8A — Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Three takeaways from Michigan’s first game against Iowa

It seems like eons ago that the 

Michigan men’s basketball team 
traveled 
to 
Carver-Hawkeye 

Arena.

The Wolverines shot the lights 

out in the first half on Jan. 2 to get 
out to a huge lead against Iowa 
that they would never relinquish.

The game involved breakout 

performances on both sides of 
the court and lackluster outputs 
from typically good players that 
eventually led to Michigan’s 
75-68 victory.

The Daily breaks down what 

led to the Wolverines’ win 
and what could go wrong this 
Wednesday to flip the outcome 
when the Hawkeyes come to Ann 
Arbor.

Hot shooting 
As 
previously 
referenced, 

the Wolverines were just about 
unconscious 
in 
Iowa 
City, 

especially in the first half.

Michigan went 11-for-25 from 

beyond the arc and 8-for-15 in the 
opening 20 minutes.

The Wolverines led by as many 

as 18 points in the first half and 
had a double-digit cushion for 
over eight minutes in the period.

Even when Iowa pushed back 

at the 5:03 mark with a pair of 
Tyler Cook free throws to cut 
it to eight, Michigan quickly 
answered with a 7-0 spurt 
started by a 3-pointer from fifth-
year senior forward Duncan 
Robinson.

In all, it led to a 48-point 

first half — the third-most the 
Wolverines have scored in any 
opening period, and the most 
they’ve scored in Big Ten play.

Recently, 
Michigan 
has 

struggled 
to 
replicate 
that 

shooting. Save two good outings 
against Purdue and Sunday’s 
against Wisconsin, the Wolverine 
offense has looked far less potent 
of late.

Granted, the Hawkeye defense 

is vulnerable against opponents 
who aren’t sharpshooters — they 
have the worst scoring defense 
in the Big Ten — but if Michigan 
wants to replicate its exact 
gameplan Wednesday, it will 
have to prove Sunday’s shooting 
was not a mirage.

Livers and Simpson break 

out

The first game came at a time 

when junior forward Moritz 
Wagner 
— 
the 
Wolverines’ 

leading scorer — was hampered 
by a foot injury he suffered 
against Texas. It was clear that 
Wagner wasn’t back to his usual 
self against the Hawkeyes, as he 
scored just four points and played 
eight fewer minutes than his 

backup, sophomore Jon Teske.

In his place, Michigan enjoyed 

an even scoring output from 
redshirt 
sophomore 
forward 

Charles Matthews and senior 
guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-
Rahkman. However, it also got 13 
and 15 points, respectively, from 
freshman forward Isaiah Livers 
and sophomore guard Zavier 
Simpson off the bench.

Livers 
made 
an 
impact 

immediately after stepping on 
the court. On his first play, he 
tipped a missed free throw to 
Teske, then assisted Teske for 
a mid-range jumper to tie the 
score at 10. Just over a minute 
later, he caught a lob from 
Abdur-Rahkman in transition 
and threw it down for his first 
points.

The 13 points remain Livers’ 

career high, and the performance 
was a leaping-off point that 
eventually led him to break into 
the starting lineup.

Simpson’s point total tied his 

career high too, but where he 
made his money — as he’s done 
all season — was on the defensive 
end. 
Michigan 
coach 
John 

Beilein and his staff harped on 
the Wolverines that they needed 
to stop Iowa guard Jordan 
Bohannon.

The 
sophomore 
admitted 

after the game that his coaches’ 
words motivated him to shut 
down Bohannon. The Hawkeyes’ 
second-leading 
scorer 
was 

limited to 12 points on the night 

and just three in the second half. 
Simpson was mostly responsible, 
as he played 32 minutes.

For 
him, 
too, 
the 
game 

propelled him into the starting 
lineup. In the Wolverines’ next 
game against Illinois, Simpson 
took over for freshman Eli 

Brooks at the point guard spot, a 
position he has yet to relinquish.

But 
again, 
things 
have 

changed since then. Though 
Simpson previously led Michigan 
in 3-point shooting, he hit a cold 
streak, going 1-for-15 from deep 
in the last four games.

Livers, on the other hand, 

might not even play tomorrow. 
He suffered a left ankle injury 
against Northwestern and sat 
out Sunday against the Badgers.

Beilein said in Tuesday’s press 

conference that he’s “hopeful” 
Livers will return in tomorrow’s 

game. But even if Livers does 
come back, it’s unclear in what 
capacity that will be. At any rate, 
it’s unlikely he will be able to 
perform at the same level he did 
in the first Iowa game.

Cook cooks
While 
Simpson 
did 
an 

admirable 
job 
limiting 

Bohannon, 
the 
Hawkeyes 

still found offensive success 
with forward Tyler Cook. The 
sophomore opened the game 
by putting Wagner in a blender 
with a behind-the-back dribble 
and throwing down an emphatic 
two-handed slam.

It was an accurate precursor 

for what was to come.

Cook dunked on Wagner, he 

dunked on Livers and he dunked 
on Teske en route to 28 points. 
He has become Iowa’s leading 
scorer this season, averaging 
over 15 points per game.

In January, the Wolverines 

couldn’t stop Cook. Since, they’ve 
struggled to stop multiple other 
big men in conference play, 
like Purdue’s Isaac Haas and 
Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ.

Sure, Wagner’s healthy this 

time around, but even that hasn’t 
helped 
against 
skilled 
post 

players this season.

Cook’s big night wasn’t enough 

to turn the tides in favor of the 
Hawkeyes back then, but if he 
has a similar night Wednesday, 
and Bohannon proves Beilein 
right, Michigan could have its 
hands full defensively.

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

Freshman forward Isaiah Livers broke out in the first meeting between Michigan and Iowa, scoring a career-high 13 points while coming off the bench.

The Wolverines jumped out to a huge lead in their 75-68 win over the Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Jan. 2

MIKE PERSAK

Managing Sports Editor

