Halftime Analysis: Michigan hoops vs. Elon

Halftime analysis of Michigan’s home game against Elon University in Crisler Arena. The third game of the season for the Wolverines.

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Playing their third consecutive game in Crisler Arena to open the season, Michigan squared off with Elon University on Friday night in the opening round of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.

The Wolverines came out sluggish, trailing by 11-7 midway through the first half. Michigan settled in and dominated the following ten minutes however, surging ahead to take a 31-22 lead into the locker room.

POSTIVES:

  • Defensivly, the Wolverines limited Elon to 9-of-30 from the floor, under 30 percent shooting. Michigan has a sizeable edge in both size and athleticism, and that showed up in a big way on the defensive end of the floor, as the Pheonix had to claw for every bucket.
  • David DeJulius brought energy off the back when Michigan appeared asleep at the wheel in the opening minutes of the game. The sophomore sparked the Wolverines offensively, scoring 8 points on 3-of-3 shooting, including two makes from behind the three-point line. DeJulius also showed his toughness and hustle, leading Michigan by a wide margin in rebounds with 8 despite being the shortest player on the floor. The next closest Wolverine was Jon Teske with 3.

NEGATIVES:

  • Michigan came out very sluggish offensively, and managed only 7 points in the first ten minutes of play. The Wolverines shot 3-of-12 to start the game, including 1-of-7 from the three-point line. Michigan looked uninspired to play against a low-level program like Elon.
  • Turnovers continue to be a problem for the Wolverines, who had five in the first ten minutes of play and finished the half with seven. This continues a trend we’ve seen from Michigan during its opening three games.