The Michigan Wolverines came back from a 16-point deficit to defeat the Northwestern Wildcats 87-75 on Wednesday. Here are five takeaways from the comeback win at Northwestern, as Michigan moved to 23-1 overall and 13-1 in Big Ten play.
Can’t overlook teams at the bottom of the Big Ten standings
If there’s one thing that Michigan needs to take away from the nearly-disastrous upset loss at Northwestern, it’s that you can’t overlook teams at the bottom of
the Big Ten. No matter the opponent, the Wolverines have to play with the same level of energy, focus and intensity. Michigan turned it on when they needed to – making 11 straight shots and going on a 22-4 run to storm back and beat Northwestern – but underestimating opponents is not something you want to get in the habit of doing.
L.J. Cason made the most of his increased playing time
L.J Cason can play sporadically at times, but the Michigan guard came up huge in the win at Northwestern – compiling career-highs with 18 points and four steals in 18 minutes off the bench. During the 22-4 run in the second half, Cason recorded nine points, two assists and two steals to help fuel a win. It’s likely the Wolverines don’t come back to beat Northwestern without the contributions from Cason, who certainly made the most of his increased playing time when the opportunity arose.
Trey Mckenney is really coming into his own
Trey McKenney racked up 12 points in the win at Northwestern, reaching double-figure scoring for a seventh consecutive game. During that span, McKenney is averaging 11.3 points on 13-for-31 shooting from three-point range. McKenney was massive in the comeback win, connecting on a pair of critical shots in the second half, including a go-ahead three-pointer to put the Wolverines up 68-67 with 7:12 to go. As his freshman season progresses, McKenney continues to become a key part of the rotation.
Yaxel Lendeborg has been dominating the glass in recent weeks
With a calf injury in the rearview mirror, Lendeborg appears to be fully healthy and has been a dominant rebounder recently – recording 9.3 rebounds per game over the last seven outings. Lendeborg racked up 15 points and 12 rebounds at Northwestern, just days after posting 14 points and a season-high 14 rebounds in a win over Ohio State. When he’s playing with all-out effort, Lendeborg is seemingly impossible to contain on the glass, and his rebounding has proven to be pivotal for Michigan.
The Wolverines are nearing a Big Ten regular-season title
With just six games remaining in the conference schedule, the Wolverines are on the verge of winning the Big Ten regular season championship for the first time since 2021 and just the fourth time this century. Michigan has a two-game advantage over four teams tied for second place in the Big Ten — Illinois, Purdue, Nebraska and Michigan State. The Wolverines still have to play at Purdue and Illinois, and host Michigan State in the regular season finale, but a Big Ten title is certainly within reach.
Up next
Michigan will take a nine-game winning streak into a matchup against UCLA at the Crisler Center on Saturday (12:45 p.m. ET on CBS).
