Takeaways from Michigan’s win over Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament

Tre Donaldson and Area 50-1 made clutch plays when Michigan needed it most, and Michigan is one win away from it’s first Big Ten Tournament title since 2018. Takeaways from the win over Maryland:

It’s crazy the difference a week can make in college basketball.

Six days ago, the Michigan Wolverines were on a three-game losing streak with an offense that looked completely broken. Now, they are thriving on both ends of the floor and are one win away from their first Big Ten Tournament title since 2018.

Less than 24 hours after getting their swagger back with an emphatic win over Purdue , the Wolverines picked up a huge win over Maryland, 81-80, in a back-and-forth affair. After a questionable foul call on Maryland center Derik Queen, Tre Donaldson went coast-to-coast to deliver the winning bucket.

These two teams just played each other last week, with Maryland winning a tight one thanks to a unique defensive strategy on Vlad Goldin and clutch baskets in the second half. Goldin had little issues today with 25 points and 10 rebounds.

Picking up two Quad 1 wins in two days is a huge boost for Michigan, but most importantly, the Wolverines got out of the funk they were in before the tournament began.

Here are some takeaways from the win.

Riding Area 50-1 late, with a few Trey Donaldson cameos

With the game tied late at 71, Goldin took what the defense gave him and knocked down his 10th three-pointer of the season to give the Wolverines a 74-71 lead. A few minutes later, Michigan’s next bucket came on the trusty Area 50-1 pick-and-roll, with Danny Wolf feeding Goldin for a tough finish with 1:35 to play.

With 30 seconds to play, Tre Donaldson launched a three from the wing to give Michigan a pivotal three-point lead.

While Wolf missed the front-end of a one-and-one to give the Terrapins a chance to win, Donaldson’s shot at the end made the difference.

Those were all winning plays made by the Wolverines, who have proven in Year 1 of the Dusty May era they can win tight games.

Michigan struggles to guard Derik Queen

With his size, physicality and finesse around the rim, Maryland big man Derik Queen — the Big Ten Freshman of the Year — is one of the toughest players to cover in the conference.

Michigan struggled to slow down Queen, who dictated the pace of the game and drew tons of fouls, similar to Trey Kaufmann-Renn on Friday. Queen had nine of Maryland’s first 16 points and kept scoring in the second half, ultimately finishing with 31 points.

Queen took over the game midway through the second half, being the main reason why Michigan’s double-digit lead evaporated in a matter of minutes.

Despite Queen going off, the Wolverines still won the points in the paint, 44-30. But Maryland’s second-half surge was powered by the freshman.

Opening the second half on fire, and consistent scoring throughout the second half

Just like in college football, closing the first half well and starting the second half well are huge keys to victory. Michigan ended the first half on a 7-0 run before opening the second half on an 11-0 run, with all 11 coming from Area 50-1. Michigan went from down three to up 12 in a hurry.

Runs are a crucial part of every game, and those runs only become more important in a tournament setting. This team has proven it is built to thrive in that setting.

Not only were the big men scoring well, they also dominated on the glass. The 7-footers combined for 24 of Michigan’s 47 rebounds, with the Wolverines out-rebounding the Terps by a wide margin (+29).

Michigan kept a lead over Maryland for a large portion of second half thanks to consistent baskets, all kickstarted by that 18-0 run that started at the end of the first half.

A great day for Nimari Burnett and Roddy Gayle Jr.

Nimari Burnett thrives as a finisher in Michigan’s offense, but was able to create his own shot a bit against Maryland.

Burnett had 10 points near the end of the first half, knocking down two of his three attempts from three, finishing twice at the free throw line and scoring on a layup to cap off a four-minute, 13-2 run.

He wasn’t the only wing thriving for Michigan early, with Roddy Gayle Jr. — who has been in an offensive funk for months now — poured in seven first-half points. That included his first made three-pointer since Jan. 24 at Purdue. He also had an alley-oop to finish the half.

Burnett and Gayle combined for 19 points, being key contributors to a Michigan offense that hasn’t looked this good since the LA trip at the start of the calendar year.

You know you’re going to get contributions from Goldin (25 points, 10 rebounds) and Wolf (21 points, 14 rebounds), but when role players are thriving like Burnett and Gayle did on Saturday, Michigan’s offense becomes real hard to stop.

Turnover trouble, part 82

The Wolverines created good looks against the Terrapins, but yet again, turnovers were a fly in the ointment offensively.

Michigan turned the ball over nine times in the first half, three times as much as the Terps, and was unable to fully grasp momentum aside from that aforementioned 13-2 run. The turnovers weren’t all self-inflicted, but they did start to pile up in a hurry.

Michigan made enough shots to counteract the turnover concerns, but the Wolverines still finished with 19 turnovers, five more than their season average. That’s concerning, and if Michigan isn’t careful, turnovers could lead to an upset in the NCAA Tournament.

Missed opportunities around the rim

Michigan did a better job creating looks for itself against Maryland this time as opposed to the first meeting, but one frustrating takeaway from this game is Michigan didn’t finish very well around the rim.

Way too often, in the first half especially, the Wolverines would move the ball well and get a good drive to the rim before coming up short at the cup. It’s encouraging Michigan is getting to the rim, but it will need to get better at finishing as postseason play continues next week.

The Tre Donaldson we know and love is back

The Donaldson we’ve seen the last few games is the exact kind of player Michigan needs to make a run in the NCAA Tournament. He was aggressive early, scoring five quick points in the opening minutes and looking very comfortable in the half-court.

Donaldson was inconsistent offensively the last few weeks, but seeing him return to his best form is encouraging. His energy is infectious and can kickstart a run, and those runs can swing any game in this sport.

Up Next

With the victory, the Wolverines are one win away from winning the Big Ten Tournament. Michigan will take on the Wisconsin Badgers — who Michigan beat in the lone matchup in December — Sunday at 3:30 p.m. on CBS.