BLOOMINGTON – Indiana coach Mike Davis sang the praises of sophomore Robert Vaden and his impressive second half during his post-game interviews Tuesday. But the fiery coach admitted a Michigan player shined even brighter.
The praise wasn’t directed toward guards Daniel Horton or Dion Harris, who combined for 39 points on the night. Nor was it of junior Courtney Sims, who won the Big Ten Player of Week award last month.
Davis’s awe was inspired by the Wolverines’ less-celebrated senior forward, Graham Brown. The senior didn’t put up offensive numbers like his backcourt teammates, but his effort on the glass led the Wolverines to a near upset of No. 16 Indiana.
“Brown was fantastic,” Davis said. “If he plays well this weekend, he definitely should be Big Ten Player of the Week (after grabbing) 21 rebounds (Tuesday).”
The Mio native helped keep the Wolverines in the game early while the team struggled offensively. Despite beginning the game 4-for-21 and finishing the first half shooting a disappointing 31 percent from the field, Michigan went into halftime tied against the host Hoosiers. This was mainly due to Brown’s effort on the boards.
He corralled 11 rebounds in the opening half – one fewer than Indiana’s team total. Five of those came on the offensive glass, and keeping a number of Michigan possessions alive.
“I was just trying to do whatever I could to help the team,” Brown said. “I was trying to get a couple offensive rebounds and a couple more offensive possessions for our team.”
Although the Wolverines’ offensive performance picked up in the second half, Brown’s determination remained constant, and his teammates saw no dropoff from his first-half rebounding clinic. In the second half he grabbed nine additional defensive rebounds and one more offensive board, giving him a career-high total of 21 for the game.
“If the ball was up on the backboard, I was trying to get it,” Brown said.
One specific rebound midway through the second half epitomized his grit. Following a missed 3-pointer from Indiana guard Earl Calloway, Brown boxed out two Hoosiers and secured the rebound. He then proceeded to fight off a double-team to find Harris, who took the ball upcourt and hit a pull-up three, cutting the Indiana lead to three.
Brown’s rebounding propelled Michigan to a 42-29 advantage on the glass against Indiana – one of the Big Ten’s most potent frontcourts. But the gaudy 26-12 first-half rebounding margin was the key to that stat. The Hoosiers actually outrebounded Michigan 17-16 in the final frame. Key boards late in the game produced second-chance baskets for Indiana.
Vaden grabbed offensive rebounds twice in the final five minutes following missed free throws. His teammates produced five other second-half offensive rebounds, leading them to 16 second-chance points for the game.
“They just out-toughened us at the end,” Sims said. “They got a little more physical and we weren’t being smart with our blockouts, and we lost them a couple times.”
The 6-foot-11 Sims managed a season-low one rebound on the night despite being the tallest player on either team. He came into the game averaging 7.9 rebounds per game on the season.
“He wasn’t as productive as we need him to be,” Michigan coach Tommy Amaker said of Sims. “We need more from him. There’s no question about it.”