Ann Arbor — Michigan finally got the chance to unveil its revamped roster and new additions against an opponent for the first time.
But in Friday’s exhibition game, it was a familiar face that got the ball rolling before the newcomers made their mark in a 92-45 rout over Division II Northwood at Crisler Center.
Sophomore center Tarris Reed Jr. played just the first half and was dominant in his first start. He recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds in 11 minutes to lead four double-digits scorers for the Wolverines in their final tune-up ahead of Tuesday’s season opener at home against UNC Asheville.
“We did a good job of controlling the game with how we wanted to play and not changing things just because we’re playing an opponent that may not be Division I,” said grad transfer forward Olivier Nkamhoua, who posted 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists in his Michigan debut.
“(We’re) excited to play, regardless of who we get to see. That needs to be the mentality every night. It doesn’t matter who we face. It’s a new challenge.”
Grad transfer forward Tray Jackson added 20 points and sophomore guard Dug McDaniel scored 16 for Michigan, which shot 52.9% from the field (36-for-68) and led by at least 30 points the final 22 minutes.
BOX SCORE: Michigan 92, Northwood 45
Reed, though, was too much for Northwood to handle from the get-go. He made his first five shots — a tip-in, an offensive putback, a pair of close-range buckets and a dunk — as Michigan built a double-digit lead roughly six minutes into the contest.
Reed ignited a 17-2 run with a steal and fast-break slam and Jackson capped it with a vicious one-handed dunk in transition that put Michigan up, 24-6, with 10:23 left in the first half.
“He’s catching the ball better. His foul shot looks better but still could be cleaned up. He was rushed a little bit, I thought, early. And he’s doing a sensational job with his left hand,” interim head coach Phil Martelli said of Reed, who watched the second half from the bench after going 5-for-6 from the floor and 3-for-5 from the free-throw line.
According to Martelli, Reed had a groin issue in practice last week and “felt a little tweak” late in the first half. Martelli added Reed was examined by the training staff and should be “fine” moving forward.
After Northwood cracked double figures at the 8:04 mark, the Wolverines blew the game open with a 17-1 spurt. The flurry was fueled by 3-pointers — one apiece from freshman guard George Washington III, grad transfer guard Nimari Burnett and McDaniel — that made it 44-14 with 3:33 remaining in the half.
Michigan led 54-23 at halftime and widened the margin significantly after the break. The Wolverines scored the first 11 points of the second half during a 21-2 run — one that featured a posterizing dunk by Jackson while being fouled — that pushed the lead to 75-25 with 13:51 remaining.
From there, Michigan’s lead ballooned to as much as 55 points — on a 3-pointer from McDaniel that made it 82-27 with 11:49 left — before Martelli emptied the bench in the final eight minutes.
Richard Lowe scored 12 and Jordan Jackson 10 for Northwood, which shot 25.7% and dressed only eight players. The Timberwolves went 2-26 last season and were picked to finish last in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference preseason coaches poll.
Here are some other notes and observations from Friday’s exhibition game:
Howard in the house
▶ Martelli noted that head coach Juwan Howard, who is recovering from heart surgery he had on Sept. 15, was on hand for the contest, but he didn’t communicate with the team at all after its walkthrough earlier in the day.
According to Nkamhoua, Howard has made appearances at practice over the last couple weeks, though he’s mostly been watching from afar and sharing film.
“His energy has been great,” Nkamhoua said. “He looks healthy. His voice sounds good. His presence is felt and he’s taking care of himself and I’m happy to see that. We’re not rushing him. Luckily, he’s not rushing himself, but he looks good. It’s been very good for us to see him around.”
New-look lineup
▶ Michigan’s starting lineup featured McDaniel and Burnett in the backcourt and senior forward Terrance Williams II, Nkamhoua and Reed in the frontcourt.
Williams, who started at the power forward spot for much of last season, manned the small forward spot, while Burnett, Nkamhoua and Reed replaced the holes in the starting lineup left behind by guard Kobe Bufkin (NBA), wing Jett Howard (NBA) and center Hunter Dickinson (transfer).
Jackson, Tschetter and Washington were the first players off bench in the first half as Martelli opted to go with an eight-man rotation. But due to Reed’s groin ailment, Martelli rolled out a lineup at the start of the second half that featured Nkamhoua at center and Jackson at power forward along with McDaniel, Burnett and Williams.
In total, 12 players saw action and nine players ended up in the scoring column.
On the run
▶ Michigan finished the game with 24 fast-break points and scored 21 points off 13 Northwood turnovers, with many of those coming on easy baskets in transition.
Regardless of the opponent, Nkamhoua believes scoring in transition could be an area where the Wolverines will fare well.
“We try to play at a fast pace when we can, but obviously the more turnovers they have, the easier it is for us to get out in transition, so that plays a part,” Nkamhoua said. “You’re seeing more than just our point guard push the ball up the floor. That helps us take off quicker. We don’t always have to have one designated man bringing the ball up, so that allows us to get out the gates faster.”
From downtown
▶ After losing its top three 3-point threats from a year ago, there understandably questions surrounding where that lost production would come from. On Friday, it came from multiple sources as five different players connected from deep.
Burnett (3-for-3), Jackson (3-for-4) and McDaniel (3-for-5) all made multiple long-range shots, while Nkamhoua, Tschetter and Washington each drained one deep ball.
The Wolverines finished the exhibition shooting 44.4% (12-for-27) from beyond the arc, though five of the misses came in the closing minutes when Washington and the team’s four walk-ons were on the floor.
On the sidelines
▶ Sixth-year guard Jaelin Llewellyn, senior forward Jace Howard and sophomore forward Youssef Khayat were the only scholarship players who didn’t play.
Llewellyn is working his way back from ACL surgery and has been participating in non-contact drills in practice, but he hasn’t been fully cleared by the medical/training staff. Howard has a stress fracture in his right knee and tibia, which is expected to sideline him for at least a month, while Khayat was out with a sore knee.
Twitter/X: @jamesbhawkins