Following back-to-back wins to conclude nonconference play, Michigan men’s basketball returned to Big Ten action with a West Coast trip to USC on Saturday night. In a back and forth affair, the Wolverines outlasted the Trojans in an 85-74 victory to improve to 11-3 overall and a perfect 3-0 in conference play.

Here are three takeaways from Michigan’s third consecutive victory:

Another night, another spectacular performance from Danny Wolf. The Wolverine forward led all scorers with a season-high 21 points on an uber-efficient 9-of-12 shooting, including 2-of-3 from deep. As per usual, Wolf contributed in several other areas as well with 13 rebounds, seven assists, six blocks and two steals. Just a remarkable stat line for the 7-footer.

It’s hard to overstate the impact that Wolf’s transfer from Yale has made on Michigan’s outlook this season. The Wolverines look like a team that can compete for a Big Ten championship, and Wolf is a major reason why.

Michigan had five scorers in double-figures, with Tre Donaldson and Nimari Burnett both scoring 16, Roddy Gayle Jr. adding 12 and Vlad Goldin contributing 11 points.

After shooting better than 50% from 3-point range in wins over Purdue-Fort Wayne and Western Kentucky, the Wolverines came out red hot at the start of this one. Michigan hit each of its first five attempts, all of which were 3-pointers, to begin the game. That was a preview of what the first half would be for the Maize and Blue, who shot 10-for-16 from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes.

Michigan was a little over-reliant on the deep ball in the first half, as they had only three 2-point field goals in the frame. However, it was hard to argue with the result.

In the second half, the Wolverines put a stronger emphasis on getting the ball inside, but went cold from long range as well. Michigan scored a whopping 32 points in the paint after the break, but went 0-for-8 from 3-point range.

The Wolverines have been feast or famine from outside throughout this season, and this game was a microcosm of that for the Maize and Blue. While you’d like to see more consistency with the shooting, it’s encouraging that this team has multiple ways of attacking opposing defenses and win games.

If there was any lingering doubt of Vlad Goldin’s importance to this team, it was erased during a long second-half stretch in which the 7-footer was sidelined with foul trouble. The Wolverines went on a 13-0 surge early in the second half, fueled by the frontcourt duo of Goldin and Danny Wolf, but momentum shifted in a big way towards the Trojans once Goldin left with his fourth foul with 10:42 left in the game.

USC went on a run and took the lead over the next five minutes, before Michigan settled in with the absence of their big man. Goldin returned in the final four minutes, and helped the Wolverines put away the Trojans for good.

When Goldin isn’t in the game, Michigan has to over-rely on perimeter scoring. While Wolf gives the Wolverines some presence on the inside, he’s mostly an outside player who can make his way to the basket off the dribble. Goldin in Michigan’s lone post-up threat, and his value was on full display in this game.

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