Michigan Basketball: Keys to Upsetting Ohio State in Rivalry Game

Under different circumstances, Michigan’s rematch date with Ohio State could have meant a lot more than it does today.

Had things turned out in the Wolverines’ favor, their second meeting of the year with the Buckeyes could have determined a higher seeding in the NCAA Tournament or even moved them up a rung on the Big Ten ladder.

Instead, Sunday’s game at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor is just a mere formality before Michigan (13-13, 6-8 B1G) closes out a disappointing campaign on the hardwood.

It’ll take nothing short of divine intervention for the beaten and battered Wolverines to take down coach Thad Matta’s No. 24-ranked Buckeyes (19-7, 8-5).

That’s not a knock on Michigan, just a fact of the matter. Without Caris LeVert, a star junior wing, and Derrick Walton Jr., a sensational sophomore point guard, coach John Beilein has been forced to make to do with bits and pieces.

Given the conditions, Beilein’s done a wonderful job. However, he lost the previous meeting with Ohio State 71-52 and chances aren’t looking too good for this rematch against the Buckeyes. Nonetheless, this slideshow will break down a few angles that could help Michigan split the regular-season series.  

Aubrey Dawkins and Muhammand-Ali Abdur-Rahkman have been more than pleasant additions—they’ve been essential components, especially lately. They each scored 12 points during this past Tuesday’s home loss to Michigan State and continue to impress with timely scoring sprees.

They’re on the upswing, no question there, and they’re doing enough to catch the eyes of former Michigan stars such as Nik Stauskas, who attended the Michigan-Michigan State game.

“They’re great players,” he said. “I remember, kind of, them going through their recruiting process and me being on my way out—I didn’t know much about them. Didn’t see much of their game, but you know, they’ve been some of the main players on this team in tough away games this year.”

Dawkins and MAAR will be headliners—it’s only a matter of time. Until then, they must remain confident and focused, yet loose enough to realize that "it’s just hoops,” Stauskas said.

The freshmen were just getting started during the previous meeting with Ohio State, a 71-52 loss. They combined for 28 minutes and nine points on 4-of-12 shooting. Dawkins led the way with six points in 13 minutes.

Look, it’s not going to be easy. The Buckeyes are coming off a 59-56 loss to Michigan State, so they’ll probably be ready to pounce on the Wolverines, who are 0-2 versus the Spartans and in real danger of going 0-4 versus rivals this season. But Dawkins and MAAR give the Wolverines something on which to rely—the young element of surprise.

Albrecht, a junior point guard, is coming off a 12-point effort versus Michigan State. That said, he’s due for something versus the Buckeyes, who held him to just four points in 29 minutes on Jan. 13 in Columbus.

Albrecht’s hustle can disrupt plays and force the opposition into mistakes. Loose balls, errant passes—if they’re in his line of sight, they’re within reach.

Michigan always has a chance to at least compete when Albrecht’s at his best. He wasn’t on Jan. 13, but he was pretty close versus Michigan State on Feb. 17 and that has to give Beilein some sort of confidence rolling into this game.

An upset could be possible if Albrecht erupts.

D’Angelo Russell, the Big Ten’s top frosh, is one of the best players in all of college basketball. He averages 19 points per game, but he’s capable of going for 25 or more. Lock-down defense is the only way Michigan can steer clear of such a spree.

Russell was limited to just 10 points versus Michigan State, which obviously has a better defense than Michigan. However, he’s not invincible, and now could be the time to catch him while he’s in a semi-rut—if there is such a thing in Russell’s case.

At 6’5” and 180 pounds, Russell is a mismatch for Ablrecht, who’s just 5’11” and 175 pounds, but Russell isn’t out of Zak Irvin’s league. Irvin (6’6," 215 pounds), who’s added muscle since his freshman year, is capable of handling at least some of the load.

At 6’6” and 6’4”, respectively, Dawkins and MAAR could spend some time checking the soon-to-be Big Ten freshman of the year, too. Their length and ability to contest baskets from the perimeter to the rim should help counter the Buckeyes’ scoring machine.

A far-from-ideal situation has Beilein juggling minutes and plugging Player X into Spot Z every minute of every of every game. Eventually, he’ll get desired results—next year, though. This year’s a wash.

A win over Ohio State would only temporarily satisfy. It wouldn’t get Michigan into March Madness, but it’d undoubtedly ease some tension.

Matta’s team will get into the tourney. As of now, the Buckeyes are playing for the highest possible seeding. Matta has all kinds of weapons to throw at Beilein. From Jae’Sean Tate, Amir Williams and Shannon Scott, all the way to Marc Loving, Russell and Kam Williams—the Buckeyes are stacked from end to end.

It’s all a matter of balance and Beilein probably won’t realize what works until midway through the first half. It’s against a familiar opponent, but every game is a new endeavor.

Who knows? Maybe this time around will be the day Ricky Doyle and Mark Donnal take a few steps forward. They combined for eight points and four rebounds during 30 minutes versus Michigan State, so it’s safe to assume that they’d like to bounce back against the hated rival.

Obvious analysis alert: Michigan needs everything to click Sunday in order to beat the Buckeyes.

Follow Bleacher Report’s Michigan Wolverines basketball writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and references were obtained firsthand by the writer via press conference, press release or other media availability. Stats were obtained from ESPN.