Michigan opened its season with a win, but it was a disjointed performance that felt far from where the Wolverines want to be. That’s okay in early November, but it might not be in a national title rematch on Friday night in Boston.
The Wolverines struggled on defense in the first half and on offense in the second, finishing with a 16-point win that was comfortable but never flashy. The sort of game that will be remembered (or forgotten) based on what comes next.
Starting center Moustapha Thiam didn’t play in the opener due to illness (“something that’s like a 48-hour bug,” per Mike Boynton Jr.), forcing JP Estrella into a larger role and Oscar Goodman into the starting lineup. Estrella met the challenge, finishing with a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double in just 22 minutes before fouling out.
The Wolverines got 17 points apiece from Roddy Gayle Jr. and Trey McKenney, but never seemed to hit full stride in the opening 40 minutes of the season.
In this recap
- Player bullets on all 9 players: JP Estrella, Roddy Gayle, Elliot Cadeau and 6 more
- The Four Factors chart
- The box score
- 650 more words of analysis
Recap
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