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Three Takeaways.
- Turnovers were an issue for Michigan. The Wolverines could have easily pulled away early in this game, but their turnovers prevented that from occurring. Michigan is one of the best teams in the country when it comes to ball security, but it mysteriously sauntered away from that in the first half against Wofford by committing eight miscues. It recovered a bit in the second half by only committing three more, but the large first half number should still be concerning for John Beilein and his staff. Turning the ball over is not a recipe for success in the NCAA Tournament.
- This game was not aesthetically pleasing. Wofford plays a deliberate style of basketball and the Terriers controlled the pace throughout Thursday night’s game. Michigan was able to break from that lull a bit in the first half by shooting a scorching 63.6 percent, but the Wolverines were not able to keep the hot shooting up by shooting just 33 percent in the second 20 minutes. Wofford was unable to contribute in any way to the game’s aesthetics, as it shot a frigid 34 percent over the course of the entire game.
- An aggressive Glenn Robinson III is the best Glenn Robinson III. The sophomore forward started Thursday’s game with a flurry. Robinson scored 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting in the first half and showcased great offensive intensity, which is not always his norm. While his production slowed a bit in the second half — he only scored three points and was 1-of-6 from the field — he still played with the killer instinct that Michigan has been looking for him to consistently play with. If the sophomore can carry over this intensity to the remainder of Michigan’s game, the Wolverines may not have a ceiling on the rest of this Tournament.
Player of the Game. Nik Stauskas, Michigan. The sophomore sharpshooter led the way for the Wolverines with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting (3-of-6 from three) and he always seemed to have an answer for any burgeoning Wofford rally. It also must be noted that Stauskas recorded his 1,000th career point on a three-pointer early in the second half. To hit the 1,000-point mark in fewer than two full seasons is quite the accomplishment.
Sights and Sounds. While there were clearly more Michigan fans than Wofford fans here, the crowd – as a whole – was pulling for the Terriers from start to finish. This was probably due to the large amount of Wisconsin fans in attendance that wanted to see their Big Ten rival fall. There were a few notable fans in the Michigan section as well. First, Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson was in the crowd to see his son play. The former Milwaukee Bucks standout received a raucous ovation from the Bradley Center crowd when he was shown on the video board at halftime. The other notable Michigan fan was former Wolverine guard Matt Vogrich. Vogrich, who was a senior reserve on last year’s national runner-up squad, was seated a few rows behind the Michigan bench and seemed as engaged in the action as if he were still a player.
What’s Next. Michigan advances to the round of 32 where on Saturday it will play the winner of Texas vs. Arizona State.