ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Michigan men’s basketball team handled Northwood, 92-45, in Friday night’s exhibition at the Crisler Center.
The Wolverines made easy work of the Division-II, in-state foes. Nearly everyone had a noteworthy performance in the blowout, highlighted by double-digit performances from Olivier Nkamhoua (11 points), Tarris Reed Jr. (13), Dug McDaniel (16) and Tray Jackson (20). U-M took a 31-point lead into halftime and was up by as much as 55 points before emptying its bench late.
U-M jumped to an early double-digit lead on the back of Reed Jr. The sophomore center had nine points on 4-for-4 shooting with seven rebounds by the under-12 timeout in the first half.
The three buckets out of that timeout came from newcomers. First, Olivier Nkamhoua hit a transition 3-pointer. Then the Wolverines moved the ball the length of the court without it touching the ground, and Nimari Burnett fed Tray Jackson, who finished with a thunderous slam. Finally, Burnett hit a deep triple of his own as the Wolverines stretched the lead to 27-9.
George Washington III provided the next fireworks. He scored his first (unofficial) points on a corner 3-pointer, then poked away a steal and went coast-to-coast and hung in the air for a tough layup. That made it 32-13, and U-M cruised from there.
At the under-four timeout in the first half, the Wolverines were in the midst of a 16-1 run and up 29. Reed Jr. made it an even 30 with a free throw out of the break. That margin held until halftime, with a Tray Jackson triple helping send U-M into the break up 54-24.
The second half went about as you’d expect. The Wolverines stretched their lead to 55 points with 11:49 left and had their backups in for the final 7:30.
Michigan beats Northwood: Takeaways
Everything from this game has to be viewed through the appropriate lens. Northwood is a D-II program that went 2-26 last year, including 10 losses in a row to end the season. Them presenting any sort of challenge on Friday night would be cause for alarm.
That said, Tarris Reed Jr. did what he should against an opponent of that caliber: A double-double in the first half. He tallied 13 points on 5-for-6 from the floor with 10 boards in 11 minutes. Just as important: No fouls, and 3-for-5 from the free throw line. He sat the majority of the second half, presumably because the alternative would’ve just been mean.
George Washington III earned an extended run and looked the part athletically, which is important for Michigan given its guard depth. His shot was a little sped up, and he drove into trouble at the rim, but that should work itself out somewhat with reps. Michigan clearly used the exhibition to get him those minutes, as he played the majority of the second half. He finished with seven points on 3-f0r-12 shooting with three rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes.
Tray Jackson and Nimari Burnett combined to go 11-for-14 from the floor. Jackson in particular impressed with his outside shooting at 6-foot-10 — he went 3-for-4 from deep. The Seton Hall transfer also provided some fireworks with an and-1 dunk on an alley-oop with 14:20 left. Both played 20-plus minutes and had encouraging showings.
Olivier Nkamhoua feels like someone who can do a lot well. He looks athletic enough to defend a number of positions, and he stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists. He was physically imposing against Northwood, which you’d expect, but is still good to see.
The injury bug is something to keep an eye on. Jaelin Llewellyn still hasn’t returned to full practice since tearing his ACL last December. Jace Howard is out four to six weeks with stress fractures. Youssef Khayat missed the game for undisclosed reasons (though he should be back very soon). And, for a brief moment, concern grew when Dug McDaniel appeared to get hurt on a breakaway layup in the second half. He went to the trainer’s table and, thankfully for the Wolverines, checked back in shortly thereafter. Still, it’s a reminder that the team is thin at a number of spots.
Will Tschetter showed better athleticism in warmups, finishing reverse dunks that teammates said he didn’t have in his arsenal last year. That didn’t always translate in-game, especially given U-M intends to use him as a small-ball ‘5.’ He went 2-for-9 from the floor but collected 13 (!) rebounds and finished his night with a smooth triple.
Again: Northwood went 2-26 last year. But a 47-point win is a good place to start a season.
Watch: Phil Martelli postgame press conference
Michigan basketball: What comes next
The Wolverines tip off their regular season against UNC Asheville on Tuesday, Nov. 7. That game is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. and will be televised on the Big Ten Network.