Michigan has to beat Ohio State

Tip: Sunday, 4:36pm
Location: Crisler Arena
TV: Big Ten Network
Broadcast crew: Tom Hamilton and Greg Kelser

Michigan (6-6) limped home after a disappointing loss in their Big Ten opener at Indiana. Their next assignment is Ohio State (10-3). The Buckeyes, who lost their Big Ten opener at Wisconsin, are trying to survive without injured superstar Evan Turner. Even without Turner, Ohio State still has three players averaging double digits: David Lighty (14.1), Jon Diebler (13.9) and William Buford (12.7).

Lighty is a good all-around player who excels on the defensive end and pulls down 5.5 rebounds per game. Diebler is lethal from three-point land as he comes in shooting 47% (43-92) from beyond the arc. Buford is a talented scorer who can also rebound (4.2 rpg) and set up his teammates (3.46 apg).

Stu Douglass

Michigan is 1-9 in their last 10 games against the Buckeyes and Michigan fans are getting sick and tired of losing to Ohio State in football and basketball. The Wolverines have been a tough bunch to figure out this season. They started the season a bit over-hyped by most, myself included. They have yet to beat a team with a winning record and they look flat. As a unit the team has played with little focus and almost zero intensity this season. They have yet to play a complete 40 minute game. They do come alive for spurts but those often fizzle out.

It has been very frustrating to watch the early portion of this season unfold. Case in point was the Indiana game. While Zack Novak and Stu Douglass played very well, DeShawn Sims and Manny Harris did not. Sims was out of whack and Harris was taken out of the game by Jeremiah Rivers. In order for the Wolverines to go on a run they need the Sims/Harris duo to lead the charge with inspired and focused basketball.

To get this season going in the right direction, Michigan has to beat Ohio State. They must defend their home court not just against those dreaded Buckeyes, but throughout the Big Ten campaign.

Earlier in the season, Manny Harris said, “We are starting to click a little better.” He said, “We are still a good team, but we’ve got a lot to work on. But one little click, we just got to have and once we have it, I think it’s going to be hard for us to be beat.”

That one click appears to be leadership. Last year CJ Lee and David Merritt made sure nobody took any plays off. John Beilein is aware of the leadership void and spoke about it after the Coppin State game. “Just before the game, it was the first time [that DeShawn Sims addressed the team] I asked him to, but I heard he wanted to” said Beilein “It was a David Merritt type of rendition. We just said, why don’t you say a few words. Those are the things we have to sort of incubate here a little bit. We have to sort of just make them happen little by little, foster it more often because there not as spontaneous as I’d like them to be.”

Prediction: Michigan should be in full desperation mode. They cannot afford to lose this game. Playing at home and with Evan Turner side-lined, I think they get the job done.
Michigan 74 Ohio State 67

Stats

Scoring

Manny Harris: 19.5
DeShawn Sims: 15.8
Zack Novak: 7.9

Rebounding

Manny Harris: 7.0
DeShawn Sims: 6.8
Zack Novak: 5.1

Assists

Manny Harris: 4.92
Stu Douglass: 2.58
Darius Morris: 2.33

Steals

Manny Harris: 1.75
Zack Novak: 1.55
DeShawn Sims: 1.25

Three-point shooting

Stu Douglass: 21-62 (34%)
Manny Harris: 16-60 (27%)
Laval Lucas-Perry 15-43 (35%)