ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan Wolverines basketball picked up an impressive 96-82 victory over preseason MAC favorite Bowling Green Wednesday night at Crisler Center.

On Thanksgiving Eve, the Wolverines have plenty to be thankful for. Head coach Juwan Howard said after the game that he is just happy the game — played in front of no fans — went off without a hitch. He's also surely thankful for the performances of several players that fans got to see in the Maize and Blue for the first time.

Michigan was led by three newcomers in Wake Forest senior guard transfer Chaundee Brown, who scored 18 of his 19 points in the second half and added four rebounds and three assists, freshman center Hunter Dickinson, who scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and fifth-year senior point guard Mike Smith, a Columbia transfer who scored 16 points and dished out eight assists.

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Asked after the game if he was surprised it was the new faces stuffing the stat sheet, Howard said he wasn't and was adamant that his only expectation and hope was to come out with a win.

"I was expecting all of our guys to be all hands on deck, because we have a team built on guys who will get a chance to play," Howard said. "We trust each and every player who will step on that floor, because they have put in the work in practice, buying in to the style of play, the culture that any guy can get off and have a big game for us.

"We have a very talented group, we have shooting, we have length, we also have guys who can play multiple positions, which is the versatility aspect of it.

"I didn’t come in expecting or thinking about who is going to be our leading scorer, I just felt like, at the end of the day, I wanted to make sure we’re the team that won the game."

That said, Howard was impressed with the performances of the individuals on his squad, starting with Smith, who was the floor general on an offense that averaged an efficient 1.352 points per possession.

The Wolverines picked up Smith this offseason after he led the Ivy League in scoring a year ago. Howard was confident in his choice to bring Smith to Ann Arbor, and he was proved right in the opener.

"Some people look at his size, and that’s what I think has helped him gain an advantage," Howard explained. "A lot of folks count you out because you’re small. Everyone says 'small.' And then what ends up happening is, a guy is like, ‘Alright, well, I’m going to prove you guys wrong. I’m gonna add something else and prove I belong out there on the floor.’

"And Mike does belong, he does belong here in college basketball. He’s one of the best shooters at that position. He also has a ton of experience, played against high-major programs, which I was also impressed with, competed against those high-level programs, power conferences.

"Mike also has a high I.Q., and as we saw today, he was able to make some plays. Mike finished with eight assists, one turnover. I was impressed with the fact that Mike sees open guys, and it just shows that he has amazing vision.

Added Howard: "I’m not surprised that his transition has been so smooth, because of his personality. I’m hearing him in the locker room, watching him in practice, and the guys like Mike. I’ll say this, if you don’t like Mike, something’s wrong with you. He just has that bubbly personality. And his hair, I guess his hair can be attractive as well."

Brown was a true sixth man, coming off the bench but playing the fifth-most minutes on the team. He especially heated up in the second half, nailing four-straight from deep at one point. Howard was not surprised with how well Brown has acclimated himself, either.

"He gave us a big spark, man," Howard said. "He’s another experienced guy who comes from a power five conference, a program where he was well-coached by [former Wake Forest head coach] Danny Manning.

"I went out and got him. When I saw he hit the transfer portal, I jumped on it right away, because I knew he was going to help us. And he’s the type of guy that’s embracing it, just by being here and being the type of guy that’s going to do anything to help us and help the team. You’ve gotta really commend a guy who’s all in, and Chaundee is the definition of being a guy that’s all in."

And finally, Dickinson — one of three freshmen making their collegiate debuts. He came off the bench for fifth-year senior forward Austin Davis, but played the most minutes (18) at the position that saw as many as four players see time there.

"He just looked comfortable out there, man," Howard said. "He looked like — back in the NBA, we call that a 'seasoned vet.' Being a young rookie, he looked like he just belonged, like he’s been there before.

"He had teammates that really have been helping him along — Austin Davis has been great teaching Hunter, competing against him. When you compete against a guy like Austin Davis in practice, it’s truly going to give you an edge, and Hunter has that edge about him."

All and all, Howard and his crew were just happy the game got to be played and the season was tipped off on time.

"I've always said COVID is our biggest opponent in all this," Howard said. "We’re going to continue to keep battling COVID, as well as looking at it one game at a time. That’s how we’re going to look at it — one game at a time."

The Maize and Blue take on the Oakland Grizzlies Sunday at 6 p.m. ET at Crisler.

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