In what was expected to be a particularly tough matchup against #3 Michigan, which blew out the likes of ranked Gonzaga and Auburn in Las Vegas, the Wolverines dominated the Scarlet Knights from nearly
start to finish in Ann Arbor. After Harun Zrno opened the scoring with a layup, Michigan raced out to an 8-2 lead and did not look back, doubling up Rutgers 50-25 at halftime.
The Wolverines dominated at the rim, with forward Morez Johnson Jr. having a sensational opening half, scoring 15 points on 7-9 shooting, including his first three-point basket of the season. Despite only shooting 4 for 14 from downtown, Michigan scored 34 points in the paint to Rutgers’ 14, outscoring the Scarlet Knights in the paint alone in the first half. Rutgers did not help itself with nine turnovers in the first twenty minutes.
Zrno cashed in two three-pointers in the first half to lead the Knights with 8 points at halftime, while Kaden Powers played extended minutes, knocking down a couple of midrange jumpers and a three to pitch in seven points off the bench. Outside of those two, Rutgers did not receive much scoring from any of the other players until deep into garbage time.
After a slow start from beyond the arc, Michigan caught fire in the second half, at one point making seven of eight threes to take a 77-40 lead at the twelve-minute mark. The Wolverines continued to attack the rim, with their guards too quick and too skilled for Rutgers to contend with and their big men too much for the Knights.
At the eight-minute media timeout, Michigan led the Scarlet Knights 85-48, with UM head coach Dusty May deciding to play some of his reserves at that point. That did not stop the scoring, with the Wolverines pushing their lead to over 40 points in the final minutes of the game.
The lopsided margin did not stop the players from competing hard, with Dylan Grant and Michigan’s Winter Grady getting into it, receiving double technicals, which offset and did not result in any free throws. The Wolverines crossed the 100-point mark for the third time in three games and finished with a 101-60 victory over the Scarlet Knights, who looked outmatched in this game, no matter which lineup combination Pikiell tried.
Harun Zrno and Kaden Powers led the way for the Scarlet Knights, both of whom showed off their shooting ability with 13 points. Zrno connected on two of six three-point attempts, while Powers made three of his seven attempts from beyond the arc. Both have likely earned themselves some more playing time going forward, with this game being Zrno’s first collegiate start.
Dylan Grant reached double figures late in the contest, finishing with 11 points and seven rebounds, while Tariq Francis pitched in nine. Rutgers finished the game a chilly 24-67 (36%) from the field and an even colder 6-23 from beyond the arc (26%). They also struggled to get to and make free throws, going 6 for 9 (67%) at the line.
For Michigan, Johnson Jr. finished with a game-high 22 points and four rebounds, making 9-11 field goals and knocking down both of his three-point attempts. Yaxel Landenborg, who grew up in New Jersey, had 14 points on 3-8 perimeter shooting, while UNC transfer guard Eliot Cadeau had 11 points and nine assists for the Wolverines.
UM also got sizeable contributions from its bench, with L.J. Cason and Roddy Gayle Jr. adding 11 points and Trey McKenney scoring 13 points. Michigan shot 39-65 (60%) from the field and made 13 of their 29 triples (45%), as they never gave their visitors a chance. Like Rutgers, they finished at 67% from the charity stripe, making 10 of 15 free throw attempts.
The Wolverines made their claim to be the #1 team in the country in the next AP rankings, especially with #1 Purdue falling to #10 Iowa State 81-58 at Mackey Arena earlier today. With the margin of victory, it is hard to see how they would not move to the top spot, even with #2 Arizona also undefeated ahead of a top-20 showdown against Auburn later today.
This was the largest loss for the Scarlet Knights in the Steve Pikiell era, overtaking 35-point losses to Purdue and Illinois in the 2018-29 and 2021-22 seasons, respectively. It was also the largest margin of defeat for Rutgers since the Knights fell to Purdue 107-57 in Piscataway during the 2015-16 season.
Steve Pikiell discussed just how good he thought Michigan was during his postgame interview with Jerry Recco and Austin Johnson, who handle the team’s professional radio broadcasts for WFAN and Fox Sports New Jersey.
“That’s by far the best team I’ve played. They made us pay for every mistake that we made. … I watched them live against Gonzaga and they did the same thing. They just overwhelm you,” Pikiell said postgame.
Rutgers will have a week off to rest and prepare for the Garden State Hardwood Classic against Seton Hall at the Prudential Center next Saturday. The Pirates will be another tough challenge for Rutgers, as they are 9-1 on the season, with their only loss of the year coming to USC in the Maui Invitational semifinals by the narrow margin of 83-81. Tip-off from The Rock is scheduled for 8 PM, with the game being broadcast on Fox Sports One.
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