Brooks’ Leadership and Experience the Difference Against Northwestern

Photo courtesy of University of Michigan photography

It’s not at all hyperbolic to say that that may have been the worst officiating I’ve ever seen in a basketball game. Two early, ticky tack fouls on Hunter Dickinson really hampered what Michigan could do on both ends of the floor in this game. The officials completely nullified a distinct physical advantage in the paint for both Dickinson and Moussa Diabate. Riddle me this: how is it that 10 fouls were called on Dickinson and Diabate (who both fouled out), but somehow, the completely overmatched Northwestern big man, Ryan Young ended up with 4 fouls… Just doesn’t add up.

So when the Wolverine’s inside game got clamped by the officials, it meant that the shooters on the team were going to have to step up, and step up they did. Caleb Houstan had a solid night, going 5 of 7 from the floor and 3 of 5 from behind the arch for a total of 18 points. Devonte’ Jones had some sloppy play in the second half, but more than made up for it down the stretch with a huge three point bucket late in the game and some clutch free throw shooting for a total of 15 points.

But the player who had the biggest influence over this game was fifth year leader, Eli Brooks. I don’t know if they pull this one out without his calm, savvy presence on the floor at the end of the game. He only had 12 total points, and 9 of them came in the span of one minute and fourteen seconds, early in the second half, but it was his court vision and calm demeanor that brought the Wolverines back after trailing late in the game.

“We don’t call him the professor for no reason.” Said his backcourt mate, Jones. Adding, “He’s probably the best leader in the country. As Coach Howard would say.” There’s absolutely no doubt about it, Brooks’ basketball IQ is NBA level, and this team needed every bit of that basketball mind to save an ugly, yet important win against a scrappy Wildcats team here in Ann Arbor tonight.