B1G Tournament Preview: #5 Michigan

By Alex Hsi 

Credit: Mike Mulholland- MLive.com

WCBN Sports is proud to announce that we are traveling to the World's Most Famous Arena to take in five action-packed days of Big Ten basketball at this year's Big Ten Tournament!  While WCBN Sports is usually a blog that focuses on Michigan sports, we want to get to know the other 13 teams playing for the Big Ten Championship.  This is the start of a series that will run until the first day of the tournament (Wednesday, February 28), with a new team being covered each day.  Today, our focus is on the #5-seeded Michigan Wolverines.

Record: 24-7 (13-5 in B1G)

Tournament Seed: 5

First Round Opponent: Winner of #13 Iowa vs. #12 Rutgers

Season Summary:
The Wolverines have been through a lot in the span of a year. They’ve been in a plane crash, gone on a dream run through the Big Ten Tournament and into the Sweet 16, and played through an extremely turbulent 2017/2018 campaign. Replacing three key starters (Derrick Walton Jr., Zak Irvin, and DJ Wilson) proved to be a challenging task for Michigan, as the cast of newcomers and former bench players struggled to gain momentum early on in the season. After a few “closer-than-they-should-be” wins to open the season, Michigan folded to the likes of LSU, North Carolina, and Ohio State, failing to play consistent, quality basketball for a sustained period of time. As the calendar turned to December, the Wolverines began to heat up, with impressive wins against UCLA and at Texas.  Their biggest win, however, came in January, when they bested the Michigan State Spartans on the road in East Lansing. The Wolverines even gave top 5-ranked Purdue all they could handle, losing by just one point at Crisler Center and by only four in Mackey Arena. However, bouts of inconsistency continued to plague the boys in Maize and Blue. Michigan struggled mightily against Maryland (winning by only one) at home, and suffered blowout losses at Nebraska and Northwestern. Now, the up-and-down Wolverines appear to be getting hot at the right time, ending their season with 5 straight wins (including victories against Ohio State and Penn State), playing complete games of quality, championship-level basketball.

Players to Watch:
Michigan’s success this season must be partly attributed to the steady and stabilizing play of Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman. “MAAR” has provided the Wolverines with leadership and stability both on and off the court, while making a plethora clutch shots and posting career highs in almost every category. Besides Abdur-Rahkman, Michigan’s impact players have both struggled and been on fire throughout many various stretches of the season. Charles Matthews, a transfer from Kentucky, has been a physical force at times, but has made just above 50% of his attempts from the free throwline and sometimes struggles with ball control. Moe Wagner, an integral member of the 2017 B1G championship squad, can be hesitant and indecisive from behind the arc, while often failing to be a true inside presence. 5th year senior Duncan Robinson was ice cold all the way from November to January, but has begun to heat up during Michigan’s current five-game winning streak. Freshmen Isaiah Livers and Jordan Poole have added much needed life to the Wolverines on countless occasions throughout the season. Raising their play to a new level in the postseason can help lift Michigan to the ranks of true championship contenders.

X-Factor:
If Moe Wagner heats up, the B1G should watch out. Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon said it best; “They’re impossible to guard with Wagner.” If Moe Wagner can become both an effective inside presence and a lethal shooter from behind the arc, Michigan’s offense will reach new levels of dynamism. The emergence of Wagner can open up the game for players like Matthews and Abdur-Rahkman and lead to endless mismatches. The German big man has shown flashes of brilliance during his time in the Maize and Blue, most notably putting up career games in big moments against Louisville in the 2017 NCAA Tournament and Michigan State this season. If Moe plays like a true star, Michigan truly will be “impossible to guard.”

Verdict:
If Michigan can play at the same level as they have throughout their current five-game win streak, they will not only be incredibly tough to beat, but will be capable of winning the B1G Tournament. Throughout their inconsistent season, the Wolverines have proven that they can eke out wins against their lesser opponents, even when playing sloppy. No matter what, Michigan should have little trouble reaching the B1G semifinals. If they maintain their momentum and high level of play, they will make it to the tournament final and have a good shot at bringing a second consecutive B1G title back to Ann Arbor.
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