As good as Michigan men’s hoops has been, they still need to clean up a few things as Big Ten play continues. Here are the three areas the Wolverines need to improve the most in as the season continues:
Midway through the 2024-25 college hoops season, the Michigan Wolverines are exceeding preseason expectations. They are 13-3 overall and 5-0 in Big Ten play, and are in the midst of a five-game winning streak.
Michigan’s national profile continues to rise as it’s moved up the AP Poll to No. 20 , and the Wolverines have a legitimate chance to win the Big Ten just one year after a season littered with program worsts.
When doing a deep dive on this squad through 16 games with Jared Stormer on Out of the Blue this week , it was hard for us to think of many areas this team can improve, considering the fact that Danny Wolf rising up draft boards , Vlad Goldin is dominating Big Ten competition and the offense is firing on all cylinders. At this point, it feels like making the NCAA Tournament is a given.
But as conference play continues, Michigan is going to need to tighten up a few weaknesses to compete with the Big Ten’s best and establish itself as the top dog. Here are three areas Michigan can still improve upon.
Limit unforced turnovers
This has been the main gripe with Michigan all season long, as limiting turnovers is something I’ve mentioned in almost every postgame takeaways piece this season.
The Wolverines are averaging a Big Ten-leading 14.9 turnovers per game, 2.3 turnovers more than the second-worst offender, Nebraska. While their turnover percentage has slightly improved over the season, their 20.7 percent turnover rate ranks 328th out of 363 teams on KenPom . Michigan’s three losses have been by a combined five points, so it’s not an exaggeration to say the Wolverines are a few turnovers away from being undefeated.
One thread from former Maize n Brew contributor Stephen Osentoski is worth mentioning:
Michigan basketball rant time:
The whole “they need to cut down on turnovers” argument is a bit overblown. The team has scored 90+ on 3 of their last 4 games.
Turnovers are going to be at a higher number with the faster pace & style of play. It yields higher points & TOs.
— Stephen Osentoski (@StephenToski) January 13, 2025
Any Michigan fan tuning into a basketball broadcast has been inundated with turnover graphics. It is an issue, but as Stephen points out, a direct consequence of Michigan’s fast-paced offensive game plan is turning the ball over at a higher rate. Like a quarterback being taking deep shots, this team is willing to make home-run passes in an effort to get the best basket possible. Combine that with the players learning to gel with their teammates and oftentimes playing with two 7-footers, and that can lead to more turnovers.
You can chalk up a good portion of Michigan’s turnovers to the new game plan, but unforced turnovers still need to decrease. Per KenPom, 11 percent of Michigan’s turnovers are non-steals, a mark that’s fifth-worst in the country. The Wolverines, Wolf in particular, need to do a better job taking care of the ball to unlock the full potential of this offense.
Create more turnovers on defense
This is admittedly a nitpick, considering Michigan’s defense is 18th on KenPom and does a fantastic job protecting the rim. But the Wolverines are tied for 12th in the Big Ten in steals per game (6.2). On KenPom, the Wolverines only record a steal on 8.7 percent of defensive possessions, which is in the 27th percentile nationwide (263rd out of 363 teams).
Like the subject above, part of those lack of steals is by design. Michigan defenders are forcing ball handlers baseline on drives, falling into the trap of Michigan’s shot-blockers. And oftentimes, the Wolverines play great team defense and force a terrible shot late in the shot clock.
Danny Wolf recognizes the Huskies play call at the FT line.
He signals out “Horns” to the coaches & Dusty May repeats it to his staff.
Michigan guards the initial action well with Wolf helping on the drive then recovering to three.
Michigan executes a peel switch & the… pic.twitter.com/0nXxPeXLUe
— Eric Shapiro (@eric_shap) January 14, 2025
You can have quality defensive possessions like the one above without forcing a steal. You don’t need to create steals to be a good defensive team, but it’s obviously an added bonus.
That said, improving that steal average by just a few could swing a few games, and it would improve Michigan’s turnover margin if the offense continues to turn the ball over at a high rate.
Maintain big leads after getting them
Michigan had a double-digit lead in all three losses this season, including a second-half double-digit lead against Oklahoma. It often ties to turnovers, but Michigan gives up too many runs to opposing teams with sloppy play, leading to easy buckets.
Runs are a part of basketball, as those quick bursts are a big reason why upsets happen and why March Madness is so fun. The difference between good teams and great teams is being able to limit those runs or stop them from even happening with sound play once you get a big lead.
The Wolverines need to keep their foot on the gas when they have a lead. And it’s not just an issue in losses, as they let USC get back into the game with a second-half surge a couple weeks ago. To move into the elite tier of the sport, Michigan needs to do a better job maintaining big leads.