Just
10
days
ago,
the
Michigan
men’s
basketball
team faced Illinois and suffered
a humiliating 16-point defeat in
Champaign, 85-69. Michigan
coach
John
Beilein admitted
Friday that the
Fighting
Illini
opened up a “can
of whooping” on
the Wolverines,
as it was the only
Big
Ten
game
that they were
really out of by
the
halftime
break this year.
Illinois’s trio of big men —
center Maverick Morgan and
forwards Kipper Nichols and
Leron Black — did most of the
damage that night, scoring 16,
13 and 10 points, respectively.
After
the
game,
Morgan
added insult to injury, calling
Michigan
a
“white-collar
team”.
In the time since, Michigan
defeated Nebraska at home and
nearly upset Wisconsin on the
road. Meanwhile, the Fighting
Illini have been on the ropes,
losing a close home game to
Maryland and then getting
blown out at Purdue.
On Saturday afternoon, the
two teams were set for
a
highly-anticipated
rematch at Crisler
Center. Before
the
game,
senior
wing
Zak
Irvin approached the team
equipment manager and asked
if the Wolverines could don
their blue away jerseys instead
of their traditional home white.
While redshirt sophomore
forward
DJ
Wilson
took
Morgan’s
comments
in
stride
Friday,
asserting
that
Michigan didn’t
feel
the
need
to
prove
that
it was a tough
team, even he
admitted
after
the game that
the slight put a
“chip on their
shoulder”.
That chip was
clearly evident Saturday, as
the Wolverines took the court
in
their
“blue-collar”
uniforms and sent a
very clear message
to Illinois (2-5 Big
Ten, 12-8 overall).
Adopting
the
aggressive
defensive
mindset
Morgan claimed
they
lacked,
Michigan
(3-4,
13-7) avenged its
blowout loss and
earned
a
66-57 victory.
While the Fighting Illini
went off, shooting 64 percent
from both the floor and from
three in the first contest,
the Wolverines held Illinois
to 45 percent shooting from
the field and just 28 percent
shooting
from
distance
Saturday. Instead of allowing
49 first-half points like it did
in game one, Michigan kept the
Fighting Illini under 25 points
at the break.
With a strategy centered on
physicality and help defense on
the low block, the Wolverines
shut down Illinois’ three big
men who had been so dominant
in Champaign. While the trio
racked up 39 combined points
that night, they amassed just 14
on Saturday.
“I
thought we were really much
more aggressive than we were
at their place in guarding the
post,” said Michigan coach John
Beilein. “… When they went in
there, they did get some shots,
but we made them earn them.”
Keeping the Fighting Illini
out
of
their
sweet
spots,
especially the mid-range jump
shot, Michigan turned Illinois’
big men into liabilities, as
they turned the ball over six
times. The Wolverines also
forced them into foul trouble,
limiting their minutes on the
court. Morgan, Nichols and
Black played just 22, 17 and 13
minutes, respectively.
Nichols,
in
particular,
terrorized Michigan on the
offensive glass in Champaign,
pulling down five boards as the
Fighting Illini
scored
10
second-
chance
points.
But
Wilson
assumed
that role
in
the
rematch, notching six offensive
rebounds which the Wolverines
used to gain a 14-6 edge in the
second-chance points battle.
During a 13-3 run from the
14-minute mark to the six-
minute mark of the first half
— in which Michigan opened
up a nine-point lead and began
to pull away from Illinois —
Wilson scored 10 points, all of
which came off
offensive boards.
He kicked off
the stretch by
grabbing a long
rebound
and
knocking down a
3-pointer, before
adding a couple
of putback layups
in
traffic
on
which he drew
fouls. His most
impressive points, though, came
when he threw down a massive
putback slam that surely belongs
on the highlight reel.
“I thought they beat
us up pretty good on the
glass, and obviously DJ
Wilson
spearheaded
that,”
said Illinois coach John Groce.
“I thought he was absolutely
terrific today. ... His energy
level on the backboard (and) his
willingness to make the extra
pass and make his team better.”
By the end of the first half,
the Wolverines had officially
turned
the
tables
on
the
Fighting Illini, taking a 34-24
lead into the break. Michigan
never looked back from there.
The Wolverines could have
taken their foot off the gas,
but they kept it on full
throttle.
Irvin
and
senior
guard
Derrick
Walton Jr.
carried
the
scoring
burden
alongside
Wilson’s
19-point
performance, tallying 11 and six
points, respectively, in the second
half.
The
duo,
who
also
took
Morgan’s dig personally, made
Illinois look silly on a couple
of possessions. First, Walton
crossed over Morgan before
laying it up and drawing a foul,
and then Irvin
drove down the
baseline with a
stop-start move
to blow past his
defender
and
convert
at
the
rim.
By that point,
Michigan
had
a 21-point lead
with six minutes
remaining.
Though the Wolverines gave
up 18 points while sinking six
free throws down the stretch,
the Fighting Illini never posed a
serious threat.
Michigan entered the rematch
eager to make a statement,
and that’s exactly what the
Wolverines did.
As Wilson made clear after the
game: “We weren’t the white-
collar team today.”
B
The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | January 23, 2017
Michigan 66, Illinois 57
Time is short
After failing to sweep
a series once again this
weekend, the Michigan
hockey team is being
presented with the reality
that things may not get
better. » Page 4B
Follow the leader
Zak Irvin has always been
an emotional force for the
Michigan men’s basketball
team, but the Wolverines are
going to need him now more
than ever. » SportsMonday
Column, Page 2B
I thought they
beat us up
pretty good on
the glass
We weren’t the
white collar
team today
PAYBACK
BETELHEM ASHAME
Managing Sports Editor