On the first leg of a critical two-game road trip, the Michigan men’s basketball team secured one of the best wins of its season on Thursday. After nearly blowing a double-digit lead with four minutes left, the Wolverines escaped Iowa, 84-79, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
During a game that saw 13 ties and 11 lead changes, Michigan earned a gutty victory that will go a long way on its NCAA Tournament resume.
The Maize and Blue Review breaks down three takeaways from the Wolverines’ narrow victory:
Moussa Diabate’s career night lifts Michigan
In Michigan’s two games before traveling to Iowa City, Moussa Diabate elevated his game. He scored a combined 24 points on 11-of-17 shooting against Purdue and Ohio State, making his presence known around the rim in the process.
But on Thursday night, Diabate exploded for a game-high 28 points on 12-of-15 shooting to go along with eight rebounds. The former five-star prospect dominated the Hawkeyes, using his athleticism to beat Iowa’s defense off the ground in the paint. There have been times throughout the season when Diabate’s glaring potential hasn’t translated to production, but Thursday night told the opposite story.
At Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Diabate looked like every bit of a McDonald’s All-American and NBA Draft lottery prospect. If he can sustain the high level of play, it will help the Wolverines move themselves squarely off the bubble and into the field of 64 ahead of the NCAA Tournament Selection Show next month.
With a thin bench, Kobe Bufkin delivers a much-needed spark
Just minutes before tip off, Michigan’s already-thin bench took a hit when it was announced Terrance Williams II (ankle) would not suit up. The Wolverines have struggled to get much offensive production out of their bench this season, but at times, Williams has served as a bright spot.
That left one looming question for Thursday’s game at Iowa: Who would be the spark off the bench?
It didn’t take long to see the answer was Kobe Bufkin. The freshman has struggled at times this year, but against the Hawkeyes, he delivered some major momentum in critical moments. He chipped in eight first-half points on 3-of-4 shooting while also grabbing an offensive rebound.
Bufkin’s impact was felt in the second half, too. Down the stretch, his steal with four minutes left on the clock led to an easy transition dunk that extended Michigan’s lead to double digits. The emphatic hammer served as an exclamation point on the Wolverines’ crucial road win though they eventually saw the lead dwindle and needed to win the game at the free throw line.
Bufkin, meanwhile, finished with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting while logging 16 minutes — 10 more than any other player who came off the bench.
Mixing defenses leads to success
Entering Thursday’s showdown, Iowa’s offense ranked No. 4 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, top 50 in adjusted tempo and No. 5 nationally in shortest average possession length, per KenPom.
The Hawkeyes also averaged a Big Ten-best 84 points per contest. But on Thursday, Michigan coach Juwan Howard mixed in an array of man-to-man and zone defenses to keep Iowa on its toes. In the backcourt, different full-court press and three-quarter court pressures made it difficult for the Hawkeyes to push the pace or settle into their successful offense. Iowa scored below its season average as a result, and if it weren’t for a late run, it would’ve fallen well short.
The disruptive switches made a major difference. During the Wolverines’ first possession back in zone with 4:15 left in the second half, the new look forced an Iowa live-ball turnover. The ball ended up in the hands of Bufkin, who threw down a fastbreak dunk to put Michigan up 10.
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