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New Year’s Resolutions: Michigan Wolverines

Kaleb Tarczewski, Glenn Robinson III

Michigan forward Glenn Robinson III makes a layup as Arizona center Kaleb Tarczewski (35) looks on during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Carlos Osorio

Over the course of the holiday week, we at College Basketball Talk will be detailing what we believe will be the New Year’s Resolutions of some of the nation’s most talented, most disappointing, and thoroughly enigmatic teams. What can we say, we’re in a giving mood. Who else made Resolutions? Click here to find out. WHAT DOES MICHIGAN PROMISE TO DO MORE OF?: Production from Glenn Robinson III


  • Why it will happen: Glenn Robinson scored a career-high 23 points against Holy Cross on Saturday, which followed a 17-point performance in a win over Stanford. And for one half against top-ranked Arizona, he was a perfect 7-of-7 from the field. Mitch McGary, a preseason All-American, is out indefinitely, electing for back surgery earlier this week, meaning the Wolverines will be looking for more from Robinson to go along with leading scoring Nik Stauskas. In four games since scoring just eight points in an ugly offensive performance against Duke, Robinson is averaging 19.3 points per game as the Wolverines are heading into Big Ten play.
  • Why it won’t happen: Going back to two weeks ago when Michigan lost to Arizona at home, Robinson posted only four points in the second half – two of which came when Kaleb Tarczewski was holding his ankle on the other end of the floor. Earlier in the season he was clearly struggling without last season’s player of the year Trey Burke. Those struggles could continue into conference play, especially with Michigan balancing the point guard play between Derrick Walton and Spike Albrecht.

WHAT DOES MICHIGAN SWEAR THEY WILL DO LESS OF? Miss on opportunities to land marquee wins


  • Why it will happen: The Wolverines entered a top-10 team, but without a healthy McGary, they have missed out on opportunities to defeat Iowa State in Ames, Duke in Cameron and Arizona at home. Heading into conference play -- again without McGary -- Michigan will have ample opportunities to land a win over a ranked opponent. The Wolverines will have four conference games -- Minnesota, Northwestern, Nebraska and Penn State -- to prepare before traveling to Wisconsin, the first of three games against ranked opponents (two of them on the road). Michigan could potentially play four more games against Top 25 teams in February.
  • Why it won’t happen: Michigan has struggled without Burke, and now are without the inside presence of McGary. Michigan may have multiple chances to pick up quality wins, but those games could easily end with more tallies in the loss column leaving little room for error.

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