Category: Basketball

Greetings from frigid Madison, Wisconsin. We’re visiting our son here for Thanksgiving, and we’re staying a couple extra days to go to the Michigan at Wisconsin basketball game on Tuesday night.

The University of Michigan men’s basketball team played two games this past week, and they won both of them.  On Monday (11/25/2024), they beat Virginia Tech 75-63, then on Wednesday (11/27/2024), they beat (#22) Xavier 78-53.  Both games were in Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Florida as part of the Fort Myers Tip-Off tournament.  Michigan’s record is now 6-1.

What Happened?

Michigan won the Fort Myers Tip-Off tournament championship, and they did it convincingly against a couple pretty good teams.  When I wrote my article last week, Xavier wasn’t ranked, but this week they are: #22.  So, Michigan beat a decent Virginia Tech team on Monday, then beat a pretty good ranked Xavier team on Wednesday.  These are two important wins, both for Michigan’s post-season tournament resume and for Michigan’s confidence.

Game Flow

The VT game was exciting and tense the whole way.  VT led for most of the 1^st half, and a good chunk of the 2^nd half.  Michigan kept close, but they had trouble “getting over the hump”.  Fortunately, they pulled ahead in the 2^nd half, and managed to hold the lead until the final buzzer.

Michigan had an early 5-2 lead at the 17:46 mark, then they went cold.  They let VT go on a long 10-0 run, and it was 12-5 with 13:01 to go.  UM finally scored again at the 12:53 mark to pull within 4 points (12-8), but VT promptly pushed the lead to 8 points (16-8) with 12:16 left, then 11 points (21-10) at the 10:13 mark.  The game was getting away from Michigan, but they didn’t panic.  They steadily ate away at the deficit, and got back within 4 points (21-17) with 8:46 to go in the half.  VT kept the lead in the 4-6 point range for a while, but Michigan kept clawing their way back, and finally took the lead, 29-28, with 3:55 left.  The two teams traded baskets the rest of the half, and Michigan led 34-33 at halftime.

The 2^nd half didn’t start well for Michigan.  They immediately let VT go back on top (37-34) at the 19:13 mark.  VT kept the lead in the 1-3 point range for a while, but Michigan finally tied it back up (46-46) with 14:53 to go.  VT led for a little bit more, then UM went ahead for good (50-49) with 13:15 left.  Once Michigan pushed the lead up to the 8-10 point range, they never let VT get any closer than 8 points the rest of the way, winning by 12 points.

The Xavier game started out close, before Michigan pulled away.  Michigan took an early lead (10-4) at the 16:39 mark, but Xavier went on an 8-0 run to lead 12-10 with 15:22 to go.  That was their only lead of the game.  Michigan went back in front (13-12) just 13 seconds later, which started an 21-6 run that put Michigan ahead comfortably (31-18) with 6:33 left in the half.  The teams traded baskets for the rest of the half, with Michigan leading 41-30 at halftime.

The 2^nd half was all Michigan.  Xavier got within 8 points a couple times, but Michigan always pushed the lead back into the 10-12 point range.  At the 6:04 mark, Michigan pushed the lead up to 13 points (64-51), and that’s when the game got away from Xavier.  Over the last 9:13 of the game, Xavier made one field goal and two free throws, while Michigan scored 20 points.  It was a dominant performance by Michigan.

Stats

The stats for the VT game were just so-so.  Michigan shot decently overall (25-for-62 = 40.3%), they shot 3-pointers poorly (10-for-34 = 29.4%), and they shot free throws decently (15-for-20 = 75.0%).  They lost the rebounding battle (41-38), but they won the turnover battle (15-19).  They won this game with good defense and a slightly improved turnover margin.

The stats for the Xavier game were pretty good.  Michigan shot well overall (30-for-61 = 49.2%), they shot 3-pointers very well (11-for-22 = 50.0%), but they shot free throws poorly (7-for-14 = 50.0%).  They lost the rebounding battle (38-36), but they won the turnover battle (10-19).  They won this game with great 3-point shooting and greatly improved turnover margin.  It’s very encouraging to see Michigan’s turnovers trending downward.

Who Started?

The starters for both games were Nimari Burnett, Tre Donaldson, Roddy Gayle Jr., Vladislav Goldin, and Danny Wolf.

Who Looked Good?

No one for Michigan had two games in double figures, but 4 of the 5 starters hit double figures in one game.

Gayle was the leading scorer for Michigan in the VT game (20 points), but he only had 6 points vs. Xavier.

Wolf was the hero of the Xavier game, with 20 points and 14 rebounds.  He shot very well in the Xavier game (8-for-12 overall, 4-for-5 from deep).  Many of those 3-pointers came at a crucial time when Xavier was starting to creep back into the game.  He had a mediocre game vs. VT, with 4 points.

Donaldson hit double figures (13) vs. Xavier, and 9 points vs. VT.

Goldin had a great game vs. Xavier (18 points, including his first career 3-pointer), and a decent game vs. VT (8 points).  He must have listened to me, because he thought “dunk” instead of “layup” several times in both games.

Burnett almost hit double figures in the VT game (9 points), but he only had 5 points vs. Xavier.

Will Tschetter was the only bench player to hit double figures, with 10 points vs. VT.  He only had 4 points vs. Xavier.

L.J. Cason almost hit double figures in both games, with 7 and 8 points.

Rubin Jones almost hit double figures in the VT game (8 points), but he only had 2 points vs. Xavier.

Who Looked Not-So-Good?

Phat Phat Brooks played in both games, but didn’t attempt a shot.

Justin Pippen played in both games, and missed his only shot attempt, in the VT game.

Sam Walters played in both games, and scored 2 points on free throws in the Xavier game.  Otherwise, he had a terrible week shooting: 0-for-3 (all 3-point attempts) in the VT game, and

0-for-3 overall, 0-for-2 from deep vs. Xavier.

Who Else Played?

No one else played in either game.

Who Didn’t Play?

The Scout team didn’t get in either game: Ian Burns, Howard Eisley Jr., Harrison Hochberg, Jace Howard, and Charlie May.

What Does It Mean?

As I mentioned above, these were two important wins for Michigan, both for their post-season tournament resume and their confidence.  Bringing home some hardware is a big bonus.

What’s Next?

This week, Michigan plays two games, their first two Big Ten games of the season.  On Tuesday (12/03/2024, 9:00 p.m. EST, Peacock), they play at (#15) Wisconsin, then on Saturday (12/07/2024, 2:00 p.m., FS1), they play Iowa in Crisler Arena.

Wisconsin is currently 8-0, with an impressive win over (#9) Arizona.  They have a couple noteworthy players: John Tonje and Steven Crowl.  Tonje has won a couple Big Ten Player of the Week awards already this season, and Crowl is one of the better big men in the league.  Crowl is also a 7-footer, to go with another 7-footer and a 6’10” player, so Wisconsin has plenty of height.  This is going to be Michigan’s toughest test so far this season, and the Kohl Center is a tough place to pull off an upset.  I’ll be there in person cheering them on.

Iowa is currently 6-1, with no noteworthy wins.  They don’t have any noteworthy players, but they do have some height: a 6’10” guy and a 6’11” guy.  I don’t expect Michigan to beat Wisconsin on the road, so this is a crucial game.  Michigan doesn’t want to start the Big Ten season 0-2.  Michigan can beat Iowa, especially in Crisler, but they’ll need to play their “A” game.

Check back next week to find out what happened and why.

Go Blue!

The University of Michigan men’s basketball team played two games this past week, and they won both of them.  On Monday (11/18/2024), they beat Miami (OH) 94-67, then on Thursday (11/21/2024), they beat Tarleton State 72-49.  Both games were in Crisler Arena.  Michigan’s record is now 4-1.

What Happened?

A 3-game winning streak!  It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s the first 3-game winning streak for Michigan since the opening 3 games of last season.  Of course, since Michigan only won 8 games total last season, it’s not surprising that they never won more than 3 in a row.

In both games, Michigan had stretches where they were dominant, followed by stretches where they looked lost.  Fortunately, the dominant stretches were longer and more fruitful than the lost stretches were damaging.  Michigan won both games solidly, but not impressively. They’re still working on that team chemistry thing.

Game Flow

The Miami game was close in the early going.  Miami led 7-5 at the 17:07 mark, then Michigan tied it up (7-7) and went ahead 9-7 with 14:48 to go.  Michigan pushed the lead as high as 6 points a couple times, but Miami tied it up (20-20) with 8:48 left in the half.  Miami went ahead again, 22-20, at the 8:03 mark, then the lead went back and forth for the next few minutes.  Miami led for the last time (30-29) with 4:05 to go, then Michigan went on a 15-6 run to end the half, up 8 points (44-36).

Michigan started the 2^nd half strong, scoring the first 8 points to go up 52-36 at the 16:05 mark.  Michigan kept the lead in the 16-18 point range for a while, and finally pushed it up to 20 points (65-45) with 12:13 to go.  At this point, the game was firmly in hand, and Michigan continued to push their lead as high as 31 points, winning by 27 points.

The TSU game started out strong for Michigan, as they led 6-0 at the 18:05 mark and 11-3 with 16:13 to go, but they let TSU back in the game.  It was all tied up (11-11) with 12:29 left, then again (13-13) at the 11:19 mark.  Michigan started pulling away again, up 23-16 at the 8:27 mark, but TSU refused to go away.  They went ahead (24-23) with 6:54 left, but Michigan retook the lead moments later.  UM was only up by 1 point (29-28) at the 3:56 mark, when they went on a 11-2 run to end the half, up by 10 points (40-30).

In the 2^nd half, Michigan picked up right where they had left off.  They held TSU scoreless for the first 4+ minutes of the half, and went on a 10-0 run to push their lead to 20 points (50-30) with 16:21 to go.  Michigan never let TSU get any closer than 13 points the rest of the way, and won going away, 72-49.  It wasn’t quite the blowout that everyone predicted, but it was a comfortable win.

Stats

The stats for the Miami game were pretty good.  Michigan shot well overall (35-for-60 = 58.3%), they shot 3-pointers well (14-for-29 = 48.3%), and they shot free throws decently (10-for-15 = 66.7%).  They won the rebounding battle decisively (44-23), but they lost the turnover battle (18-13).  They won this game with good shooting and great rebounding, but turnovers were still a problem.

The stats for the TSU game were just OK.  Michigan shot decently overall (25-for-56 = 44.6%), they shot 3-pointers pretty poorly (6-for-22 = 27.3%), and they shot free throws decently (16-for-23 = 70.0%).  They won the rebounding battle (32-25), and they won the turnover battle by a wide margin (11-24).  They won this game with rebounding and improved turnover margin.

Who Started?

The starters for both games were Nimari Burnett, Tre Donaldson, Roddy Gayle Jr., Vladislav Goldin, and Danny Wolf.

Who Looked Good?

Gayle was the leading scorer for Michigan in the TSU game (16 points), and hit double figures in the Miami game (10 points).  He shot very well in both games: 4-for-6 overall, 2-for-3 from deep vs. Miami, and 6-for-7 overall, 1-for-1 from deep vs. TSU.

Donaldson hit double figures in both games, with 16 and 13 points.  He also had 4 and 5 assists.

Burnett was the leading scorer for Michigan in the Miami game (18 points), and almost hit double figures in the TSU game (9 points).  Once again, he did a great job hanging onto the ball, with 1 and 0 turnovers.

Goldin also had one game in double figures (12 points vs. TSU) and one game close to double figures (8 points vs. Miami).  Once again, several of his missed shots were close-in layups that could have been dunks.  He needs to think “dunk”, not “layup”.

Wolf had one decent game (9 points vs. Miami) and one weak game (6 points vs. TSU).  He shot decently vs. Miami (4-for-8 overall, 0-for-2 from deep), but he was way off vs. TSU (1-for-6 overall, 0-for-3 from deep).  He scored 4 of his 6 points vs. TSU from the free throw line.  He did have 9 and 6 rebounds.

Sam Walters also had one good game (13 points vs. TSU) and one weak game (5 points vs. Miami).

L.J. Cason had one good game (11 points vs. Miami) and one lousy game (1 point vs. TSU).

Will Tschetter had one decent game (9 points vs. Miami) and one lousy game (0 points vs. TSU).

Rubin Jones had one mediocre game (6 points vs. Miami) and one lousy game (0 points vs. TSU).

Who Looked Not-So-Good?

Phat Phat Brooks played in both games, scoring 2 points in the Miami game and 0 vs. TSU.

Justin Pippen played in both games, scoring 0 points in the Miami game and 2 vs. TSU.

Who Else Played?

Jace Howard played in both games, but didn’t attempt a shot in either.

Ian Burns played in the last minute of the Miami game, and missed his only shot attempt.

Harrison Hochberg played in the last minute of the Miami game, and didn’t take a shot.

Charlie May played in the last minute of the Miami game, and didn’t take a shot.

Who Didn’t Play?

Howard Eisley Jr. was the only member of the Scout Team who didn’t play this week.

What Does It Mean?

These were two “shouldn’t lose” games, and Michigan didn’t lose them.  They played well in spurts, but they still had the classic “disappearing offense” problems.  It was encouraging that they’ve been trending downward in the turnover department.  Regardless, it was important that Michigan took care of business and won both games by respectable margins.  These games won’t help their post-season tournament resume, but a loss to either Miami or TSU would have really hurt.

What’s Next?

This week, Michigan plays two games, in the Fort Myers Tip-Off tournament.  On Monday (11/25/2024, 6:00 p.m., FS1), they play Virginia Tech, then on Wednesday (11/27/2024, 6:00/8:30 p.m., FS1), they play either South Carolina or Xavier.  Both games are in Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Florida.

Virginia Tech is currently 3-2, with no impressive wins, and unimpressive losses to Penn State (by 22 points) and Jacksonville (by 10 points).  They don’t have any noteworthy players, but they do have a 7-footer.  This is a game that Michigan should win, but they have to play their “low mistake” game.

South Carolina is currently 3-2, with no noteworthy results.  They don’t have any noteworthy players, but they do have some height: a 6’10” player and a 7-footer.  This would be a tough matchup for Michigan, but it’s a team they can beat.

Xavier is currently 5-0, with an impressive win over Wake Forest (who beat Michigan), and no losses.  They don’t have any noteworthy players, but they do have some height: a 6’10” guy and a 6’11” guy.  They are a mild favorite in their game vs. South Carolina, and their win over Wake Forest looks pretty impressive.  They will probably be favored over Michigan if the two teams meet.  Michigan can beat them, but they will need to play very well.

Check back next week to find out what happened and why.

Go Blue!

The University of Michigan men’s basketball team played one game this past week, and they won it.  On Friday (11/15/2024), they beat TCU 76-64 in Crisler Arena.  Michigan’s record is now 2-1.

What Happened?

TCU is a good basketball team, and this was an important win.  TCU compares very favorably to Wake Forest, and if Michigan had played as well last week vs. Wake Forest as they did vs. TCU, they would have beaten WFU.  Oh well…

Game Flow

The TCU game was close throughout, although Michigan led almost the entire game.  UM kept their lead in the 6-8 point range most of the game, letting TCU take the lead once, and get within 2 points a few times.

Michigan started the game with a nice 7-0 run in the first 94 seconds, but TCU promptly answered it with their own 7-0 run to tie it up (7-7) at the 16:55 mark.  UM went ahead 9-7, then TCU tied it up again (9-9) with 14:55 to go.  TCU went ahead for the only time, 10-9, with 14:01 left.  Michigan reclaimed the lead, 11-10, at the 13:36 mark, and never trailed again.  They got ahead by 5-6 points a couple times, but TCU always got back within 1-2 points.  Michigan finally pushed the lead up to 9 points (34-25) at the 3:07 mark, but they let TCU close out the half on a 6-0 run to make it close, 34-31.  It was reminiscent of the last 2 minutes of the 1^st half of the Wake Forest game, when Michigan let WFU go on a 10-0 run to get close at halftime.

The 2^nd half was more of the same.  Michigan led the whole way, but they couldn’t pull away until the final minute.  TCU stayed within 8-10 points most of the way, with occasional runs to get within 4-6 points.  With 6:55 left in the game, TCU got within 2 points (60-58), but that was as close as they would get.  Michigan closed the game on a 16-6 run, to win by 12 points, 76-64.  It was very encouraging to see UM finish strong, after the weak showing down the stretch vs. Wake Forest.

Stats

The game stats were pretty good.  Michigan shot pretty well overall (26-for-52 = 50.0%), they shot 3-pointers pretty well (9-for-24 = 37.5%), but they didn’t shoot free throws very well (15-for-23 = 65.2%).  They won the rebounding battle handily (41-29), but they lost the turnover battle badly (21-12).  They won this game with good shooting and rebounding, but they kept it close with their turnovers.

Who Started?

The starters were Nimari Burnett, Tre Donaldson, Roddy Gayle Jr., Vladislav Goldin, and Danny Wolf.

Who Looked Good?

Burnett was the leading scorer for Michigan, with 16 points on great shooting: 6-for-7 overall, 3-for-4 from deep.  He was a steadying influence out there, with only 1 turnover.

Wolf had a monster game, with 14 points and 14 rebounds, for an impressive double-double.  His shooting was good-but-not-great: 6-for-11 overall, 1-for-4 from deep.  He also had 4 turnovers.  He played a little wild/out of control a few times, but he certainly provided a spark.        

Donaldson also had 14 points, on decent shooting: 5-for-9 overall, 2-for-5 from deep.  He ran the offense well.

Gayle almost hit double figures, with 8 points on mediocre shooting: 3-for-8 overall, 0-for-2 from deep.  He also had 4 turnovers.

Goldin also almost hit double figures, with 8 points on mediocre shooting: 2-for-5.  He also had 3 turnovers.  He needs to think “dunk” when he gets the ball down low, instead of “soft layup that misses too often”.

Sam Walters was the only other Michigan player in double figures, with 10 points on good shooting: 3-for-5 overall, 2-for-4 from deep.

Who Looked Not-So-Good?

Phat Phat Brooks played for 4 minutes, but didn’t attempt a shot.

L.J. Cason played for 5 minutes, but didn’t attempt a shot.  He did have 4 turnovers in those 4 minutes, which is not good.  After a couple impressive games earlier in the season, he seems to be in a slump.

Rubin Jones played 24 minutes, and only scored 2 points, on 2-for-2 free throw shooting.  Otherwise, he shot terribly: 0-for-3 overall, 0-for-2 from deep.

Will Tschetter had a weak game, scoring 4 points in 13 minutes.

Who Else Played?

Justin Pippen played for the first time this season, apparently recovered from his injury.  He played for 8 minutes, and missed his only shot attempt.  He looked poised and confident out there.

Who Didn’t Play?

None of the Scout Team players played: Ian Burns, Howard Eisley Jr., Harrison Hochberg, and Charlie May.

Jace Howard didn’t play.  Should he be considered part of the Scout Team this season?

What Does It Mean?

After the unimpressive game against Wake Forest, it was encouraging to see Michigan bounce back with a solid win against a good TCU team.  This is a nice entry on Michigan’s postseason tournament resume.  The only negative aspect was all the turnovers.  As I’ve said before, I understand that Coach May is teaching them to play fast and aggressive, and this can lead to some turnovers, but 21 turnovers is just too many.  He’s got to get them to dial it back a little, and slowly inch it up as they get more comfortable playing together.  Not all of the turnovers were from playing aggressively; TCU sprung a wicked half-court press on Michigan several times, and it forced a turnover about 40-50% of the time.  Michigan definitely needs to work on breaking the press, and it would be nice if they made their opponents pay for trying it with some easy baskets.  Something to work on.

What’s Next?

This week, Michigan plays two games.  On Monday (11/18/2024, 6:00 p.m., BTN), they play Miami (OH), then on Thursday (11/21/2024, 8:30 p.m., BTN), they play Tarleton State.  Both games are in Crisler Arena.

Miami (OH) is currently 2-1, but they haven’t played anyone good yet.  Last season, they were 15-17 (9-9 in the MAC).  They don’t have any noteworthy players, but they do have one tall player, a 7’1” center.  This game could be a lot like the Oakland (exhibition) or Cleveland State games, but only if Michigan plays well.  Note: This game is considered part of the Fort Myers Tip-Off tournament, as Michigan’s “On-Campus Match Up”.  Miami will also be playing in Fort Myers over the Thanksgiving week, but they’re in the “Palms Division” with Jacksonville State, Mercer, and Siena, while Michigan is in the “Beach Division” with South Carolina, Virginia Tech, and Xavier.

Tarleton State is currently 1-3, with lopsided losses to SMU (96-62), Sam Houston (91-62), and Florida State (72-52).  They don’t have any noteworthy players, and they don’t have any height (no one over 6’9”).  This is definitely a game that Michigan should win convincingly; anything less will be a huge red flag.

Check back next week to find out what happened and why.

Go Blue!

The University of Michigan men’s basketball team played two games this past week, and they won one and lost one.  On Monday (11/04/2024), they beat Cleveland State 101-53 in Crisler Arena, then on Sunday (11/10/2024), they lost to Wake Forest 72-70 in Greensboro, NC.  With the win and the loss, Michigan’s record is now 1-1.

What Happened?

Michigan looked great in dismantling an overmatched Cleveland State team, but they showed all their flaws in losing to Wake Forest.  They play fast and loose, which worked fine against CSU, but not so much vs. WFU.  When “fast and loose” works, it’s fun and impressive.  When it means “too many turnovers at key moments”, it’s not so much fun.  Is the Dusty May honeymoon over?  Maybe.  We’ll see.  If they continue to play like they did for the last 21 minutes of the WFU game, it’s going to be a long season.

Game Flow

Michigan never trailed in the CSU game, although it was tied briefly at 2-2.  Once they got a 10-point lead (17-7 at the 13:38 mark), they kept it around 10 points for the next 4 minutes.  With 8:52 left in the 1^st half, Michigan was still up by 10 points (29-19).  They finally pushed it over 10 points (30-19 with 8:53 left), then quickly got it up to 20 points (41-21 at the 4:06 mark).  They pushed it as high as 28 points (54-26) at halftime.

The 2^nd half was more of the same.  Michigan kept building their lead, first to 30, then 40, then 50, winning by 48.  It was a fun, impressive win.

The WFU game started out like the CSU game.  Michigan never trailed in the 1^st half, slowly opening up a nice lead.  They were up 16-6 at the 12:19 mark, then 23-10 with 9:48 to go.  They let WFU creep close, within 4 points (25-21 at the 4:48 mark), then pushed the lead back up to 11 points (35-24) with 1:51 to go.  This was the high point of the game; from here on in it was all downhill.  In the next 1:50, WFU went on a 10-0 run, to pull within 1 point (35-34) with 1 second left.  This run was greatly aided by a missed shot by UM, a foul on UM, and 2 UM turnovers.  The only good news is that Michigan managed to get off a half-court shot at the buzzer, and it went in!  Michigan led by 4 points (38-34) at halftime.

The 2^nd half was miserable.  Michigan managed to hang onto their lead until the 16:41 mark, when WFU tied it up, 41-41.   WFU went ahead for the first time, 44-43, with 15:56 left.  For the next 6 minutes, the lead seesawed back and forth.  With 11:20 to go, Michigan had their last good lead, 55-51, but WFU tied it up 57-57 at the 10:04 mark, then went up 59-57 at the 8:51 mark, and that was the game.  WFU never trailed again.  Michigan got within 2 points several times, and even within 1 point late in the game, but they never got the big stop or made the big basket when they needed it.  It was a sad performance.

Stats

The stats for the CSU game were pretty good.  Michigan shot very well overall (39-for-57 = 68.4%), they shot 3-pointers well (10-for-18 = 55.6%), but they didn’t shoot free throws very well (13-for-22 = 59.1%).  They won the rebounding battle (35-34) and the turnover battle (16-21).  They won this game with good shooting.

The stats for the WFU game were just OK.  Michigan shot fairly well overall (24-for-57 = 42.1%), they shot 3-pointers decently (10-for-33 = 30.3%), and they shot free throws pretty well (12-for-15 = 80.0%).  They tied in the rebounding battle (33-33), but they lost the turnover battle (16-13).  In a close game, those 3 extra turnovers made the difference.

Who Started?

The starters for both games were Nimari Burnett, Tre Donaldson, Roddy Gayle Jr., Vladislav Goldin, and Danny Wolf.  Rubin Jones had started in both exhibition games instead of Burnett, but he was injured and didn’t play at all in the CSU game, and came off the bench in the WFU game.

Who Looked Good?

Gayle was the leading scorer in the WFU game (11 points), and he had 13 points in the CSU game.  He shot pretty well in the CSU game (6-for-8 overall, 1-for-2 from deep), but he shot pretty poorly vs. WFU (3-for-10 overall, 1-for-5 from deep).

Donaldson was the only other starter in double figures for both games, with 16 points vs. CSU and 10 points vs. WFU.  He shot very well in the CSU game (4-for-4 overall, 2-for-2 from deep, 6-for-6 from the free throw line), and he shot fairly well in the WFU game (3-for-7 overall, 2-for-4 from deep).  He’s the player who hit the half-court buzzer-beater to end the 1^st half vs. WFU.

Wolf was the star of the CSU game (19 points), but he was just so-so vs. WFU (4 points).  He shot very well vs. CSU (8-for-10 overall, 1-for-1 from deep), but he just couldn’t get anything going vs. WFU (2-for-6 overall, 0-for-3 from deep).  He was the leading rebounder vs. CSU, with 13, for a very solid double-double.

L.J. Cason hit double figures in both games off the bench.  He had 14 points vs. CSU, and 10 points vs. WFU.  He shot pretty well in the CSU game (5-for-9 overall, 2-for-3 from deep), but he was off vs. WFU (4-for-10 overall, 0-for-5 from deep).

Sam Walters hit double figures in the CSU game (10 points), and got close in the WFU game (9 points).  He shot well in both games: 3-for-4 overall, 2-for-3 from deep vs. CSU, and 3-for-5 (all 3-pointers) vs. WFU.

Burnett had one pretty good game (9 points vs. WFU) and one mediocre game (4 points vs. CSU).

Goldin also had one decent game (8 points vs. WFU) and one weak game (2 points vs. CSU).

Will Tschetter had one very good game (15 points vs. CSU) and one miserable game (0 points vs. WFU).

Jones only played in one game (WFU), and had 9 points.

Who Looked Not-So-Good?

Phat Phat Brooks played in both games, scoring 4 points vs. CSU and 0 points vs. WFU.

Who Else Played?

Ian Burns played for 3 minutes in the CSU game, but didn’t attempt a shot.

Howard Eisley Jr. played for 3 minutes in the CSU game, and missed his only shot attempt.

Harrison Hochberg played for 3 minutes in the CSU game, and scored 4 points.

Jace Howard played for 4 minutes in the CSU game, and missed all 3 of his free throw attempts.

Charlie May played for 3 minutes in the CSU game, and missed his only free throw attempt.

Who Didn’t Play?

There is now only one injured player who didn’t play in either game: Justin Pippen.

What Does It Mean?

As promising as the opener vs. CSU was, the 2^nd half of the WFU game wiped those memories away.  Even with an almost completely new lineup and all new coaching staff, the 2^nd half collapse looked a lot like many of the games last season: good for a while, then hopeless down the stretch.  I was really hoping that this season’s team could “get over the hump” and make the big stop or hit the big shot in the last 4 minutes, but no.

Of course, it’s way too early to be thinking about postseason tournaments, but I still am.  A win over Wake Forest on a neutral court would have been a nice entry on Michigan’s tournament resume.  Instead, it will be just another “almost win” that we’ve become so used to.

What’s Next?

This week, Michigan only plays one game.  On Friday (11/15/2024, 6:00 p.m., FS1), they play Texas Christian University (TCU) in Crisler Arena.

TCU is currently 2-0, but they haven’t played anyone good yet.  Last season, they were 21-13 (9-9 in the Big 12), losing in the 1^st round of the NCAA Tournament.  They had some good wins last season, and a couple bad losses, but this is a new team.  They have one noteworthy player: Frankie Collins.  He played his freshman season at Michigan, and he did very well.  He was thought to be “the point guard of the future” at Michigan, and everyone was surprised when he left.  He spent the last 2 seasons at Arizona State, and now he’s at TCU.  Besides Collins, TCU doesn’t have any other noteworthy players, but they do have some height: a 6’10” guy and a 6’11” guy.  This will be a tough game, a lot like the Wake Forest game.  Michigan will have to play well to win this one.

Check back next week to find out what happened and why.

Go Blue!