It’s hard to imagine a more impressive debut for Michigan men’s basketball head coach Dusty May.
The Wolverines cruized to a 101-53 victory over Cleveland State in their season-opener on Monday night, as Michigan used the combination of a high-tempo offense and tenacious defense to overwhelm the Vikings in Ann Arbor.
The 48-point victory for the Maize and Blue gave plenty of insight into what should be expected from May’s program going forward. Here’s what stood out…
It may raise eyebrows to say this so quickly, but Dusty May should have no problem recruiting guys to play for him at Michigan. May utilizes a fast-paced, up-and-down the floor style that players are going to love being a part of. The Wolverines’ scored 28 points in transition, and excellent ball movement throughout the game, which was reflected in U-M’s 22 assists on 39 made-baskets.
It’s fun to play that type of basketball. May encourages his players to take open shots as often as they become available, regardless of the time that’s on the shot clock. This allows players to play free and loose, and the early returns were great as the Wolverines’ shot a blistering 68% from the floor.
The ‘green light’ to take open looks only works if you’ve got players that can shoot the rock and, again, the early returns suggest May has plenty of those at his disposal. Michigan had 10 different scorers on Monday night, six of which reached double-figures.
Danny Wolf led the way with 19 points on a ridiculous 8-of-10 shooting, and recorded a double-double with 13 rebounds. Tre Donaldson was close behind with 16 points on a perfect 4-of-4 from the floor and 6-for-6 from the free throw line. The point guard added seven assists to lead the Wolverines in that category.
Rounding out the double-digit scorers, Will Tschetter poured in 15 points, L.J. Cason scored 14, Roddy Gayle Jr. had 13 and Sam Walters added 10 for the Maize and Blue. As Michigan’s competition level increases, it will no doubt get tougher to score, but having this many options who can fill the cup is encouraging. The Wolverines’ double-digit scorers shot an eye-popping 33-of-44 (75%) combined from the floor on Monday night. Pure insanity.
This plays into the above takeaway, but man, Dusty May did an impressive job flipping this roster during the offseason through the transfer portal.
Michigan added Wolf (Yale), Donaldson (Auburn), Gayle Jr. (Ohio State), Walters (Alabama), Vlad Goldin (Florida Atlantic) and Rubin Jones (North Texas) from the portal this offseason, and each are expected to contribute this year.
This is a program that won just eight games a season ago, the lowest mark in school history. Months later, May has flipped this roster into one that looks like it can compete in a wide open Big Ten Conference. That sounds a little hyperbolic after just one game, I admit, but this team is made up of a bunch of veterans who look like they really enjoy playing with one another. That’s a dangerous combination for opponents.
In addition to landing a bunch of key pieces out of the transfer portal, May was also able to convince 2024 combo guard L.J. Cason to follow him to Ann Arbor, after the Lakeland, Fla. native was committed to play for May at Florida Atlantic.
Cason was only listed as a three-star prospect by the major recruiting services, but this kid looks like a future star for the Wolverines. Heck, he may even be a current star on this team. After two impressive performances in Michigan’s exhibition games, Cason scored 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting in Monday’s season-opener, adding three assists. The freshman can shoot it from deep, plays with high energy on both ends of the floor and is a willing passer as well.
Like all freshman, there are areas in which Cason will need to improve and gain understanding as he gets more experience, but it looks like May and his staff hit a homerun with this kid.
On a night in which Michigan won by 48 points, it’s hard to find too many negatives. However, there was one glaring issue that should be a focus for May and his staff coming out of last night.
The Wolverines were killed on the defensive glass by Cleveland State, allowing a whopping 20 offensive rebounds and 25 points off those second chances. The Vikings weren’t good enough to make Michigan pay for all of those extra possessions, but plenty of other teams the Wolverines face this season will be.
Wolf led Michigan with 13 rebounds, but no other player had more than two for the Wolverines. That must change, starting with Wolf’s fellow big men in Goldin and Tschetter, but also with the guards, particularly Donaldson and Gayle Jr.
May’s emphasis on the fastbreak may lend to the poor rebounding results, as players are encouraged to get up the floor in transition for easy opportunities. However, a defensive rebound has to be secured before the Wolverines can get out and run.
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