On Wednesday, Michigan did not resemble a team replacing its three-year starter at point guard.

The Wolverines piled the points on MAC preseason favorite Bowling Green in a 96-82 win in their season-opener. They recorded 1.30 points per possession, which is their fourth-best offensive efficiency in a game since the start of the 2018-19 season. It was also a balanced effort. Five Wolverines scored in double digits, led by Wake Forest transfer Chaundee Brown’s 19 points, and two more (sophomore Franz Wagner and junior Brandon Johns) added at least seven points.

What was most impressive though was how Michigan achieved these scoring figures. The Wolverines did not light Bowling Green’s defense on fire with lots of isolation and pull-up jumpers. Rather, Michigan ran its offensive sets crisply and moved the basketball with precision.

And Michigan demonstrated that its offense may just be OK without Zavier Simpson.