Michigan shows heart in defeat, but a run needs to start now

If Michigan plays like it did in an 82-76 loss at Purdue Saturday, the Wolverines will have no problem making a run and qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. 

RELATED

• Hunter Dickinson-led Michigan fights but falls at Purdue, 82-76

• Moussa Diabate dishes on extra work with Juwan Howard

They played hard from start to finish, showing heart despite falling behind early. Guys who don’t normally make shots knocked down key ones, and Michigan sophomore center Hunter Dickinson looked like an All-American. His inside-outside game is rounding into shape nicely, and it’s exactly what he envisioned when he got in shape and worked on his shot all summer. 

Like he did against Nebraska earlier in the week, he put the team on his back. Purdue ran two bigs at him in Zach Edey and Trevion Williams, and both seemed intent on challenging him. 

Michigan assistant Phil Martelli said last year he couldn’t wait to see Dickinson on the road in a hostile environment. The big man didn’t back down.

“Whatever Hunter wants to do out there, however he expresses himself, I’m in it with him,” head coach Juwan Howard said. “I am on his side … he has the freedom of speech, the freedom of expression. He loves to compete, and he enjoys playing on the road. This is his first [year] playing in front of crowds. That’s kind of special, too, and he stepped up to the challenge. 

“It could be the opposite, because last year we didn’t have a crowd until the end of the season, but now … this young man is embracing the college experience. And I love it.”

He’d have loved it more in victory, of course, but it wasn’t meant to be. 

But there were positives. Michigan needed more from its bench halfway through the Big Ten slate, and Saturday was a step in the right direction.

Different players stepped up at different times. Sophomore Terrance Williams scored four straight, and even frosh Kobe Bufkin hit a triple during a first-half comeback. Freshman Caleb Houstan didn’t let a poor first half get him down. He made some big shots in the second half, finishing with 11 points and making a couple three-pointers.

Sophomore Jace Howard provided a spark as the point man in the press, as important as anyone in a second half run. Michigan had the ball down four with under two minutes remaining, and while Howard only scored one point, his forced turnovers were critical. 

“One of the things about that young man is that he’s a competitor,” Howard said. “He has no other choice. And with that, he’s embraced being in this situation where he belongs. And that’s the key — he belongs here, and he embraces being able to do whatever he can to help his teammates. 

… “It’s great to have guys that are ready to come in and compete no matter what, even if they haven’t played for the first 20 minutes. But it’s the trust factor of the coach being able to understand that the guys that we have are ready to come in and compete. That’s challenging, guys. Many people don’t know that. Being on the bench not knowing if you’re going to play or not, then your name is called … to come right in and be ready to go is not an easy task.”

Neither is losing so much when you were picked to win the Big Ten. But that’s where Michigan is with eight conference games remaining, needing to make a run to make the tourney. 

It’s frustrating, Howard said, given how they’ve competed. They fought against a great team and nearly completed a comeback before falling. They’ll get another shot at the same team in a week, but not before a critical game at Penn State Tuesday. 

If Michigan is going to string a couple wins together, now would be the time.

“I love how our approach was from start to finish. Like our guys touched on earlier, basketball’s about runs,” Howard said. “You try to prevent your opponent from scoring points, but realistically, it’s not going to happen. Teams are going to make shots, sometimes [even] when you contest it. Teams are going to make shots when a mistake is made. 

“But I guarantee you, all these young men in the maize and blue are not out here to make a mistake or out here to miss a shot. They try hard, and I applaud how they were able to endure throughout the season. And the season’s not over.”