DETROIT — On Friday night, the Michigan men’s basketball team took the court in front of opposing fans for the first time in 607 days. In the first-ever game at Wayne State’s all-new WSU Fieldhouse, the sixth-ranked Wolverines trounced the Warriors, 87-54, in an exhibition showcase.
Led by a starting lineup of three seniors, a returning All-American and a five-star freshman, Michigan’s physicality and transition speed overwhelmed Wayne State throughout the night. The Wolverines closed the first half on a 31-7 run, all but guaranteeing the second half wouldn’t be anything more than a formality.
It’s difficult to draw any groundbreaking conclusions against Division II competition in an exhibition setting, but some elements of Friday’s contest were telling. My three takeaways from Michigan’s final preseason tune-up:
Juwan Howard’s rotation remains in flux
Despite beginning the game on a 15-8 run, Juwan Howard made three substitutions in the first six minutes. Howard first sent in Moussa Diabate for Brandon Johns Jr. before inserting Adrien Nunez and Terrance Williams for Eli Brooks and Hunter Dickinson, respectively. And then at the 12:16 mark, Kobe Bufkin checked in for DeVante’ Jones.
While the quick substitutions could’ve been a product of the exhibition setting, it’s more likely Howard was familiarizing himself with his deepest roster yet.
“Every guy is still being, I would say, judged in a positive light as far as what’s best for our team moving forward,” Howard said Thursday. “I haven’t decided as far as how many we’re going to go with as far as having a rotation. The rotation is still being decided and looked at. We have time, there’s no need to rush. It’s nice to have a deeper roster than I’ve had before.”
Despite the absence of guards Frankie Collins (groin) and Zeb Jackson (illness), Howard played 11 guys in the first half alone — including all five healthy scholarship freshmen. In total, 13 Wolverines saw game action on Friday night.
Dickinson incorporates NBA Draft feedback
When Dickinson tested the NBA Draft waters this past offseason, pro scouts wanted to see the reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year expand his game before projecting a first-round grade. The two most suggested pieces of feedback were the incorporation of right-handed post moves and an outside jump shot.
On Friday, Dickinson showcased both. His second field goal attempt of the game was a jumper from the top of the key. A few minutes later, he backed his defender down onto the block, spun toward the middle of the paint and finished with a right-handed hook over his left shoulder. Dickinson didn’t attempt a 3-pointer during the game, but he finished with 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting and nine rebounds.
As the Wolverines’ season went on last year, opponents caught onto Dickinson’s strong preference for left-handed post moves. Defenses began sending double-teams to prevent him from spinning toward his left hand, taking away arguably the most dominant dimension of Michigan’s offense.
But if Dickinson can consistently finish with his right hand and knock down outside jump shots this season, it’ll be harder for teams to neutralize the Wolverines’ post threat. It will also draw more attention to the interior and free up Michigan’s 3-point shooters.
Michigan wants to run in transition
Under Howard, the Wolverines have always played an up-tempo NBA style of basketball. The team’s halfcourt offense is rooted in ball screens, but on Friday night, Michigan didn’t even want possessions to get that far.
Between Brooks, Jones and Bufkin, Michigan’s backcourt has the size and athleticism to be present on the defensive glass. After the guards and Houstan pulled down defensive rebounds, they forced the ball forward with push dribbles themselves. And even when Dickinson, Johns and Diabate grabbed boards, the Wolverines wasted no time in transition following their outlet passes.
The quick pace resulted in a handful of uncontested transition layups and dunks when Michigan beat the Warriors down the floor. The Wolverines had their fair share of turnovers and miscues when Wayne State successfully got back on defense, but the exhibition gave them a chance to play through mistakes.
With the elite length and athleticism on the roster this year, pace could become a staple of the 2021-22 Wolverines. Given how difficult it can sometimes be to score out halfcourt sets in the notoriously physical Big Ten, Michigan’s transition offense could open the door for easy points.
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