John Beilein calls it “wiggle” and says no team can have too much of it. He’s referring to a player’s ability to break his defender down off the dribble, a skill Beilein believes is even more important since the shot clock was reduced from 35 seconds to 30. He said his teams used to be able to run three or four actions in one possession and still have time left over for one more at the end of the clock. With the 30-second clock, there’s only time for one or two initial actions.
An increase in defenses switching ball screens and better scouting have also contributed to the need for one-on-one studs, according to Beilein, especially if, like Michigan, you don’t have a guy you can dump the ball to in the post.
“It’s tough to out-trick people,” Beilein said. “You need a guy (to whom you can) say, ‘Hey, just go get us a basket.’ We’ve got to develop that more in the future, we’ve got to recruit to it more in the future, so that we can evolve how the game’s evolving.”
Michigan’s offense has been elite this season without a guy who can consistently create his own shot—Beilein said that Derrick Walton, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, and Zak Irvin all have a little bit of that in their game—but one-on-one offense is something the Wolverines practice every day.
Trey Burke certainly had the ability, and Beilein reflected on the 2013 game at Illinois in which he scrapped the playbook for the final 10 minutes in favor of Burke beating his man (and Mitch McGary staying inside to get rebounds).
“In the future, we’ve got to realize that one-on-one basketball is so much more important than it used to be,” Beilein said.
Redshirt warriors
A player who can take his guy off the dribble and get two feet in the paint? Kentucky transfer Charles Matthews, according to Beilein, who once again praised him and Austin Davis, a freshman center who is redshirting. When asked about Davis, Beilein once again hinted at his regret over the redshirt decision.
“He’s really good. That’s all I’m going to tell you. I wish I knew (at the start of the season) what I knew now,” Beilein said of Davis. “Guys just throw him the ball and he just puts it in. There’s no drama. There’s no Kardashians. The ball is in. When the lights come on, we’ll see. But he will be a major player for us next year.”
There should probably be some caution with guys who have never suited up in Crisler before, but DJ Wilson said today what he’s been saying about Davis since December, that he catches everything and is a good finisher. Playing on the scout team, according to Wilson, has given Davis added freedom, and that comfortability has taken his game to the next level.
“He’s a traditional big man but at the same time he’s expanding his game—hitting 15-footers, knocking down occasional threes thorough practice,” Wilson said.
Added Beilein: “I hate practice some days, when Austin and Charles are getting baskets on us or defending us really well. But I love it when I think about the future with those two guys.”
Countering the Cats
Northwestern ranks first in the Big Ten in effective field goal percentage defense and third in overall defensive efficiency. Michigan just had no problem with the top defensive team in the conference, Purdue, but of course every team poses a different matchup issue. Northwestern’s big men will perhaps have more mobility than Purdue’s.
“They have good individual defenders,” Beilein said. “When you have good individual defenders…you don’t have to give help very often. They’ve got good length. (Sanjay) Lumpkin is way underrated as a defender. (Derek) Pardon has really become a good player; he blocks shots, he protects the rim.”
Offensively, Northwestern’s leading scorer, 6’5″ junior Scottie Lindsey, has been in a slump. He missed four games with mono and hasn’t been the same in his three games since.
“For a guy who goes through something like that, you don’t want to be the breakout game where they get back,” Beilein said. “But it could happen because he’s so talented. (He excels at) shooting the ball, driving the ball, (the) in-between game. (Vic) Law is very similar.”
Northwestern has lost two in a row and five of their last seven. There’s a win at Wisconsin during that stretch, but with Purdue coming to town to close the regular season on Sunday, the Wildcats will be hungry for a win against Michigan to try and reach their first-ever NCAA Tournament.
