Michigan Wolverines basketball improves to 9-3 on the season after a blowout win over Presbyterian this afternoon.
Here's some takeaways from the 86-44 win.
1) Michigan started with better energy
The Wolverines got down 16 points in last week's comeback that fell short against Oregon. The players said the lack of energy was the problem. This afternoon, the energy was much better. U-M got out to a 19-5 lead over the Blue Hose, and never looked back.
If there was any concern heading into this game, it was about how U-M would handle having final exams and a week off between games. That, and playing a lesser opponent can sometimes lead to a lackluster effort. Those concerns quickly vanished early on as the Wolverines cruised to a comfortable victory. The effort on defense had a sense of urgency, and U-M found a rhythm early on the offensive end. The coaches were likely in the ears of the players all week during practice on bringing it from the jump. Challenge accepted, and mission accomplished.
2) The future is bright for Cole Bajema
The freshman got extended playing time for the second time this season. He played a career-high 13 minutes in the Houston Baptist game, and played 11 minutes this afternoon. The large scoring margin, along with the injury to junior forward Isaiah Livers (strained muscle, did not return), and with sophomore forward Brandon Johns out with an illness, allowed Bajema to play extensively late in the game.
Bajema had a nice step-back long two, converted on a beautiful cut for an easy layup, hit a catch and shoot three-ball, and knocked down two free throws. He finished with nine points (3-4 FG, 1-2 3FG, 2-2 FT). There were a couple times where his lack of strength was a problem on the defensive end when he got bullied inside in the post. But, he showed a lot of promise today. Who knows, by the end of the year, he could be a rotation guy. At the very least, next season and beyond, Bajema will be somebody who can score the ball for Juwan Howard and U-M. The future is bright.
3) Lots of lineups
As we mentioned earlier, Livers got banged up early in the game and Johns was out with illness. This played a factor in the many different lineup combinations Howard and his staff went with. Sophomore guard Adrien Nunez was in for Livers after the early injury. That started off the abnormal lineups. We saw sophomore forward Colin Castleton playing alongside senior center Jon Teske at times. After going small against Oregon with Johns at the five, it's nice to still see Howard continue to be versatile, going big this time.
Then, it was the Austin Davis show. The redshirt junior forward continues to make the most of his minutes. He posted seven points and eight rebounds in his 17 minutes of play. He and the other fringe rotation guys were able to play much more than normal.
Even walk-on junior forward C.J. Baird was able to play 10 minutes, and score on a drive and layup. The other walk-ons were rewarded for their hard work, and were able to close out the game.
4) The Wolverines went for singles, not home runs (with some exceptions)
Howard talked about this after the game, and several players have mentioned this being a mantra for the team in recent weeks. Against Oregon, there were too many home run swings, such as the missed dunks that resulted in empty possessions.
Today, U-M looked much more poised. There were still some times where the Wolverines tried to hit the home run, like Livers' missed dunk that he got fouled on, a couple turnovers from senior guard Zavier Simpson and DeJulius' heat check three after having knocked down a couple shots just prior. Those could be put in the category of taking some necessary chances. And, you can't fault U-M for taking some of those in a game like this.
All in all, U-M didn't just win, it dominated and played very smart while doing so. The Wolverines showed singles can add up to a lot of runs.
5) Some good, some bad from Zavier Simpson
Simpson's increase in turnovers has been an ongoing storyline this season. It may be nitpicking the senior, because he is playing at a very high level in most areas. And, it's never a bad day when you put up nine points and nine assists. But, he did continue the trend, with four turnovers on the day.
Some of his passes and decisions are him being careless with the ball, but it's also the requisite of being asked to do so much in the offense. He is the primary ball handler, passer and, at times, scorer. Turnovers will come with some of what he's asked to do. He will need to clean up the giveaways as the season goes on, but U-M is taking the good with the bad.
Who could blame Howard, at least right now, when Simpson is making passes like this:
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