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How will Michigan combat teams trying to 'muck the game up?'

clayton-sayfieby:Clayton Sayfie•about 11 hours•

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Danny Wolf
Michigan Wolverines basketball forward Danny Wolf posted 23 points in a loss to Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn-Imagn Images)

Michigan Wolverines basketball (14-4 overall, 6-1 Big Ten) ranks 57th nationally and fourth in the Big Ten in adjusted tempo, according to Kenpom, with the desire to play fast on offense. However, in Big Ten tilts, the Wolverines check in ninth out of 18 teams in tempo, with opponents trying to slow the game down.

Michigan had over 70 possessions in all but one of the five Big Ten games it played heading into last Thursday at Minnesota. But in regulation of the last two contests (both games went to overtime), the Wolverines had 62 in an 84-81 loss to Minnesota and 68 in an 80-76 win over Northwestern.

Both Minnesota (358th in tempo) and Northwestern (299th) tried to control the pace and play physical basketball, while Michigan wanted to get out and run. The Wolverines averaged 11.1 fast break points per game but were held to a combined total of 9 in those two contest.

Appearing on the ‘Inside Michigan Basketball’ radio show with host Brian Boesch, head coach Dusty May said he wants defense to turn into offense.

“First and foremost, we don’t turn teams over, so we’re not in transition with numbers as much as we’d like to be,” May explained.

“Now, we do get it up the court quickly, and we play where the floor is slightly, I don’t want to say broken or busted, but we have a slight advantage because we get it up quickly. But our inability to finish at the rim has been something that we’ve gotta focus on, that’s really hurt us, especially at Minnesota.”

Michigan ranks dead last in the Big Ten in defensive turnover rate, generating takeaways on just 12.7 percent of possessions during league play. The Wolverines are in the 91st percentile in the country by shooting 68.7 percent at the rim, but have taken a dip lately, combining to shoot 17-of-37 (45.9 percent) from in close in the last two games.

“The game is officiated differently every night; we have to adjust to that, but also we have to go up with the mindset that if we’re going to get fouled, it means it’s an and-one,” the Michigan coach said. “We can’t go up anymore hoping for a foul because they’re in the air. We’ve gotta put the honus on the officials, when we have an advantage, to get those calls.

“When we’re not finishing at the rim, it’s a little bit deflating, and baskets energize your defense. They force the other team to be on their heels a little bit, and then when you finish around the rim, then the defense typically overreacts, and you get better threes than what you’re getting otherwise.”

Michigan has gone to its 4-5 ball screen as a staple of the offense this season, with junior forward/center Danny Wolf and graduate center Vladislav Goldin playing off each other well. Wolf has emerged as a high-level playmaker, and Goldin has become one of the top bigs nationally, fresh off a 31-point performance against Northwestern.

However, the Wolverines are still looking for counterpunches. They had some time after Sunday’s win over Northwestern and Friday’s game at Purdue, and figuring out some answers is near the top of the priority list in practice.

“Unfortunately for us, the opponents have just tried to muck the game up and slow it down, and so we have to adjust and get more crisp with our execution and what we’re looking for when the game does get bogged down, because we’ve typically just leaned on the 4-5 ball screen when the games have gotten tight,” the Michigan coach said. “And Northwestern and Minnesota both defended those actions very well. They’re grabbing Vlad and not letting him get to the roll, and then they’re overcorrecting with the weak-side shooters, so we’re gonna have to find some different weapons and some different ways to attack that.”

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