Michigan 102, Nebraska 67
The game was never in question when the Wolverines rolled into Lincoln Tuesday night for their Big 10 opener against Nebraska. Michigan entered the matchup with some momentum from a much improved performance over the weekend against San Diego St.
The most notable performance early in the game came from Brandon Johns Jr, as he could be seen hustling for loose balls, snatching rebounds, and sinking shots for 16 first half points. Big man Hunter Dickinson added 9 points in the first period to give the Wolverines a halftime lead of 51-39. Dickinson would finish with a 15 point, 12 rebound double double.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers struggled to make buckets all game with the exception of their standout senior guard Alonzo Verge Jr, who ended the game with 31 points. The Husker defense was equally atrocious, leaving Michigan players wide open behind the 3-point line.
In the second half the Wolverines received stellar performances from nearly every player that touched the ball. Terrence Williams recorded 20 points and 5 rebounds from the bench, while starter Caleb Houstan drained 4 three-pointers and finished with 16 points.
Michigan scored 100 points in Big 10 play for the first time since they played Iowa in 2019. As a team they made 15 three-pointers made by 8 different players, which is 1 player shy of an all-time NCAA record. The Wolverines will hit the court again on Saturday as they host the undefeated Minnesota Golden Gophers at Crisler Arena.
Takeaway: This was the Michigan team that we hoped to see from the start of the season. They reminded us of a perpetual truth in basketball; Everything’s better when you’re making shots. The big men down low were grabbing boards and scoring in the paint, while the perimeter ball movement left shooters wide open to drain threes.
The subtle victory within this game was the fact that point guard Devante Jones quietly netted 8 assists. Point guard play has been inconsistent at best for Michigan, but the combination of Jones and Collins on Tuesday night complemented the surrounding talent perfectly. This highly touted recruiting class finally seemed to live up to the hype, even with freshman Moussa Diabate’s absence due to illness.
Nebraska isn’t exactly elite competition, but it’s hard to find much to criticize when your team hangs a hundred points on a conference opponent.
