Passion, energy at Rutgers put NCAA Tourney within reach for Michigan

Michigan point guard Dug McDaniel said it best after Michigan left Rutgers with a 58-45 win Thursday night …

“We’re fighting for our season,” he said. 

RELATED

• Fab Five: Takeaways from Michigan’s big win over Rutgers

• Rapid reaction: Observations following a 58-45 Michigan win at Rutgers

Before that, he said “we’re a gritty team” … which to this point has been debatable. Had they been all year, they’d be talking about NCAA Tournament seeding, not needing a late run just to make the field of 68. 

But on this night, there was no denying it. They were all dialed in, starting with frosh McDaniel. Weeks ago, head coach Juwan Howard challenged him to show that “dog” he knew he had in him and take his game to another level. It’s a quality we’ve seen in players like Zavier Simpson, who used his size to grow the chip on his shoulder. 

McDaniel might have a different offensive style (that sweet midrange jumper, for one), but he’s got that same chip … one you’d expect of a player who was also an elite prep cornerback. He’s still learning, but the moment is never too big for him. 

He proved it again with his play on both ends Thursday. When it was over, the Wolverines were back within sight of the NCAA Tournament bubble, and he was a big reason why. He and sophomore guard Kobe Bufkin came up with several big plays to lead a comeback after Michigan fell behind 13-3.

“Poise,” Howard praised of his group. “Just staying the course, understanding that this team is going to make runs. They are playing at home, they have got a great crowd … they get behind their home crowd. With that, we cannot get out of whack or stop believing or stop trusting one another. 

“So, I really commend our young guys on how they just stayed the course when they went up on that run. And then from there, we just kept chipping away, grinding every possession. Then our young guys, they made plays. They made plays. I mean, whether it was on the defensive end or offensive end, they made plays.”

“The growth started within them, he added, though Howard and his staff have coached them hard the last few weeks. They’ve still missed opportunities — Indiana at home and Wisconsin on the road could have, maybe should have been wins — but in all but a half or so of the last 7 games, they’ve brought the effort.

Thursday, down Jett Howard (ankle), they kept an active Rutgers team off the offensive glass and were dialed in defensively. Say what you want about the Scarlet Knights’ challenged offense, but 45 points at home is 45 points. 

The Michigan players were relentless, and they scored just enough to stay a step ahead in the second half until they pulled away.

“It never works unless you have a group that trusts, you have a group that leads and they understand exactly that, ‘Hey, what the beginning was, was a long learning process,’” Howard said. “We have a long season. We are going to get games that we’re supposed to win. Just trust.”

And bust your butt, of course. Rebounding was a “point of emphasis in practice, point of emphasis in film, point of emphasis before the game, timeouts, and also at halftime,” Howard added, and the Wolverines took it to heart. 

Again, had they in a road loss at Wisconsin, for example, Michigan might not be in this position. 

But all they can do know is move forward, and Thursday was a huge step. Much of that was thanks to one of the better budding backcourts in the Big Ten. McDaniel and Bufkin combined for 30 of the 58 Michigan points and both got after it defensively. 

Michigan is one of the most inexperienced teams in the nation, per all metrics, but the young guys are coming of age.

“Well, they both are just freshmen … even though Kobe is [technically] a sophomore,” Howard said. “But one thing about him is this is first time starting and first time playing big minutes. So, you have a young backcourt that’s growing up. I’ve told you before: He has been growing up before your eyes.

“Yes, they are going to have plays where you are like, ‘Oh my God — this is a freshman mistake.’ But they also will make plays where you are like, ‘Oh, wow … that was a big play.’ Dug made big shots down the stretch. Kobe made big shots down the stretch. But most importantly, they’ve been defending as well. They are two-way players, and they are growing up before your eyes.”

And two-way players affect winning, Howard noted, adding it’s taken some “tough love” to get there. 

“At the same time, I’m their biggest supporter,” the Michigan said. 

Together, they’ll look to make a last, late run to the relevant postseason. As we saw last year, you get there, and anything can happen.