Michigan is off to one of the best starts college basketball has seen in a while, so it has spent plenty of games flirting with perfection. The Wolverines have played three or four games this season that might be among the best of the last decade.
On Friday night, they played a far less impressive one — and still won by 30 points.
Yaxel Lendeborg and Nimari Burnett both left the game early due to injuries. The Wolverines shot just 6-of-30 from 3-point range. The defensive effort was great early and solid overall, but far from the best this team has put on film.
Despite a sloppy and at times inconsistent night, the Wolverines walked away with a 96-66 Big Ten win against a 12-1 team ranked in the top 40 on KenPom.
Michigan’s 2-point gap is the foundation of this team, and it held sturdy tonight. USC made 20 shots, Michigan made 23 dunks or layups. The Wolverines shot 71% on twos; the Trojans shot 43% on twos.
That +28 percent gap is almost precisely in line with Michigan’s +27 percent average on the season. Every night, Michigan is going to take and make more shots at the basket than its opponent, and that allows this team to win — often comfortably — even if it isn’t making jump shots.
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