Michigan basketball: Jalen Rose explains why Wolverines are top team in the nation

The Michigan Wolverines are continuing to dominate this college basketball season, and former alum Jalen Rose thinks they’re number one.

The No. 3 Michigan Wolverines snagged their sixth win in a row on Thursday when they took down the No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes 79-57.cThe Wolverines outscored the Hawkeyes 47-28 for their third straight win vs. ranked opponents since returning from a 23-day COVID-19 related protocol pause.

Head coach Juwan Howard’s team is now 17-1 overall with their only loss coming against Minnesota last month. Although Gonzaga and Baylor, who are ranked above Michigan, are both undefeated, Howard’s former Fab Five teammate Jalen Rose thinks Michigan is the best team in the country.

On Friday’s edition of ESPN’s Get Up!, Rose discussed why he thinks the Wolverines are better than Gonzaga and Baylor and why they can win it all this year.

Rose attributes much of the Wolverines’ success this season to his former teammate. He feels that a lot of teams in the country stack up differently when their best players aren’t available, which seems obvious, but coaching can definitely make a difference.

“There are some terrific coaches across the country in collegiate basketball but their teams look a lot different when they don’t have the best players. Just think about what I just said. What Juwan Howard has done — first off, a couple of transfers. You have (Mike) Smith at the point, you have Brown on the wing. They bring distinct roles. One leads the Big Ten in assists and the other is a lock-down defender that can make 3-point shots. We have Livers, who is a senior and understands what it takes, along with Eli Brooks. You have a wildcard in (Franz) Wagner, who’s going to be a pro that’s a slasher. And you show (Hunter) Dickinson playing against Garza, making him shoot over his size.

Jalen Rose thinks that Michigan is the team to beat in NCAA basketball

Rose also says that Michigan’s ability to switch their style of play makes them a tough matchup for anyone.

“If you want to shoot the three, Michigan can shoot the three. If you want to slow down and play half-court, they can throw it inside. Based on that balance, that’s what you’re going to need in order to advance in the NCAA Tournament,” stated Rose. I love Gonzaga. I love Baylor. And Ohio State is really good. There are some terrific teams that will be in the tournament and there are some terrific teams in collegiate basketball. Michigan basketball has shown they have the capability to win it all this year.”

Howard’s team does seem to have all it needs for a late tournament push — size, athleticism, leadership and defense. The madness is only a few weeks away.

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