Michigan Basketball: Wolverines Who Need to Step Up

The Michigan Wolverine basketball team is coming off a tough loss at Wisconsin.

They thought they had the game won with 2.4 seconds remaining in regulation, but then the unthinkable happened and Wisconsin’s Ben Brust hit a 40-foot three-pointer as time expired to send the game into overtime. Michigan ended up losing the game 65-62. 

Will Michigan drop their second-straight game in a row at in-state rival Michigan State Tuesday night, who is now ranked No. 8 in the nation, or will three Michigan players step up and lead the Wolverines to a crucial Big Ten Conference win? 

Sophomore guard Trey Burke is one of the nation's best shooters, along with junior guard Tim Hardaway Jr. These two have been the true leaders of this No. 4-ranked Michigan team and will need to continue to come up big when their team needs them most.  

Another player that needs to step up is true freshman Glenn Robinson III, who did not have his best performance on Saturday at Wisconsin. 

Trey Burke

Burke is so talented and has one of the nicest shots in college basketball. He played well at Wisconsin—scoring 19 points and recording five rebounds—but his team still did not get the win. 

Burke has to continue to hit the big shots like he has this entire season and it will be especially important when they travel to East Lansing to take on Michigan State. This game is crucial because a win would keep them in the race to win the Big Ten regular-season title. 

Tim Hardaway Jr.

Second in command, Tim Hardaway Jr., has been on fire in his past three games. He kept the Wolverines in the game against Ohio State last Tuesday with big three-pointers in the second half. Michigan ended up defeating Ohio State in overtime, 76-74.

Against Wisconsin on Saturday, Hardaway hit a huge three-pointer with just seconds remaining in regulation, but it didn't seem to be enough to get the Wolverines a victory. 

It is now up to Hardaway to keep his hot streak alive tonight at Michigan State. His team is going to need him to make big shots in the second half again. In his past three games, he has been 10 of 17 from beyond the arc and has averaged 19.6 points per game. 

Glenn Robinson III

The last key component for Michigan is Glenn Robinson III.

Robinson only had four points against Wisconsin and needs to step his game up again. It’s time for Robinson to get back on track and be that solid player he was in late January against Purdue, Illinois and Northwestern. 

He is a talented freshman and has to play a bigger role against Michigan State.

The Wolverines are one of the best teams in the country with a 21-3 record and we will see if they have it in themselves to prove it Tuesday night in Rivalry Week's much anticipated matchup with Michigan State.