Michigan
Ohio State rallies, but Michigan holds on to extend Buckeyes’ losing streak
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – It was fair to question which team needed Monday’s game more. Michigan, which had lost five straight in a season that has looked increasingly lost, or Ohio State, losers of two straight and teetering on the verge of reverting to last year’s lost season.
Both sides have compelling arguments, but just one has a potentially season-altering win now in its pocket. And given where the game was played, and what the Buckeyes have done for the last year, that would be the Wolverines who turned their rival’s misery into their joy – at least for one day.
Inside a roughly half full Crisler Center, Ohio State (12-5, 2-4 Big Ten) rallied late, held a lead with four minutes to play but again came up short, 73-65, to a Michigan (7-10, 2-4) team that had not won since Dec. 16.
The Buckeyes have now lost three straight, their seventh losing streak of at least that many games during coach Chris Holtmann’s tenure. They have now lost 12 straight road games dating back to a New Year’s Day win at Northwestern last season. Most critically, they might have lost their grip on a season that entered 2024 with promise.
Down nine points at halftime, Ohio State traded buckets for the first half of the second half and trailed by a game-high 12 points with about 12 minutes to play against a Michigan team that held halftime leads in each of its last two losses. The Buckeyes, seemingly dead in the water, put together a game-changing, 16-0 run that pushed them to a 59-55 lead with 7:21 to play.
But when Dale Bonner missed at the rim and Olivia Nkamhoua hit a jumper to cut the deficit to two, Michigan started to land its counterpunch. Nimari Burnett buried a deep 3-pointer from the left wing to reclaim the lead, setting the stage for a tense final five minutes.
Terrance Williams III put the Wolverines ahead for good with 3:37 to play with a 3-pointer from straight-on that hit every part of the rim and part of the backboard before falling through. It gave Michigan a 63-61 lead and was the start of a 7-0 Michigan run that was too much for the Buckeyes to overcome.
Ohio State went 3 for 24 (12.5%) from 3 in the loss. Michigan was 12 for 23 (52.2%).
After rolling ankles in practice during the week, Ohio State’s Roddy Gayle Jr. and Scotty Middleton were both listed as questionable on the pregame availability report but both played.
Trailing by a game-high 10 points with five minutes left in the first half, Ohio State cut it to 32-28 on a three-point play from Devin Royal off an offensive putback off of a Taison Chatman 3-point miss. And when McDaniel missed on a drive, the Buckeyes had a chance to pull even closer. Instead, Middleton missed a 3-pointer and Michigan capitalized when Tarris Reed backed down Royal and scored in the paint to push it back to a six-point lead.
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Middleton again missed from the left corner, this one an airball that went long, and Ohio State fouled twice in the final six seconds to try and disrupt Michigan’s defensive plans. It didn’t matter: McDaniel took an inbounds pass from the right sideline in the backcourt and swished a straight-on 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded.
It was five points in 48 seconds for the Wolverines, who took a 37-28 lead into the break. After shooting 32.3% from 3-pont range in Big Ten play entering the game, Michigan hit 7 of their 11 first-half attempts as four different players made at least one. Ohio State, which had been shooting 39.3% from 3 against conference foes, made just 1 of its 14 attempts at the break.
That lone make was from Thornton, who had five attempts and tied for the team-lead with seven first-half points. Royal, who had not scored in Big Ten play entering the game, also had seven at the break.
ajardy@dispatch.com
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Michigan
Michigan Football S Jordan Young enters transfer portal
Announced on Tuesday evening, Michigan true freshman safety Jordan Young has entered the transfer portal.
A former four-star prospect from Monroe, North Carolina, Young flipped his commitment at the last moment from Clemson to Michigan in the 2025 class. He played in nine games this season for the Wolverines and had 15 tackles and three pass breakups, with all three pass breakups coming in the final four games of the season.
We wish Young the very best at his next college football program.
Michigan
Tom Izzo angry at former Michigan State star for courtside ejection
EAST LANSING – Michigan State was rolling to a win against USC when there was a stoppage in play with six minutes remaining in the second half on Monday night.
It had nothing to do with what was happening on the court at the Breslin Center.
Referee Jeffrey Anderson blew his whistle to eject a fan sitting a few rows off the floor. The individual booted happened to be Paul Davis, who starred at center for the Spartans from 2002-06.
“He kind of got after the official and he was 150 percent wrong,” Izzo said of Davis after the No. 12 Spartans (13-2, 3-1 Big Ten) won 80-51 against the Trojans on Monday, “and for a guy like me to 150 percent agree with the official, it’s almost illegal.”
Michigan State fans were upset about a foul call on the other end of the floor when Davis stood up and said something Anderson immediately objected to. That led to a hook.
Despite being tossed, Davis attempted to stay in his seat while taking a drink from an alcoholic beverage container. Anderson didn’t let it slide and provided an explanation to Izzo, who was less than thrilled and yelled across the court questioning what his former player was doing.
Davis finally stood up after being told to leave by associate athletic director Seth Kesler but took his time and brushed two hands against his chest. That prompted Izzo to scream, appearing to tell his former center to “get outta here.” Davis was walked up the stairs and watched the rest of the game from a concourse box.
“I love Paul Davis, I really do, he’s one of my favorite guys … but what he said he should never say anywhere in the world and that ticked me off,” Izzo said. “Just because it’s 25, 20 years later, I’m going to have to call him tomorrow and tell him what I thought of it. You know what he’ll say, ‘I screwed up, coach, I’m sorry.’”
Izzo claimed he was told what Davis said was nothing racial or sexual in nature but it was obviously enough to get the boot.
“It was just the wrong thing to say,” Izzo said, “and I’ll leave it at that.”
Davis ranks 10th on Michigan State’s career scoring list with 1,718 points, was a second-round NBA pick by the Clippers and spent four years in the league. Izzo praised the work Davis does with current players but the Hall of Fame coach in his 31st season leading the Spartans has never been ejected from a game.
“He made a mistake but he’s been really good with our players too,” Izzo said of Davis. “In the summer he comes up and helps work a guy out or he’s just around. Jud Heathcote used to always tell me sooner or later the game makes fools of us all. Once in a while, the game makes fools of our fans and definitely it’s made a fool of me more than a couple times.”
Michigan
Former Michigan star RB promoted to Eastern Michigan assistant head coach
Former Michigan running back and assistant coach Mike Hart is getting a promotion on Chris Creighton’s staff at Eastern Michigan.
The school announced Monday that Hart is being elevated to assistant head coach and will oversee the receivers in 2026. Michigan’s all-time leading rusher spent last season as an offensive analyst for the Eagles.
“Coach Hart is a winner,” Creighton said in a news release. “He has the ‘It’ factor. He selflessly helped us this year as an offensive analyst and made a positive impact. We know that he will be a major addition as assistant head coach and wide receivers coach.”
Hart has 14 years of college coaching experience, including a three-year stint as Michigan’s running backs coach from 2021-23. He served as interim head coach for one game during the Wolverines’ 2023 national championship season when Jim Harbaugh was suspended.
Under Hart, Michigan’s running backs thrived. Blake Corum rushed for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons and was a third-round pick by the Rams in 2024. The Wolverines won the Big Ten all three years Hart was on staff, but they did not renew his contract after the 2023 campaign.
The 39-year-old began his coaching career at EMU in 2011 and also has had stints at Western Michigan (2014-15), Syracuse (2016) and Indiana (2017-2020).
As a player at Michigan, Hart was a two-time Doak Walker Award finalist and finished fifth in the 2006 Heisman Trophy voting. Last season, EMU finished 4-8 but was No. 2 in the Mid-American Conference in passing yards per game.
“I am excited to be a part of Eastern Michigan football,” Hart said in a release. “Coach Creighton is one of the best leaders of men I have ever been around, and I look forward to learning and being a part of his program. EMU football and the Ypsilanti community have always held a special place in my heart, and I am excited to help the team reach our goals for the 2026 season.”
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