, and a favorite to win it all.

Yaxel Lendeborg also stood out in the second half, finishing the game with 15 points and 12 rebounds, marking his 3rd double-double in the last 4 games. Trey McKenney also deserves a shoutout for hitting 2 big threes in the second half to kickstart the Michigan comeback.

Dusty May’s Brilliance

​Dusty May deserves a ton of credit for Michigan pulling out the win on Wednesday. After the dreadful first half, it was obvious that changes were needed to turn the game around, and Dusty May found them.

​The first change that Dusty May implemented was playing the double big lineup more. Morez Johnson and Aday Mara played on the floor together for extended stretches of time, more than had been the case for most of the season.

​This double-big lineup gave Northwestern a lot of problems on both ends of the floor. Michigan was able to dominate the rebounding battle and was also able to get high-quality shots on offense.

​They were able to get to the free-throw line a lot in the second half, and when they weren’t at the free-throw line, they were getting open layups and quality 3 pointers. This is exactly the offensive philosophy that Dusty May wants for his team: layups, free throws, and open threes.

​The second change that Dusty May made was to ride with the backcourt of Cason and McKenney. Riding the hot hand of these two allowed Michigan to seize the momentum in the 2nd half.

​This backcourt depth is very important for Michigan. Having quality guard play is important when it comes to tournament time, and as the season goes on, Michigan has 4 guys they can trust in big minutes.

​It wasn’t the night for Elliott Cadeau and Nimari Burnett, but those nights happen. May’s ability to find what is working and to stick with it, is another example of why he is such a respected coach.

Not only did the Michigan coaching staff have the ability to find the successful lineups, but they also drew up plays that Northwestern had no answer to. Four times in the second half, Michigan scored on a back-screen play into a dribble handoff if the back-screen didn’t work.

Over the past 2 years, Dusty May has transformed the Michigan basketball program. The roster he has put together this season, alongside his coaching ability, will put Michigan in a prime position to have a lot of success the rest of the season.

Looking Forward

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Michigan sits at a record of 23-1, and a 2 game lead in the Big Ten standings. Despite this, Michigan now faces the hardest part of their schedule. Michigan will still have road tests at No. 13 Purdue, and No. 8 Illinois, and a home game vs No. 10 Michigan State. Not only that, but Michigan will travel to Washington, D.C. to face No. 4 Duke next week.

These games are a valuable test for Michigan, and will help to prepare the team for the post season. Winning the Big Ten is the first step, but Michigan has bigger goals than that. Michigan hasn’t won a national championship since 1989, and is looking to bring the title back to Ann Arbor this season.

It will be fascinating to continue to watch Michigan over the next couple of weeks, with its opportunity to face high level competition. The Wolverines play again on Saturday vs. UCLA, looking to continue their win streak and get one game closer to winning the Big Ten regular season title.