Michigan basketball gets shot to avenge lone Big Ten loss in Wisconsin rematch
· Yahoo Sports
Chicago — Michigan’s Aday Mara didn’t have a strong preference.
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Who was the big man hoping to face in Saturday’s Big Ten tournament semifinal: Illinois or Wisconsin?
“Both,” Mara said with a laugh, after the top-seeded Wolverines eked out a 71-67 win over No. 8 seed Ohio State in Friday’s quarterfinals at United Center. “I’m good with both.”
Mara got half of his wish, as the fifth-seeded Badgers outlasted the fourth-seeded Fighting Illini in overtime, 91-88, behind a combined 69 points from guards Nick Boyd and John Blackwell.
Coincidentally, that was the same final score when Wisconsin upset Michigan on Jan. 10 in Crisler Center, handing the Wolverines their first loss of the season and their lone loss during conference play.
Two months later, Michigan will get a long-awaited chance at some payback during its quest to defend its Big Ten tournament title.
“I remember the game. It wasn’t fun,” Mara said. “Now that we’re playing them twice, we’re playing again, we know what they do, we know what we can do better to beat them. We’re just going to think about it and do it.”
In the first matchup, Wisconsin drained 15 3-pointers, which is still the most any opponent has made against Michigan this season. Blackwell, a Birmingham Brother Rice product, made four of those deep balls, while Wisconsin’s stretch bigs Aleksas Bieliauskas and Nolan Winter combined for eight.
Bieliauskas, in particular, is the one who burned the Wolverines. Michigan opted to leave him open on the perimeter, since he entered that matchup shooting below 30% from deep and with only eight made 3-pointers in 15 games up to that point. The defensive strategy backfired as Bieliauskas made a season-high five 3-pointers (he’s made 12 3s in 17 games since).
“I remember that their shooters got hot,” guard Nimari Burnett said. “One through five, they really shot the ball well and they found a rhythm. We sparked that and let them get comfortable in that aspect.
“Whatever is thrown at us from either opponent, we’ll be ready. We’re going to watch a little bit of this game. We understand what they bring to the table and we understand what we bring to the table.”
While Michigan had to wait and see who its opponent would be on Saturday, guard Roddy Gayle Jr. pointed out the key was going to be the same regardless – limit the amount of 3-pointers.
Illinois and Wisconsin both take and make a lot of 3s — more than most teams in the country — with more than 50% of their shots coming from behind the arc.
“Both teams are good 3-point shooting teams,” Gayle said before adding, “I feel like we owe Wisconsin one.”
Slowing down the tandem of Boyd and Blackwell will be just as important but equally challenging, considering the tear the two have been on. Boyd scored 38 and Blackwell 31 in Saturday’s win over Illinois.
The game before that, the two combined for 57 points in an 85-82 win over Washington. And the game before that, the duo recorded 48 points in a 97-93 win at Purdue in the regular-season finale.
Round 2 will reunite Boyd once more with Michigan’s Dusty May, the coach Boyd played for at the start of his college career and made a memorable Final Four run with at Florida Atlantic.
“It's just an honor. (May) is a big reason why I'm in this position I am today, his mentorship and just showing me how to be a good human being,” Boyd said. “He set that example while I was with him for a couple years. I'm happy for him. He's come a long way. I seen him when he had zero championships, and I don't know how many he has now.
“It's just awesome we get to square off again. When the ball goes in the air, may the best man win.”
The rematch will have a different feel to it, with a spot in Sunday’s Big Ten tournament championship game at stake. It’ll also have a different look to it, with key players out on both sides. Michigan will be without L.J. Cason, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Jack Janicki and Winter have missed both of Wisconsin’s postseason games so far.
Michigan will have the benefit of more rest, with Wisconsin having a shorter turnaround and playing its third game in three days. But that won’t matter if the Wolverines don’t play up to their standard like they did in their close win against Ohio State.
“It’s on us,” Mara said. “Honestly, it’s on us playing much better than today, playing harder, playing like we’re used.”
Because if they don’t, they could end up feeling another Badgers bite.
“We're going to have to have a different mindset coming into the next game, just playing a lot harder,” guard Elliot Cadeau said. “If we play the way we did today, I don't think we'll win tomorrow.”
Big Ten tournament semifinal
MICHIGAN VS. WISCONSIN
▶ Tipoff: 1 p.m. Saturday, United Center, Chicago
▶ TV/radio: CBS/94.7
▶ Records: Michigan 30-2; Wisconsin 24-9
▶ At stake: A spot in Sunday’s Big Ten tournament championship
@jamesbhawkins
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan basketball gets shot to avenge lone Big Ten loss in Wisconsin rematch