MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota– In their first matchup on January 6, Minnesota had no answer for Michigan’s freshman Hunter Dickinson. On Saturday, the Golden Gophers changed that in a big way.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers (11-4) took Dickinson out of the game with a strong defensive showing, routing the Michigan Wolverines (11-1) 75-57, handing them their first loss of the season.
The win gives Minnesota sole possession of 7th place in the Big Ten, pulling a half a game ahead of Indiana. Michigan remains in first, but the loss cuts their lead in the Big Ten standings to just a half a game over Iowa.
Liam Robbins dominates the 2nd matchup with Dickinson
The last meeting between Michigan and Minnesota was Dickinson’s best performance of the season. He finished with 28 points on 12/15 shooting as Minnesota had trouble keeping him out of the lane on ball screens and allowed him to get a great position under the basket.
This time, it was Minnesota’s big man who got the best of the matchup. Liam Robbins finished with his second-highest point total of the season with 22 points on 8/13 shooting and 3/3 from three.
Robbins’ defense was key to keeping Dickinson out of rhythm on offense. The Golden Gophers forced Dickinson to catch the ball in the high post and used quick double teams to force turnovers. Dickinson was held to 9 points on 4/5 shooting and turned the ball over 5 times.
Minnesota defense smothers Wolverines
Coming into the game, the Wolverines ranked 18 in the country in scoring, averaging 82 points per game as a team. The Minnesota defense came ready to change that, holding Michigan to its lowest point total of the season.
Minnesota played the passing lanes very well and kept Michigan out-of-sync, forcing 20 turnovers and 12 steals. Combine that with a poor shooting performance from Michigan (39.3% from the field), and the result is 18-point upset win at home for Minnesota.
Eli Brooks absence leaves Michigan shorthanded
Early Saturday, it was announced that Michigan guard Eli Brooks would miss the matchup against Minnesota with a sprained foot.
His absence put Juwan Howard in a tough spot with his rotation. Their sixth man, transfer Chaundee Brown Jr., made his first start and played well, leading the Wolverines in scoring with 14 points.
However, Brown Jr. starting left a gap in their backcourt rotation. Coming into the game, he was the only guard off Michigan’s bench who had seen more than 10 minutes of action in a game.
True freshman Zeb Jackson became the first guard off the bench, and his lack of experience was evident. He struggled to find his shot, finishing with 2 points on 1/3 shooting and was slow on his matchups with Marcus Carr.
Michigan will need a player like Jackson or fellow freshman Terrance Williams to play consistent minutes while dealing with Brooks’ injury.
UP NEXT
Michigan vs. Maryland, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Tuesday, January 19 Minnesota vs. Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, Wednesday, January 20
