The Michigan Wolverines' basketball team put on an impressive display today in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas, handling the North Carolina Tar Heels, 73-64.
U-M led by as many as 24 in the second half, and will next take on the winner of Gonzaga/Oregon tomorrow afternoon in the tournament's championship game.
Here are our biggest takeaways surrounding U-M's statement win against the annual ACC powerhouse.
1. Michigan is Looking Like one of the Best Teams in the Big Ten so far (and Maybe Even the Country)
Some may scoff at this one (especially the latter) and cite how it's 'way too early in the season to make a statement like this,' but the proof is in the pudding.
U-M now has wins over Creighton, Iowa State and North Carolina under its belt, with all three victories coming by at least seven points and by an average of 8.6 points per game.
Again, Michigan's results speak for themselves so far this season, and very few clubs around the country have a more impressive resume than the Maize and Blue.
Plenty of doubters likely remained after the triumphs over the Blue Jays and Cyclones (and perhaps deservedly so), but controlling the game against a North Carolina team who was ranked No. 6 in the country proves the Wolverines are legitimate.
U-M led by as many as 24 today in the second half, enjoyed a 19-0 run and thoroughly dominated the Tar Heels for significant stretches out of the break.
The Maize and Blue never trailed after the 7:45 mark of the first half.
2. Eli Brooks is Turning Into a Clutch Player
The junior poured in a career-high 24 points in the season-opening win over Appalachian State, but plenty of people likely didn't make much of it due to the Mountaineers' mid-major status.
Brooks matched that 24 against North Carolina today, however, shooting nine-of-14 from the floor and four-of-six from three-point range.
The junior played an expanded role with senior guard Zavier Simpson suffering from foul trouble before eventually fouling out, and was up to the challenge.
Brooks connected on several clutch shots, including one of the most critical buckets of the game when he nailed a three with only 1:12 remaining after the Tar Heels had trimmed U-M's lead to 69-61.
He also pulled down five boards in a game-high 39 minutes, and proved the stage was not too big for him.
Brooks has now scored at least seven points in all six of Michigan's games, and is averaging 13.6 on the year.
3. Michigan has a Plethora of Offensive Options, With Four Players Scoring in Double Figures
The Wolverines are continually having different players step up offensively seemingly every game, and that was once again the case today.
On a day where Simpson fouled out and only scored seven points, Brooks and sophomore guard David DeJulius picked up the slack at the guard spot, scoring 24 and 11 points, respectively.
Much of Michigan's 19-0 run occurred when Simpson was on the bench and DeJulius was in the game, with the sophomore operating U-M's offense smoothly and effectively when he was asked to.
Junior forward Isaiah Livers also added 12 points and senior center Jon Teske 10, on a day where the Maize and Blue shot 50 percent from the floor as a team.
4. Michigan's Defense was Nasty Once Again, and Doesn't Appear to Have Suffered Much of a Drop off From Last Season
The Wolverines held UNC to 43 percent shooting on the day, which is quite a feat when considering the high-powered offenses Roy Williams' clubs produce on an annual basis.
Freshman guard Cole Anthony poured in 22 for the Tar Heels, but junior forward Garrison Brooks (13 points) was the only other North Carolina player who scored more than nine.
U-M took away UNC's outside game completely, limiting it to just two-of-13 from deep (15 percent).
The Tar Heels had been averaging 76.4 points per game entering Thursday and had posted at least 75 in all five of their contests, but the Maize and Blue held them to season-lows in both points (64) and three-point shooting percentage (15 percent).
Michigan's interior defense was especially stifling, with Teske once again proving to be a menace down low by blocking a game-high four shots while sophomore forward Brandon Johns chipped in two (U-M had seven as a team).
Williams' teams in Chapel Hill have long been known for their reputation to get out and run in transition, but Michigan limited it to just three fast break points today.
5. Franz Wagner Still Looks a bit Rusty
Yesterday was freshman guard Franz Wagner's first game back from injury, and it's clear it will take some time for him to get back into the swing of things.
He played 33 minutes today, but only scored three points on one-of-six shooting, and was one-of-five from deep.
Wagner also committed four turnovers and three fouls, while missing several of his shots badly.
We're by no means piling on the youngster, though the fact that his lack of contributions so far haven't altered Michigan's hot start to the season are perhaps somewhat of a positive.
In other words, the Wolverines haven't needed him to produce at a high level this season to start 6-0, making it all the more exciting to think about what this team could look like once things start to click for the freshman.
Wagner is expected to soon become another high-powered offensive threat in a Michigan attack that is already humming along beautifully.
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