ANN ARBOR, Mich. — It became apparent quickly that Middle Tennessee wasn’t coming to Ann Arbor as some rollover nonconference opponent. MTSU quickly set a tone, hitting three straight 3s while trapping the offense the other way down the court.
The Wolverines dug into their bench relatively early, but with Will Tschetter starting (he scored the first bucket of the game, a 3), Aday Mara was relegated to a bench role. But Mara, Trey McKenney, and LJ Cason all played key roles in the early going. Middle Tennessee played a stifling defense, keeping the high-flying Wolverines from getting into any sort of early groove, while thrusting up uncontested 3s at the other end.
After the under-12 media timeout, Michigan basketball started being able to run again, and it started to stretch a lead, 20-9. But just a few minutes later, what had been a 12-point lead dwindled to just six, thanks to consecutive 3s by MTSU. Only three minutes later, even that deficit was erased, with the Wolverines nursing a one-point advantage. A near three-minute scoring drought was broken by LJ Cason, who scored with an and-one opportunity at the under-four media timeout.
Just when it appeared that Michigan was pulling away again, MTSU hit another 3, cutting it to four. The Wolverines appeared set to be ready to take a nine-point lead into the half, but then the Blue Raiders scored on a buzzer-beater hook, with a foul, to cut it to six, 36-30.
Michigan jumped out with a 6-0 run to start the second half, extending the lead to 12. By the under-16, the lead ballooned to 15, but the Wolverines had seen MTSU score in bunches with its perimeter shooting.
After the under-12 in the second half, the Wolverines had a 23-point lead and appeared to be firing on all cylinders. Ultimately, Michigan basketball held on to win handily, 86-61.
Here are our five takeaways from the game:
Diverse lineups
We saw a veritable mix of players in for the Wolverines at any given stretch, Michigan not limited to the ‘gotta-have-it’ lineup that started the game. You could tell it would be interesting with Will Tschetter starting over Aday Mara at the five, but the rotation was constant, with big minutes at times for backup point guard LJ Cason, freshman guard Trey McKenney, and sixth-man Roddy Gayle Jr.
While no one played more than Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr., the minutes were quite evenly split among the starters and primary bench players. Interestingly, Winters Grady got some playing time midway through the second half while the rest of the starters were in.
Given the lineups and variety of players who were in the game, it stands to reason that the Wolverines go deep, and that should pay dividends in Big Ten play.
Michigan survived the ‘muck-it-up’ strategy
It was clear and obvious what MTSU’s strategy was: keep Michigan from getting comfortable with Dusty May’s run-and-gun style of offense, while running and gunning itself. The full-court press certainly frustrated the maize and blue at times, and at times, it took Michigan a second to get back on defense, allowing Middle Tennessee to hit from 3.
At times, Michigan got too frustrated and hoisted up quick shots as a result of the press defense strategy, and at other times, it probably should have but instead tried to get into its set.
By the second half, Michigan had flexed enough of its muscle to not have to worry as much about all of the press and tight defense. And though it rarely was able to run uptempo sets, the ability of the Wolverines to settle down and settle in against an unconventional team was impressive.
The perimeter defense was tested greatly
An oft-discussed weakness of the Wolverines, well before Dusty May arrived in Ann Arbor (but continuing) has been the intermittent defense of the 3-ball. And it quickly became clear in this one that if Michigan could defend the 3-point line, it would be in a good position.
In the first half, MTSU only hit four baskets that were from within the arc, having attempted 20-of-34 shots from 3. The 3 attempts were continually there in the second half, but the Wolverines were already up big, and the Blue Raiders weren’t nearly as efficient. Ultimately, Middle Tennessee attempted 37 3s and hit 10 of them. It only hit 11 baskets in the entire contest from two.
Given the weaknesses there, Michigan passed this test.
Turnovers and fouls under control
Turnovers have often plagued the Wolverines, but this wasn’t a game where the maize and blue were reckless with the basketball. And considering the press coverage of MTSU, it’s an impressive reversal of fortune for Michigan basketball.
It wasn’t perfect by any means, but given the style of play of the Blue Raiders (and the usual constant miscues by the Wolverines), it wouldn’t have surprised to see Michigan basketball have another excessive turnover game. Yet, it didn’t. The maize and blue finished with 13 turnovers to 15 by the Blue Raiders.
Likewise, Michigan had just four fouls in the first half, and though it had more in the ensuing 20, it had nine in the second. When it came to taking care of the basketball and not giving the Blue Raiders second chances, the Wolverines truly took care of business.
Lendeborg comes alive
This is what was expected when Lendeborg chose to transfer to the Wolverines over the NBA. While it wasn’t a gaudy number (and it may never be, given the number of options and style of play Michigan has), Lendeborg quietly dominated when in the game. The offense was at its best when he was the focal point, and he managed a double-double, with 25 points, 12 rebounds, and three assists in the contest.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: 5 takeaways as Michigan battles through a tough Middle Tennessee test
