That was needed. Michigan basketball entered Crisler Center on Saturday as a team that was reeling, having lost two of three with the lone win being an unexpectedly tight game against Tarleton State. The team needed to get right and give the fans something to believe in. That happened on Saturday as Michigan knocked off San Diego State 72-58. To some this will be simply a sorely needed win, but to others this will be the first of what figures to be many known as The Frankie Collins Game. 

Michigan entered halftime up just 36-34, scuffling after leading 30-19 and then going dark on offense for a prolonged stretch with DeVante' Jones in the game as the starting PG. Jones played 14 minutes in the first half, but just 4 minutes in the second half. Frankie Collins had a lot to do with that, logging 16 minutes in the second half. Michigan outscored SDSU 36-24 in the second half and ran away to a comfortable victory. I mentioned on MGoRadio last night that it was under similar circumstances four years ago (early December Saturday afternoon CBS game against a west coast team after a rough start to the season) when Zavier Simpson moved past Jaaron Simmons and Eli Brooks to become the starting PG. We may have seen a similar story today from Frankie Collins. 

The first half was tight and competitive, with each team trading runs, built around strong individual efforts. The Aztecs ran the offense through Matt Bradley, whose size at the guard spot made him difficult to defend for Michigan's undersized guards. Bradly went 6/8 for 14 points in that first half, SDSU's leading scorer by a wide margin. Everyone else for the visitors were 7/21. Michigan's offense revolved around Hunter Dickinson, who suddenly showed a three point stroke (2/2 in the first half), and Caleb Houstan, who would be the story of the game if it weren't for Collins. The Wolverines surged ahead to the aforementioned 30-19 lead but a strange lineup consisting of DeVante' Jones-Eli Brooks-Zeb Jackson-Terrance Williams-Hunter Dickinson produced several ugly offensive possessions and allowed SDSU to crawl back into it. Michigan in particular was hamstrung by an undisclosed illness to Moussa Diabate, who played just 7 minutes in the first half and never returned to the game, placing an increased load on Hunter Dickinson's shoulders. Dickinson looked visibly tired in the late first half. 

Defense was great in the second half [JD Scott]

Michigan went to the break up two, but the potential for more felt like it was out there, especially when Collins was on the floor. The first six minutes of the second half were relatively even, but following an Aztec bucket to cut the Michigan lead to 47-43 with 14:28 to go, the Wolverines ripped the game away. Michigan embarked on a 14-0 run, keeping the Aztecs scoreless for 7 minutes and one second. The defensive dominance revolved around a few components: a full court press made possible by Caleb Houstan's positioning and length, Frankie Collins' tenacity as an on-ball defender, and Hunter Dickinson's rim protection. SDSU had trouble getting up the floor without turning it over, and once they got across half-court, it didn't get any easier. Without a doubt the best defensive stretch Michigan has had this season. 

During that time Michigan did fine offensively. Collins attacked off the dribble, slinging passes across the court and from obscure angles that we haven't seen much of this season from Jones. That helped facilitate ball movement that looked natural and free flowing, while also creating space that has also been rare for Michigan this season. It helped that shooters hit shots- Michigan finished 11/20 from three on the game, and two went down in that stretch, one from Terrance Williams II and one by Eli Brooks. When the run finally ended, Michigan was up 18 (cut to 16 by the run-ending bucket) with only seven minutes to go. In other words, the game was over. SDSU and the Wolverines played to (essentially) a draw over the final seven minutes and the Maize & Blue finished with a solid fourteen point victory. Just what the doctor ordered. 

Hunter Dickinson led the way for Michigan, scoring 23 points on 10/16 shooting and adding 14 boards. More important: he went 3/3 on three pointers (?!?), resembling Jon Teske's legendary three point barrage against Purdue nearly three years ago. Caleb Houstan was magnificent, going 6/10 from the field including 4/5 from three, finally showing that fabled shooting ability we heard so much about when he was a recruit. Seeing the shooting was great, but perhaps more consequential was Houstan's disruptiveness defensively, forcing turnover after turnover both in the defensive end of the court, but also 90 feet from the basket when in the full court press. By far the best collegiate game thus far from Houstan on both ends. 

Hunter Dickinson led the way offensively [JD Scott]

Eli Brooks added 10 in a pretty ho-hum game for The Professor, while the real story of the backcourt was Collins. It wasn't all perfect: 2/6 at the stripe is disappointing and he was only 3/7 from the field, but Collins ran the offense for 24 minutes while committing just one turnover, holding his own defensively, dishing out three assists and snaring four rebounds, and facilitating ball movement and floor spacing unlike anything we've seen from the Wolverines this season. His athleticism compared to Jones is like a bolt of lightning and right now, the team plays better with Collins on the floor. He played 24 minutes compared to Jones' 17 minutes in this game and now all eyes will be on the lineup to see who starts at PG on Tuesday in Lincoln. All evidence suggests it should be Collins. 

Terrance Williams II played 21 minutes and added 5 points, thrust into duty due to Diabate's absence and he was alright. Not a high impact performance, but serviceable in a big moment. The team seemed to miss Diabate far more in the first half than the second. To win a game by 14 after the last three results, despite getting only seven minutes from the big Frenchman feels like a huge accomplishment in and of itself. They'll need Moussa back quickly though, whatever his ailment is. Brandon Johns Jr. was mostly invisible in 14 minutes, while Zeb Jackson got a brief three minute run that ended after several ghastly offensive possessions. One saw him settle for an ugly long two and another saw Michigan turn it over after Jackson refused to feed Dickinson in the post. Back to the bench for Zeb, most likely. 

In total, Michigan shot 47% from the field, while holding SDSU to under 40% shooting. Only Bradley (22 points) scored in double figures and the Aztecs committed sixteen turnovers, most of which were the direct doing of the Michigan defense. It was the best performance on offense and defense that we've seen from the Wolverines this season, a very welcome sight for Juwan Howard and his crew. 

Michigan will be back in action on Tuesday night against Nebraska to kick off B1G play. That game is scheduled for 7:00 PM EST and will be televised on ESPN2. Now we can go back to football for today. Beat Iowa. 

[AFTER THE JUMP: Box Score]