Michigan’s defensive effort against Purdue was solid overall, but one player stood out above the rest. Caris LeVert was Michigan’s star on the defensive end.
LeVert was everywhere on the floor and was causing turnovers, defending fast breaks, and snatching rebounds. This was one of the best games of LeVert’s career, and definitely his best on the defensive side of the ball. Despite all of that, LeVert’s numbers jump off the page. 10 forced misses and five forced turnovers are very impressive numbers and LeVert accounted for over a third of Michigan’s defensive stops on the game after factoring in his rebounding.
LeVert has taken some flack for his inconsistency on the defensive end of the floor, but he’s starting to find a new level of productivity. He’s vitally important to Michigan’s defensive success and his ability to play like he has been in the last few games could determine how far Michigan goes this season – both in conference play and beyond. LeVert’s length played a big role against Purdue as he got multiple deflections both on the perimeter and near the basket.
Find additional individual thoughts on Michigan’s individual defensive effort after the jump.
- Jordan Morgan graded out above Jon Horford for the fourth consecutive game. Morgan’s leadership along the back line of the defense is improving and is starting to resemble his play early last season or during his sophomore season. The fifth year senior battled against AJ Hammons, who got a few baskets but was mostly ineffective.
- Similar to on the offensive end of the floor, Derrick Walton had a few freshman moments but was otherwise impressive. Walton did an okay job against Ronnie Johnson and a great job against Bryson Scott. Walton has demonstrated the quickness to keep up with Keith Appling and Ronnie Johnson in the last week, something that bodes well for the future.
- Glenn Robinson III’s numbers are interesting. He didn’t get many stops, but he didn’t defend many positions either. That’s probably because Basil Smotherman and Errick Peck are secondary options in the Purdue offense, but it would be nice to see a more consistent rebounding effort from the 6-foot-6 athlete.
- Zak Irvin needs to continue to do a better job of defending and closing out on jump shooterskk. He’s struggled on the defensive end in the thick of Big Ten play, but I still think he has the tools to be a plus defender down the line.
- Spike Albrecht struggled in the first half as he was beaten a couple times and sent Purdue to the line, but he was much better in the second. The Boilermakers tried to shoot four jumpers in about 2 minutes time over Albrecht and all of them rattled out.
Previous Defensive Score Sheets:
- Defensive Score Sheet: Michigan at Michigan State
- Defensive Score Sheet: Iowa at Michigan
- Defensive Score Sheet: Michigan at Wisconsin
- Defensive Score Sheet: Penn State at Michigan
Find the full calculations regarding the defensive score sheet here. The primary stats that may be unfamiliar are:
- FM – Forced field goal miss (includes blocks)
- FTO – Forced Turnover (steals, charges taken)
- FFTA – Forced missed Free Throw Attempt
- DFGM – Allowed Defensive Field Goal Made
- DFTM – Allowed Free Throw Made
Defensive Rating (DRtg) is calculated based on the stops and scoring possessions assigned to the player, it’s an estimated measure of points per 100 possessions.
