Photos by: Aaron J. Thornton
The No. 16-ranked Michigan Wolverines opened their regular season Monday night with a victory over the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in Ann Arbor. It was a winning start for new head coach Mike Boynton Jr., who takes over following the departure of Dusty May, who left after his second season to coach the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks.
The defending national champions had four players score in double figures, led by Roddy Gayle Jr. and Trey McKenney, who each tallied 17 points in the victory. Tennessee transfer J.P. Estrella contributed 15 points and 12 rebounds, while freshman Quinn Costello added 13 points to Michigan’s scoring effort.
Michigan, which entered the matchup as a 27-point favorite, didn’t deliver the dominant performance many expected. However, the Wolverines never appeared rattled, even while playing without two key players. Cincinnati transfer Mustapha Thiam was out with what head coach Mike Boynton Jr. described as a 48-hour bug, while five-star freshman Brandon McCoy Jr. remains out for the season after suffering a torn ACL. Despite those absences, Michigan maintained control for much of the contest and eventually came away with a 16-point victory.
Oakland, led by Chris Fields Jr.’s 18-point, 10-rebound performance, kept the game competitive for much of the night and even held a lead in the first half. However the Wolverines responded to the early Golden Grizzlies run, gradually building a double-digit advantage and carrying a 47-36 lead into halftime.
In the second half, Oakland refused to go away quietly, cutting Michigan’s lead to just six points as the Wolverines struggled offensively coming out of the break. Freshman Quinn Costello helped settle the team down, scoring eight of his 13 points during a three-minute stretch. Two of those baskets came from beyond the arc, and transfer guard Kenny Noland added another three-pointer to give Michigan some breathing room midway through the half.
Despite the timely three-point shooting, Michigan will need to improve its efficiency from long range as the season progresses. The Wolverines connected on just seven of their 34 attempts from beyond the arc, shooting a disappointing 20.6 percent. Oakland also out-rebounded Michigan 44–42 and pulled down 21 offensive rebounds, creating additional scoring opportunities. Michigan certainly missed Thiam’s presence, and having him back in the lineup should make a difference on the boards for the Wolverines moving forward.
Getting the win against Oakland provided a positive start for the team in Maize and Blue but the Wolverines have little time to celebrate. Michigan (1-0) will now turn to their focus to the UConn Huskies, which will be a rematch of this past year’s national championship game. The Wolverines will travel to Boston for that game on Friday night and will look to stay undefeated against the No. 4-ranked Huskies.