INDIANAPOLIS – Freshman point guard Frankie Collins was pushed Michigan basketballstarter for the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and he responded by saving his team from an early exit.
READ: Michigan erases 15-point deficit to beat Colorado State in first round of NCAA Tournament
The No. 11 seed Wolverines were forced to play without starting point guard DeVante’ Jones on Thursday against No. 6 seed Colorado State due to injury. Jones, who averaged 10.7 points, 4.6 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game this season, has been the team’s second-best player since February.
For the first 15 minutes of the game, it didn’t look like Michigan would be able to overcome its absence.
As the first half game clock ticked down to less than five minutes, the Wolverines trailed the Rams by 15 points. Michigan had managed just 13 total points in the first 15 minutes, and Colorado State was on a 10-0 run.
Considering the last time we saw the Wolverines blow a 17-point second-half lead against Indiana in the Big Ten tournament, we felt like the game was almost over.
That’s when Michigan’s unlikely hero stepped in.
Collins made a layup to stop Colorado State’s run and converted the free throw and one to cut the lead to 12. Moments later, he stole the ball from Rams star David Roddy and kicked a quick dunk.
This is how a 15-point deficit became 10, which is much more manageable. Collins scored once again before the break and helped Michigan head into the locker room with just seven points.
It made all the difference in the world.
Michigan was a completely different team in the final 20 minutes, outscoring Colorado State 46-27. Seven of those second-half points came from Collins, who also made the team’s first three-pointer 23 minutes into the game.
It was a big deal, answering a Kendle Moore triple that briefly extended Colorado State’s lead to six points.
That shot knocked the lid off the basket for Michigan, as Caleb Houstan hit three triples in four minutes shortly after.
By the time the final buzzer sounded, Michigan left the field with a comfortable 12-point victory.
Collins finished with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting. He grabbed six defensive rebounds and dished out two assists in the biggest game of his young career.
The NCAA Tournament has long been a stage for unknown players to become legends, and that was certainly the case for Michigan’s generously listed 6-foot-1 freshman.
Collins had only played double-digit minutes in a game since January 29. His previous career high in points was eight; his most made field goals were only three.
Collins is a 13 percent three-point shooter and a 45 percent free-throw shooter, but he made the team’s first triple and knocked down his only attempt from the score.
He averages 2.5 points per game on 39.7% shooting, but on the brightest stage he lost 14 in a game won by 12.
The Wolverines face a much tougher test Saturday, likely against No. 3 seed Tennessee. It’s possible that Jones will be back, but if not, Collins will have an opportunity to build on this performance.
Juwan Howard envisioned Collins as the future quarterback of his offense, but that transition might happen a little sooner than expected.
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