A sliver of hope for Michigan basketball after win at Northwestern

If Michigan basketball was going to turn its season around, it needed to start somewhere. The Wolverines, without a Quad 1 all season, got it Thursday night in Evanston (Ill.) against a good Northwestern team playing in front of a raucous home crowd, blowing out the Wildcats 68-51.

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Head coach Juwan Howard pulled a few different strings in the second half, and they were the right ones. Michigan grad student Joey Baker saw extended minutes, and he made the most of them. He was plus-13 in his 15 minutes, and head coach Juwan Howard stuck with him for a 10-minute stretch in the second half with frosh wing Jett Howard (plus-3 in 27 minutes) on the bench. 

That was the critical stretch in the most important game of the season to date. Lose this one against a tired Northwestern team playing its 5^th game in 11 days, and the Michigan season would be all but over. Instead, there’s at least some life for a 6-5 Big Ten team with three games (Ohio State, Nebraska, Indiana) in a row at home.

Unlike Sunday at Penn State, Michigan came out and played like they knew it.

“Mindset,” Howard said of the difference between the Michigan efforts. “In the first half, shots did not go down for us. Our guys kept plugging away especially on the defensive end, giving the effort, bringing the energy, bringing the toughness. I said to them at halftime, ‘we got some good, open looks. Continue to attack the glass — at the same time, those open looks will go down. Just trust it.’”

He challenged them before the game, too, he said in the postgame interview on ESPN, especially Dug McDaniel. The Michigan freshman point guard had “another gear” to reach, Howard said. While McDaniel was initially taken aback, he didn’t sulk. Instead, he found it, contributing 9 assists and some hard work on defense. 

Northwestern, meanwhile, was off — maybe tired — but many of the Wildcats’ shots were contested, and Michigan dominated the glass. The Wolverines notched 14 offensive rebounds and were relentless. 

But Howard pushed the right buttons, and he stuck with what worked. Up 32-29, he subbed Baker in. He hit a triple and was fouled, a critical 4-point play and a turning point. He hit a jumper after another stop, and the Wolverines pulled away in the next 10 minutes.

It wasn’t just shots. He was aggressive, engaged on both ends and hunting shots.

“Joey’s been playing hard all season long. He’s also been bought in to accept his role,” Howard continued. “He’s one of the guys we lean on for giving us offensive and defensive energy, as well.

“The second half he came out, drove the ball, took shots that were open for him. He had it going.”

He made 3 of 4 triples and scored 14 points, yet he wasn’t the player of the game. That was sophomore shooting guard Kobe Bufkin, who put up 15 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists against only 1 rebound. 

“Wow. Big, big game,” Howard said. “We needed it. He stepped up.”

As did most of them. They fed off each other and never relented, amassing 21 assists against only 7 turnovers and playing with a purpose. 

The goal now, of course, is to string several games like that together. There are three Michigan home games in a row coming up, starting Sunday against reeling Ohio State. Win them, and they’re approaching the NCAA Tournament bubble again. 

It’s a long way away, but one step at a time … and Thursday was a big one.

“It’s huge. It’s huge,” Howard said. “I really respect and appreciate those guys in the locker room for believing in one another, believing in the staff, and also trusting the process. 

“No one said it’s going to be easy. Our league as you can see, a lot of teams are fighting and clawing. You have teams top to bottom that you’re going to get their best each and every night. Northwestern is one or the best teams in our conference. This is a big win for our team. It’s great to see some smiles on their faces. They deserved it.”