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Michigan basketball’s hot shooting proves: The ball whizzed around the perimeter before landing in the hands of Caleb Houstan, a former five-star recruit known for his poise and perimeter shooting.
He received the pass in the right corner, just inches from the Wolverines’ bench, and situated himself in the supremely balanced style he’d shown all afternoon.
This particular 3-pointer, which put Michigan up 13 points after Indiana started chipping away at an advantage, led Houston, known for his stoicism, to rejoice.
Houston gave himself a moment of happiness after coach Juwan Howard compared him to the stone-faced NBA great Kawhi Leonard earlier in the week.
Before making his way down the floor, he peered into the IU bleachers and yelled.
“Making shots always feels wonderful,” Houston added. “Right now, I think I’m in a fantastic spot.”
Houston led a fantastic offensive effort that routinely hushed the packed audience at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall with his second consecutive dose of hot 3-point shooting.
Michigan made 11 of 17 3-point shots on the way to an 80-62 victory over an Indiana club that hadn’t lost at home all season.
The Wolverines (9-7, 3-3 Big Ten) have worked their way back to.500 in the league.
Houston and Hunter Dickinson combined for 24 points from 3-point range, leading the Wolverines to a plus-18 in that category after Indiana hit only 5 of 19 attempts.
Dickinson had 25 points and nine rebounds to lead all scorers. Terrance Williams II, power forward Moussa Diabate, and Houston each contributed 39 points to balance the offense.
“I think this is starting to become the Michigan that everyone predicted to win the Big Ten in the preseason,” Dickinson said. “I believe this is the club that everyone anticipated when the season began.
After all, we’re young, and we made some rookie blunders early in the season. There were a few snags. But I believe we’re finally starting to play the basketball that Coach Howard instills in us every day in practice.”
Howard talked about the mental lift shooters get when they hit their first 3-pointer of the game earlier this week. Houston, who broke out of his funk with 16 points on 3-of-4 shooting outside the arc in a win over Maryland on Sunday, echoed the message.
Confidence spread from player to player when Houstan sunk a 3-pointer from the left wing on his first try against Indiana, as perimeter shooting drove the Wolverines to an early lead.
Dickinson, who swished from the top of the key; Brandon Johns Jr., who returned to the court for the first time since Dec. 30 after battling COVID-19; Houstan, who finished the afternoon with eight of 11 in the last two games; and Williams, who came off the bench and carried the Michigan offence with an impressive flurry late in the first half, all made 3-pointers.
The Wolverines’ surprise marksmanship opened a distance between the two teams, who have been undone by poor perimeter shooting in several losses this season. The Hoosiers were rated 132nd in 3-point shooting at 34.3 percent entering Sunday, far below their norm.
After a succession of air balls, clanks, and miscalculations, Indiana finally connected on a perimeter jumper after more than 17 minutes. Howard’s combination of man-to-man defence, zone defence, and full-court pressure exacerbated IU’s mistakes.
“Our defence is doing a fantastic job for us,” Howard added. “Offense can occasionally be created through defence. However, seeing the ball go through the net is fantastic.
It also gives the participants a sense of security. When the ball goes past the net on the road, it also helps since it depletes the crowd’s enthusiasm.”
The Hoosiers, who trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half, made their comeback in the second half’s first stanza when Race Thompson’s dunk put them within 55-45.
The audience erupted as Indiana showed a willingness to attack the basket, compensating for their lack of 3-point shooting.
The Wolverines, like Howard’s squad all day, set themselves apart with well-timed jumpers from beyond the arc. To increase the margin to 13, Houstan sunk his jumper in front of the Michigan bench.
Then, as the advantage soared back to 14, Dickinson swished a beauty from the top of the key to enrage the insult-spewing supporters once again.
He revelled in his villainous role, yelling as he backpedalled on the floor.
Dickinson explained, “We were playing for our season.” “That was Coach Howard’s point of view. This victory was crucial to our season.”
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