Deepak is a writer for the Big Ten microsite of Rush The Court. Follow him on Twitter for more about B1G hoops at @dee_b1g.

Many conference rivalries in college hoops have the luxury of a rematch during the season, unlike in college football. On the gridiron, rivals that happen to be ranked in the top 10 only play once during the regular season so the fans of the losing team are always left with a bunch of “what if” questions that remain unanswered. We don’t have to worry about that situation in Big Ten hoops this year as Michigan had a rematch against Michigan State and will play Indiana on March 10 in Ann Arbor. Over two weeks ago, the Wolverines were hammered in East Lansing and John Beilein’s team came out ready yesterday, especially after losing to a conference-winless Nittany Lions on Thursday. Trey Burke stole the show with 21 points and eight assists while turning the ball only twice. That performance will set up the Burke vs. Victor Oladipo showdown (for NPOY?) next Sunday, but in the meantime, let’s review three observations from the Wolverines’ big win over the Spartans.

The Wolverines won without Nik Stauskas’ long-range shot on Sunday.

1. The Wolverines prove that they can win without the three-point shot: One of the knocks on the Wolverines’ offense in February was that they relied on the long-range game too much, but yesterday’s win showed that their offensive sets can produce more than that. Michigan’s best shooter Nik Stauskas barely played (only four minutes) because of twelve stitches on his forehead and the team collectively shot 0-of-12 from beyond the arc as a result. Most of Burke’s eight assists were a result of the pick-and-roll at the top of the key with Mitch McGary and Jordan Morgan. Screens set on the perimeter allowed Burke to go to his right toward the high post, opening up several backdoor layups to Caris LeVert (eight points) and McGary (11 points) as the defense collapsed to guard Burke from his penetration. Even more impressive than his assists was Burke’s discipline in sticking with the offensive plays that worked and not moving away from the game plan – he only took three attempts all game from beyond the arc. Exploiting a weakness in the defense and adjusting the game plan during live action is necessary for the Wolverines against tough defensive teams in March because once they find a seam, the opposition will be forced to give them open looks from the wings for Stauskas and Glenn Robinson III. Read the rest of this entry »