Elliot Cadeau sparks Michigan’s dominant first half in rout of Villanova

The No. 2 Michigan men’s basketball team plays better when its junior guard Elliot Cadeau plays better.

The Wolverines have dominated in the paint all season due to the relentless pressure on both sides of the ball from graduate forward Yaxel Lendeborg, sophomore forward Morez Johnson Jr., and junior center Aday Mara. Michigan’s offensive success has often been by committee rather than feeding the hot hand, but against Villanova on Tuesday night, Cadeau impressed in all facets of offense.

Not only was Cadeau the general of the offense, but he also led the team in points and assists.

When Michigan’s offense was more efficient, it was when Cadeau was on the court, making a difference with either his shot creation or playmaking. The Wolverines got off to a hot start in the first half, and leading the way on the scoreboard was Cadeau from the get-go. On the opening possession, he knocked down a 3-pointer from the left wing after an efficient possession of passing.

“He’s done a really good job of setting the table for other guys,” graduate forward Will Tschetter said. “Obviously, tonight, coming out, hitting some big shots right away really sets the tone, bringing that energy so that us guys coming off the bench have that same spark, that same sense of attention to detail.”

With 15 first-half points on 6-for-9 shooting from the field and 3-for-5 from deep, Cadeau created chances for himself after gaining confidence from the initial shot.

“I just think confidence from the people around me is just feeding into me,” Cadeau said. “Coaches want me to shoot every time I’m open, and my players want me to shoot every time I’m open. That just gave me confidence.”