Wolverines Report: Getting Inside

There was a lot of fuss and buzz over Michigan's recent game in Columbus against top-ranked Ohio State, since there's no better measuring stick than playing the No. 1 team.

The Wolverines held the lead at halftime in that game, and they stayed right with the Buckeyes throughout before losing 62-53. There's no glory in coming close, but at least Michigan left Columbus feeling as if it had squandered an opportunity for a big upset, instead of departing with its tail tucked between its legs.

What Michigan learned during the 40 minutes with the Buckeyes is that this deep into the season, folks have a lot of data on the Wolverines and are devising methods to slow their offensive patterns.

"They played us differently than everyone else has played us by locking down all of the shooters," Michigan coach John Beilein said. His Wolverines had attempted 538 3-pointers coming into the Ohio State game, and they had made a living in more than a few games by dropping bombs from long range.

In their first meeting with the Buckeyes, the Wolverines went 11-for-24 from outside the arc in a close 68-64 loss. In the second meeting, Michigan had just six baskets from long range.

"They were keeping the ... game in the middle and shutting out all of our passes," Beilein said. "We tried to make some adjustments about how they were playing us, but they did a great job and took us out of some things."

As they move on and see most of their Big Ten opponents for a second time, the Wolverines can expect to see more of what the Buckeyes threw at them. Penn State tried it Feb. 6, but the Wolverines managed to convert nine of 19 from long range in a 65-62 win on the road. Michigan has been effective enough from long range that it can expect other teams to keep focusing on taking that away.

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