Michigan’s first home game after its West Coast trip was about confirmation. The Wolverines had shown the mettle of a Big Ten contender in Los Angeles but still had to prove they could back it up every night. They did precisely that on Sunday afternoon with a 91-75 victory over Washington.
The Huskies did a lot of things right. They got Michigan’s bigs into foul trouble early, Great Osobor had a 23-point, 11-rebound double-double, and they even shot 43% from 3-point range. Despite many things breaking Washington’s way, Michigan led most of the night and never felt threatened.
The story of the night, and increasingly of the season, is that Michigan’s offense is rapidly progressing from good to great to extraordinary. The Wolverines scored 1.25 points per possession — the most Washington has allowed all year — and were relentlessly consistent in their ability to create open shots.
According to Bart Torvik’s adjusted offensive efficiency numbers, Michigan has had the best offense in the country over the last month. The Wolverines are on a five-game streak of producing the best or second-best offensive output their opponent has allowed all season. Interior dominance has carried Michigan all year, and now threes are falling.
There’s been a lot of time spent discussing what didn’t work offensively in the early season, or the transition costs for a new regime, but everything is working now. It’s time to recognize this group for what it is: one of the best offensive teams in the country.
And according to the man in charge, it’s still getting better.
“No, not even close, not even close,” May said after the win when asked if this team is at an optimal level offensively. “Absolutely not. We’re improving.”
Dusty May Promo!
The post Game 16: Washington at Michigan Recap appeared first on UM Hoops.com .