Five takeaways from Michigan’s win at Ohio State

Michigan knocked off Ohio State in an emotional rivalry win on Sunday afternoon. The Wolverines got terrific interior production, timely boosts off the bench and Roddy Gayle Jr. made winning plays late.

Here are five takeaways from the win that kept Michigan in first place in the Big Ten.

1. Big-to-big pick-and-roll is effective

Michigan’s ability to score out of the Danny Wolf/Vlad Goldin pick-and-roll has been so dominant in some games that its perceived absence in other games can be hard to explain. The Wolverines scored very few points out of their famous big-to-big ball screen action against Purdue but could attack with it consistently against Ohio State.

“Every team has a different personnel that can allow and force certain things to happen,” Dusty May explained after the win. “Purdue can’t do certain things that Ohio State can do, and Ohio State can’t do certain things that Michigan State can (and down the line). We can’t do certain things that Wisconsin can do.

“So there are a lot of factors I’d rather not give my opinion of why it worked tonight, other than just great personnel awareness and selflessness by our group of players.”

Danny Wolf credited the coaching staff with preparing them for the approach.

“Before we go into every game, we don’t know how they’re gonna play us,” Wolf said. “I had an early turnover, trying to feel out their defense, but I think we just kind of did what the coaches want us to do, and they had a really great game plan, and they trusted they trusted me with the ball in my hands, and I just try to make the right play down the stretch.”

Wolf figured things out quickly after that early turnover, and he could adjust to whatever Jake Diebler threw at him, whether it was a different coverage or individual matchup. Down the stretch, he made scoring plays for himself that tend to earn bigger paychecks than just an NIL deal.

The 7-foot playmaker finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists with just one turnover.