The defense certainly showed up for Michigan's 63-44 battering of Norfolk State on Tuesday night, but the offense still has its questions to be answered. Jon Teske led all scorers with 13 points to go with seven rebounds as Michigan led wire-to-wire throughout the game.
Game Story:
The first half was utter domination by Michigan, holding the Spartans to just 13 points in the full half. NSU did not find the bottom of the net until Alex Long's mid-range two with seven minutes gone by in the half. Their 30-7 lead late in the half was certainly the most eye-popping of numbers and Norfolk State only hit double-figures as a team with 2:47 left in the half. For Michigan, the tone was set on their initial 11-0 run to start the game. Two great finds from Jordan Poole, a three from Eli Brooks, and an Austin Davis awareness play with a lay-up after a front-end miss of a one-and-one. While the offense was not entirely running smoothly for the Wolverines, a quick start gave them a lead they would never lose. The second half saw more of the same as Michigan stretched their lead to nearly 30 points after a Brooks three gave them a 58-29 lead with 8:30 left to play. A last minute three cut the Wolverines lead down to 19, where the score would remain, but the final score was flattering for this Norfolk State side.
What Happened:
It is difficult to fully assess this performance and this team as a whole after just one game. Norfolk State was missing their lead guard and really struggled. They threw multiple defenses at Michigan, but none really worked. Their 2-3 zone was too weak and picked apart easily, at times not guarding the baseline with any intensity. Their 3-2 zone was too high on the Michigan offense. Their press was more half-hearted than anything. Finally, their 1-3-1 was scorched on back-to-back plays as Michigan's ball movement picked it apart with ease. This, though, arguably makes Michigan's poor shooting night (22-60 from the field, 6-26 from three) even more concerning.
Offensively, Michigan could not seem to find a sustained rhythm. There were spells of solid play occurring in a row, but the shooting itself was not finding any. Iggy Brazdeikis went 1-5, Charles Matthews went 0-4, and Zavier Simpson went 1-4 from three, highlighting the key concerns that someone -- likely of those three -- would need to step up in terms of shooting. Jordan Poole also went 0-3 from behind the arc and will be needing a bit more in finding his own offense from him. Free throw shooting almost appears to have remained a problem for this Michigan team. Michigan went 13-29 from the line with Matthews' line struggles remaining a problem as he went 0-5. It's free points being left on the line for Michigan and if they are to beat a team like Villanova, they're going to need to convert their freebies.
Of course, you cannot just dwell on the negative. There was plenty to enjoy and take positively from out of this Michigan performance, the foremost being defensive performance. Norfolk State's sets were offering nothing against this Michigan defense. Nic Thomas led the Spartans with nine points, and all four field goals he really had to work for (including two nice stepbacks). The three forwards NSU plays heavily combined for 6-for-23 shooting only while their two bowling ball built guards, Mastadi Pitt and Joe Bryant Jr., went 3-for-9 and 0-for-5, respectively, from the field. It was tough defense that was built around getting back on defense and into a half-court set that gave Michigan the distinct edge over their Spartan counterparts. Jon Teske's four blocks were a testament to how unwilling the NSU players became to drive on him and he altered far more than just the four shots he blocked. It was a great defensive showing from the Wolverines all around, and that is the key positive from this game.
Multiple players really showed out as well. Jordan Poole's decision making looked incredibly mature and he helped facilitate the offense brilliantly. The stat line will not look kindly on him, but his solid performance was based around metrics not shown in a box score. Off the bench, Isaiah Livers and Eli Brooks both played very well as each player knocked down two threes each. Livers found great joy in being one of the taller players on the court against an undersized NSU side and he swatted two shots to go with eight points and eight rebounds. Brooks' eight points and four assists point to how far he's come in terms of building confidence and finding consistency with his game for this Michigan team. There is plenty still to like: Teske's defense looks solid, Iggy Brazdeikis is willing to take it to the rim and keep shooting even when everything isn't falling, Austin Davis is a capable back-up center, but again, this is just game one of a long season.
What's Next:
Michigan has Holy Cross on Saturday night at 7:30 before going off to take on Villanova at their house next Wednesday. Following that, they head to Uncansville, Connecticut, for their weekend Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament, drawing George Washington first before then landing either Providence or South Carolina.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well!
Game Story:
The first half was utter domination by Michigan, holding the Spartans to just 13 points in the full half. NSU did not find the bottom of the net until Alex Long's mid-range two with seven minutes gone by in the half. Their 30-7 lead late in the half was certainly the most eye-popping of numbers and Norfolk State only hit double-figures as a team with 2:47 left in the half. For Michigan, the tone was set on their initial 11-0 run to start the game. Two great finds from Jordan Poole, a three from Eli Brooks, and an Austin Davis awareness play with a lay-up after a front-end miss of a one-and-one. While the offense was not entirely running smoothly for the Wolverines, a quick start gave them a lead they would never lose. The second half saw more of the same as Michigan stretched their lead to nearly 30 points after a Brooks three gave them a 58-29 lead with 8:30 left to play. A last minute three cut the Wolverines lead down to 19, where the score would remain, but the final score was flattering for this Norfolk State side.
What Happened:
It is difficult to fully assess this performance and this team as a whole after just one game. Norfolk State was missing their lead guard and really struggled. They threw multiple defenses at Michigan, but none really worked. Their 2-3 zone was too weak and picked apart easily, at times not guarding the baseline with any intensity. Their 3-2 zone was too high on the Michigan offense. Their press was more half-hearted than anything. Finally, their 1-3-1 was scorched on back-to-back plays as Michigan's ball movement picked it apart with ease. This, though, arguably makes Michigan's poor shooting night (22-60 from the field, 6-26 from three) even more concerning.
Offensively, Michigan could not seem to find a sustained rhythm. There were spells of solid play occurring in a row, but the shooting itself was not finding any. Iggy Brazdeikis went 1-5, Charles Matthews went 0-4, and Zavier Simpson went 1-4 from three, highlighting the key concerns that someone -- likely of those three -- would need to step up in terms of shooting. Jordan Poole also went 0-3 from behind the arc and will be needing a bit more in finding his own offense from him. Free throw shooting almost appears to have remained a problem for this Michigan team. Michigan went 13-29 from the line with Matthews' line struggles remaining a problem as he went 0-5. It's free points being left on the line for Michigan and if they are to beat a team like Villanova, they're going to need to convert their freebies.
Of course, you cannot just dwell on the negative. There was plenty to enjoy and take positively from out of this Michigan performance, the foremost being defensive performance. Norfolk State's sets were offering nothing against this Michigan defense. Nic Thomas led the Spartans with nine points, and all four field goals he really had to work for (including two nice stepbacks). The three forwards NSU plays heavily combined for 6-for-23 shooting only while their two bowling ball built guards, Mastadi Pitt and Joe Bryant Jr., went 3-for-9 and 0-for-5, respectively, from the field. It was tough defense that was built around getting back on defense and into a half-court set that gave Michigan the distinct edge over their Spartan counterparts. Jon Teske's four blocks were a testament to how unwilling the NSU players became to drive on him and he altered far more than just the four shots he blocked. It was a great defensive showing from the Wolverines all around, and that is the key positive from this game.
Multiple players really showed out as well. Jordan Poole's decision making looked incredibly mature and he helped facilitate the offense brilliantly. The stat line will not look kindly on him, but his solid performance was based around metrics not shown in a box score. Off the bench, Isaiah Livers and Eli Brooks both played very well as each player knocked down two threes each. Livers found great joy in being one of the taller players on the court against an undersized NSU side and he swatted two shots to go with eight points and eight rebounds. Brooks' eight points and four assists point to how far he's come in terms of building confidence and finding consistency with his game for this Michigan team. There is plenty still to like: Teske's defense looks solid, Iggy Brazdeikis is willing to take it to the rim and keep shooting even when everything isn't falling, Austin Davis is a capable back-up center, but again, this is just game one of a long season.
What's Next:
Michigan has Holy Cross on Saturday night at 7:30 before going off to take on Villanova at their house next Wednesday. Following that, they head to Uncansville, Connecticut, for their weekend Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament, drawing George Washington first before then landing either Providence or South Carolina.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well!
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