Michigan cranks up the physicality in Big Ten Tournament win over Purdue
INDIANAPOLIS – The Michigan Wolverines were in the fight for a Big Ten regular season championship until almost the very end, but the title slipped through their fingers. But the conference tournament provides an opportunity to hit the reset button and hit a stride ahead of March Madness, and U-M answered the call in an 86-68 win over Purdue on Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
In many ways, it was their most complete effort of the season. Outside of a 6-0 run to start the game for the Boilermakers, Michigan was in control from start to finish. Players and coaches cited the quarterfinal victory on a renewed physicality that materialized this week in practices.
Outside of bringing the fight to Purdue, Michigan turned the ball over just 6 times in the victory, which puts them a win away from the Big Ten Tournament championship game. It now plays No. 2 seed Maryland on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on CBS.
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“We had very, very good practices,” graduate guard Nimari Burnett said after the win. “Very physical and tough, and we emphasized ways to take care of the ball. And we all bought in, we all listened, and it keeps going.
“It was good to see it translate to the game tonight and we look forward to it the same thing tomorrow.”
Michigan arrived in Indianapolis on Wednesday to prepare itself and bounce back from Sunday’s loss at Michigan State. The days that followed the setback in East Lansing served as a great reset for the team.
”I think we had one of our most physical practices since Christmas,” freshman guard LJ Cason said. “Physicality has been a big part of why we won this game.”
U-M ended the season playing five games in 14 days, which did not allow a team that had struggled in the middle part of the season to put in the work it needed to get through a slump.
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“Part of it is just the load,” head coach Dusty May said in a scrum outside the locker room. “And it’s the first period we’ve had without games. Thank goodness we were able to secure the double bye or that wouldn’t have been the case. We would’ve had to just start preparing for the next team and get to the next game.
“By us doing the work throughout winning the road games we did allowed us to get this double bye. Even though we were disappointed for not winning the regular season championship, there’s still a big deal to not have to play yesterday or the day before. And so that helped and gave us some practice time and our guys, they did the work though.”
Burnett said getting hit in practice was a big focus for Michigan this week and that it was a targeted effort to raise the level of competitiveness to get the first back that had lacked in the waning weeks of the season.
”We emphasize getting hits with pads, on bodies,” Burnett said. “We were physical with each other without fouling and making sure everybody’s healthy.
“But we just went after it. We just played hard every day in practice. And I think that just breeds good basketball, physicality and camaraderie. It’s a brotherhood now. We feel good going into the next game. So it translated for sure.”
The winner of Michigan and Maryland’s tilt will play either Michigan State or Wisconsin for the Big Ten Tournament title on Sunday at 3:30 from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
