The University of Michigan men’s basketball team played one (exhibition) game this past week, and they won it. On Friday (11/03/2023), they beat Northwood 92-45 in Crisler Arena. Since it was only an exhibition, Michigan’s record is still 0-0.
What Happened?
The game itself was pretty much what you’d expect from a matchup between a Big Ten team and a bad Division II team. Michigan opened a quick 17-4 lead, and slowly built on it throughout the 1st half. The lead got as high as 33 points (54-21) with 0:50 to go, and was 31 points (54-23) at halftime.
The 2nd half was more of the same. Michigan started the 2nd half on fire, with a 21-2 run to make it 75-25 at the 13:51 mark. They got the lead as high as 55 points (82-27) with 11:49 to go, and kept it around 50 points for the rest of the game. Coach Martelli (filling in for Coach Howard, who is recovering from heart surgery) emptied the bench with 7:36 left in the game, and Michigan leading by 51 points (87-36). That slowed down the UM offense enough to finish the game with only 5 more points, against 9 points for Northwood.
Stats
The game stats were predictably good. Michigan shot well overall (36-for-68 = 52.9%), they shot 3-pointers well (12-for-27 = 44.4%), and they shot free throws decently (8-for-11 = 72.7%). They won the rebounding battle (49-38) and the turnover battle (10-13). They won this game with good shooting and rebounding.
Who Started?
The starters were Nimari Burnett, Dug McDaniel, Olivier Nkamhoua, Tarris Reed, Jr., and Terrance Williams II.
Who Looked Good?
McDaniel was the leading scorer among the starters, with 16 points in 20 minutes. He shot pretty well (6-for-9 overall, 3-for-5 from deep), and he ran the offense just fine.
Tray Jackson was the star of the game, with 20 points off the bench. He shot well (8-for-10 overall, 3-for-4 from deep), and he didn’t have any turnovers. If he can keep that up, he’ll be starting soon.
Reed did a great job out there. He scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds (5 offensive), for a nice double-double. He shot very well (5-for-6), and he did it all in only 11 minutes.
Nkamhoua was the only other starter in double figures, with 11 points. He played center for most of the 2nd half (until the Scout Team went in), and he did very well. He had 8 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. He also had 6 assists. He shot well (5-for-7), including 1-for-3 from deep.
Burnett almost hit double figures, with 9 points on very good shooting: 3-for-4 overall, 3-for-3 from deep. He also had 6 assists.
Williams had a decent game, with 7 points and 5 rebounds. He shot fairly well (3-for-6 overall, 0-for-2 from deep), and he didn’t have any turnovers.
Who Looked Not-So-Good?
Will Tschetter played for 22 minutes and scored 7 points. He shot pretty poorly (2-for-9 overall, 1-for-3 from deep), but he was the leading rebounder, with 13 boards.
George Washington III played a lot (25 minutes), shot a lot (12 shots), but didn’t score a lot (7 points). He shot 3-for-12 overall, 1-for-3 from deep. He’s a freshman, and he’s a good shooter, so he’ll have plenty of better games.
Who Else Played?
Ian Burns played for 5 minutes, and failed to score, going 0-for-2, both 3-pointers. He’s on the Scout Team, so this isn’t unusual.
Harrison Hochberg was the only player from the Scout Team who scored. He played for 5 minutes, and made his only shot, for 2 points.
Cooper Smith played for 8 minutes, and failed to score, going 0-for-2, both 3-pointers. He’s on the Scout Team, so this isn’t unusual.
Jackson Selvala played for 8 minutes, and didn’t attempt a shot. He’s on the Scout Team, so this isn’t unusual.
Who Didn’t Play?
Everyone who wasn’t injured played at least 5 minutes. The injured players are: Jace Howard, Youssef Khayat, and Jaelin Llewellyn.
What Does It Mean?
What can we learn from an exhibition game against an overmatched opponent? Not much. It was nice to see the new players in an actual game, even if it was just an exhibition. Michigan got to try some unusual lineup combinations, but we won’t see those in “real” games.
What’s Next?
This week, Michigan plays two games. On Tuesday (11/07/2023, 8:30 p.m., BTN) they play UNC-Asheville, then on Friday (11/10/2023, 6:30 p.m., BTN) they play Youngstown State. Both games are in Crisler Arena.
UNC-Asheville was 27-8 last season, 16-2 in the Big South. They didn’t have any impressive wins, but they won the Big South conference tournament, which got them into the NCAA Tournament. They lost in the 1st round to UCLA. They don’t have any superstar players on their roster, and they don’t have much height: one 6’11” player. This should be a decent test for Michigan, but one they can pass only if they stay focused.
Youngstown State was 24-10 last season, 15-5 in the Horizon League. They didn’t have any impressive wins, and they lost in the 2nd round of their conference tournament, so they played in the NIT. They lost in the 1st round of the NIT. They don’t have any noteworthy players on their roster, but they do have some height: a 7-footer and a 7’3” player. This is a game that Michigan should win, but with a couple 7-footers, YSU could make it interesting.
Check back next week to find out what happened and why.
Go Blue!
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- Nothing But ‘Net – Week #04 – 11/20/2023 – Back To Earth - November 20, 2023
- Nothing But ‘Net – Week #03 – 11/13/2023 – Non-Conference Non-Cupcakes - November 13, 2023
- Nothing But ‘Net – Week #02 – 11/06/2023 – An Easy Exhibition Game - November 6, 2023
- Nothing But ‘Net – Week #01 – 10/30/2023 – Basketball Is Back - October 30, 2023
- 2023 University of Michigan Football Season Predictions - August 6, 2023
- Nothing But ‘Net – Week #22 – 03/27/2023 – Season Wrap-up, Final Grades, And Looking Ahead - March 27, 2023
- Nothing But ‘Net – Week #21 – 03/20/2023 – A Sad End To A Sad Season - March 20, 2023
- Nothing But ‘Net – Week #20 – 03/13/2023 – Pop! - March 13, 2023
