The No. 2 Michigan men’s basketball team put up 56 first-half points, finished with 89 and had eight players score seven or more points Tuesday night against Villanova. For the sixth-straight game, the Wolverines won by 25 or more points.
It was yet another offensive masterclass for Michigan. But even more impressive against the Wildcats was the Wolverines’ defense. They held Villanova to season lows of 61 points and 33.9% shooting from the field, smothering all offensive efforts all night.
“They’re definitely improving game by game (on defense),” Michigan coach Dusty May said. “I think they’re just understanding each other. They’re getting in better shape, basketball shape.”
Especially in the first half, the Wildcats had next to nothing going on offensively. Other than guard Devin Askew’s 15 points, the rest of Villanova combined for just eight in the first half. If Askew couldn’t create an open 3-pointer for himself, the Wildcats had trouble finding any scoring opportunities at all.
That’s because the Wolverines protected the paint incredibly well, as they have all season. Junior center Aday Mara and sophomore forward Morez Johnson Jr. make for an intimidating duo down low, and they forced Villanova to take most of its shots from beyond the arc. Forcing the Wildcats to the perimeter worked for Michigan, as Villanova shot just 27% from deep in the game.
On the rare occasion the Wildcats made it to the interior, they had trouble finishing possessions. In the first half, Villanova made just three of its 11 shot attempts inside the arc, and it finished the game having shot 5-for-11 on layups and dunks.
Additionally, the Wildcats are also used to playing slowly, a style that contrasts with the Wolverines’ fast pace of play. So Michigan sped them up, employing a full-court press at times, trapping ball-handlers and making Villanova uncomfortable.
“We pick up and start to lower that shot clock, make them speed up and make more spontaneous decisions, not really get comfortable on offense,” graduate forward Will Tschetter said. “That really helped us turn them over in the first half so that we can get down in transition and extend the lead.”
The Wolverines’ aggression on defense forced the Wildcats to play a game they didn’t want to play. While Villanova was out of rhythm and turning the ball over, Michigan was right at home getting the ball upcourt quickly and running in transition.
The Wolverines used their defense as the foundation to extend their lead late in the first half. Michigan held the Wildcats scoreless for the last six-and-a-half minutes of the first period and went into halftime riding a 12-0 run. At the break, Villanova had just two assists.
The Wolverines lost a bit of steam in the second half, allowing 38 points compared to 23 in the first. They continued to force turnovers, though, picking up four of their nine steals in the second half. By the game’s end, Michigan had scored 21 points off the Wildcats’ turnovers.
“We have a lot of confidence in our ability to play defense, defensive rebound, and then push and be able to flow into early offense without letting the defense get set and the appropriate matchups,” May said.
The Wolverines’ offense has and will continue to get most of the headlines amid their win streak — deservingly so. But in its win over Villanova, it was Michigan’s defense that set the tone.
