Tag: Zavier Simpson

5 takeaways: No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 10 Oregon

Five takeaways from the Top 10 showdown between No. 5 Michigan and No. 10 Oregon on Dec. 14 at the Crisler Center.

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Coming off their second loss of the year at Illinois, Michigan had no time to lick its wounds with No. 10 Oregon coming to the Crisler Center on Saturday.

The nonconference showdown with the Ducks (7-2) provided an excellent opportunity for the No. 5 Wolverines (8-2, 1-1 Big Ten) to bounce back from their first conference loss of the season.

Michigan got off to an extremely slow start, scoring just 9 points in the first 12 minutes. Oregon built as lead as high as 16 points, before the Wolverines closed to within 31-23 by halftime.

In the second half, Michigan came out firing on all cylinders to come all the way back to take a lead late in the second half. Oregon punched back, and the two teams traded blows on their way to a 63-63 tie to end regulation.

Overtime proved to be a dogfight as well, but in the end, the Ducks delivered the last punch as they outlasted the Wolverines by a final score of 71-70.

1. BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

The Wolverines were nowhere to be found when this one got underway. Michigan opened the game 3-of-17 from the floor (including three missed dunks) and 1-of-8 from the three-point line in the first 12 minutes. The Wolverines finished the half shooting just 24 percent overall. In the second half, however, Michigan caught fire, making 10 of their first 15 attempts from the floor and 5-of-6 from three-point range. As a whole in the second half and overtime, the Wolverines went 18-of-32 from the floor and 6-of-8 from deep to improve their total shooting percentage to 41 percent. Still, scoring lulls like we saw in the first half are concerning. That was something that plagued the team last season as well, and it cost them on Saturday.

2. DEJULIUS CARRIES THE FIRST HALF

The Wolverines desperately needed a spark offensively in the first half, and they got one off the bench in the form of sophomore David DeJulius. The second-year guard scored 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including 2-of-5 from three-point range in the first 20 minutes. DeJulius carried Michigan into the locker room, and though he didn’t have the same impact in the second half — finishing with 14 points — he gave the Wolverines a chance to get back in the game.

3. FRANZ WAGNER. EARLY STRUGGLES, BIG TIME RESPONSE

It was another youngster lifted Michigan in the second half, as true freshman Franz Wagner came to like to score 18 of his 21 total points in the first half and overtime. He was Like the team as a whole, Wagner struggled to find his way in the first half, but he hit big shot after big shot in the second half. The freshman has had an up-and-down experience in Ann Arbor thus far, as he continues work his way back to full speed following a wrist fracture before the season. But he came up big in this game. Fans should be patient with some of his “freshman mistakes” this season, because the talent here is clear and obvious.

4. TESKE, SIMPSON WERE DISAPPOINTING

Earlier this week, head coach Juwan Howard named Jon Teske and Zavier Simpson as the team’s captains. The pair had a rough first outting with their new titles. Teske was a complete non-factor, finishing with only 4 points and 4 rebounds in 24 minutes of play. He was replaced by Brandon Johns Jr. ( 8 points, 9 rebounds) in the second half and overtime. Simpson did have 11 assists, that should be highlighted, but the senior had 4 turnovers, struggled with his on-ball defense (which is supposed to be his specialty), and was just 3-of-11 from the floor. The senior’s on-ball defense looked subpar against Illinois as well, and that is a major concern moving forward.

5. Wolverines are IN A SLUMP

After opening the season 7-0 and surging to a Top 5 ranking, Michigan has now lost three of it’s last four games. Two of those came against Top 10 opponents, and losses on the road in the Big Ten are going to happen, but this was an opportunity that the Wolverines let get away. A win over a ranked Oregon squad after the loss at Illinois would have righted the ship, but instead it’s likely Michigan will take a steep fall in the rankings. The Wolverines have a week off before beginning the road back next Saturday against Presbyterian.

Halftime Analysis: No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 10 Oregon

Looking at the positives and negatives at halftime of No. 5 Michigan’s Top 10 showdown with No. 10 Oregon at the Crisler Center.

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No. 5 Michigan returned home off their 71-62 loss at Illinois on Wednesday into a Top 10 nonconference matchup with No. 10 Oregon.

The Ducks (7-2) come in having already faced four Top 25 opponents, with wins over Seton Hall and Memphis and losses to Gonzaga and North Carolina. The Wolverines (8-2, 1-1 Big Ten) defeated the Zags and Tar Heels in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.

Michigan got off to an extremely slow start, scoring just 9 points in the first 12 minutes. Oregon built as lead as high as 16 points, before the Wolverines closed to within 31-23 by halftime.

NEGATIVES:

  • Michigan’s shooting woes against Illinois carried over in spades for this game, as the Wolverines opened the game 3-of-17 from the floor and 1-of-8 from the three-point line in the opening 12 minutes. Those numbers improved slightly by the end of the half, but could have come up even more had the Wolverines not missed three dunks down the stretch. Michigan is up to 24 percent (7-of-29) from the floor, but the Wolverines will need to shoot the ball much better in the second half to make a comeback.
  • On the other end, Oregon is having no such struggles offensively. The Ducks shot 12-of-26 (46 percent) overall and 5-of-10 from deep. Michigan has contested shots decently well, but Oregon is finding ways to make tough shots fall.
  • The Ducks employed a three-quarter court press in the first half, and it seems to take the Wolverines out of their rhythm offensively. Michigan turned the ball over 5 times in the first half, and the pressure may have contributed to the shooting woes as well.

POSITIVES:

  • The Wolverines desperately needed a spark offensively, and they got one off the bench in the form of sophomore David DeJulius. The second-year guard scored 12 points in the first half on 4-of-7 shooting, including 2-of-5 from three-point range. DeJulius carried the Wolverines in that first half.
  • Michigan played pesky defense in the first half, despite of the Ducks’ solid shooting percentage. The Wolverines forced 9 turnovers in the first half, which is really what allowed them to stay in the game. Michigan scored 7 points off those giveaways. The Wolverines will need to keep up the pressure in the second half.

Despite the extraordinarily ugly start, the Wolverines have gritted their way into just a 8-point deficit. Michigan is within striking distance as the second half begins.

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Juwan Howard names two as Michigan team captains for 2019-20

It’s official: the Wolverines have two team captains for the season. Juwan Howard explained why they were the obvious choice.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. —  There was no fanfare, no official announcement. And it didn’t even come before the season. That is, the naming of team captains for the 2019-20 Michigan basketball team.

At the outset of the season, the team didn’t have captains, but — though he can’t remember precisely when it happened — that changed, according to head coach Juwan Howard.

As he explains, he intended on having a team vote to name captains, but after putting some thought on it, Howard nixed that idea, noting that really, the choices were obvious.

“When I thought about team captains, I said, ‘You know, allow players to vote who they think is the best suited to become captain. Who earned it.’” Howard explained. “Then, one day, at night, I was thinking – I’m always thinking – I said, ‘I know who the captains are. It’s plain and simple. It’s staring all of us in the face. Jon Teske, Zavier Simpson.’ Not just because they’re seniors, it’s just that: X is the ultimate leader there is. I haven’t seen a better leader than Zavier Simpson. Holds his teammates accountable, he’s a guy who he doesn’t just talk the talk, the cliché ‘you walk the walk’ – that’s what he does. It’s that simple. One of the hardest working guys on the team. Smart player. I’ve said it before, he’s my Tom Brady. He makes my job a lot easier as a coach. I can lay my head down at night knowing I have a guy like X in the trenches.

“Jon Teske’s a guy who’s won many games like X. Proven. They both, in my opinion, will have a chance to play on the next level in the NBA if they want to. Jon, elite-level center, smart defender. Quiet assassin. I would say, leads by example. Because all leaders are not vocal, either. It doesn’t mean he’s not a leader. He just leads in a different way. And it’s good also to have balance. And I think with Jon and X, it’s a great balance of the two. You may be able to get a few words out of Jon, but if you talk to X for awhile, you’ll get a lot of words out of him.

“So, I told the guys: ‘Captain is chosen! I’m choosing Jon and X! It’s that simple. Does anyone have any input? Please feel free! Is anyone against it?’ Just like how this room is right now, it was quiet.”

As the two seniors on the team, and two of the obvious leaders, the choice is a perfect one for Howard and the basketball team. Naturally, there are other players who could have been candidates — juniors Isaiah Livers and Eli Brooks — but Michigan is certainly in good hands with Simpson and Teske leading the charge.

5 takeaways: No. 5 Michigan loses at Illinois

Five takeaways from the No. 5 Wolverines road trip to Illinois as Big Ten Conference play continues for Michigan basketball.

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Michigan traveled to Illinois on Wednesday night for a conference clash in the Big Ten.

The Illini were inches away from knocking off a Top 5 last week, falling on the road to Maryland by a score of 59-58. Illinois was chomping at the bit for another shot at another highly-ranked opponent, as the fifth-ranked Wolverines rode into Champaign.

The went toe-to-toe in the first half, trading blows for 20 minutes. Michigan trailed 30-28 at halftime. But in the second half, Illinois seized control, building a lead as large as 12 points. The Wolverines used a late surge to get back to within four points with two minutes to go, but were unable to complete the comeback, falling by a score of 71-62.

1. POOR HALFCOURT OFFENSE

Illinois, defensively, was determined to play tight on wing shooters like Isaiah Livers and Eli Brooks, and force Zavier Simpson to create his own offense. It proved to be a sound strategy, as Simpson struggled mightily from the floor (4-of-14) and finished with just 9 points. Michigan’s coaching staff didn’t seem to have an answer, as their halfcourt offense looked stagnant throughout the game. The ball stuck in Simpson’s hands too much, and there wasn’t enough movement from the other four players on the court. Simpson did finish with 8 assists against just 1 turnover, but it wasn’t enough. If future opponents employ a similar strategy — playing off Simpson to stay on shooters — against the Wolverines, they’ll need to have a response.

2. BULLIED IN THE PAINT

Michigan struggled with the quickness of Illinois’ guards and the physicality of their bigs throughout the night. Dribble penetration led to buckets for the guards, and offensive rebounds led to more buckets for the bigs. The Wolverines were out-scored 44-26 in the paint. In addition, the Illini protected their rim very well, finishing with 6 blocks as a team.

3. WOLVERINES STRUGGLE ON THE GLASS

The Illini have been an outstanding rebounding team all season, and that continued on Wednesday night. Illinois leads the nation in rebounding margin, entering the game at plus-15.7 per game, and they were right on pace as they out-rebounded the Wolverines by a 44-28 margin. The offensive glass, in particular, is where Illinois did their damage, as they tallied 15 offensive boards while surrendering just 6. Michigan finished the game with zero second-chance points.

4. THREE-POINT SHOOTING VITAL

In Michigan’s only other loss this season, at Louisville, they shot a dismal 16 percent from behind the three-point arc. On Wednesday, it was a strikingly similar showing as the Wolverines were just 3-of-18 from deep to finish at 16.7 percent. It’s clear that the three-point shot is key to Michigan’s success. They can beat anyone in America when it’s falling, but are susceptible against any team when it’s not falling. The Wolverines need to fins other ways to score when their perimeter game is taken away like it was against the Illini and the Cardinals.

5. POOR BENCH PRODUCTION

Michigan has gotten solid production off the bench in recent outtings, but that came to a grinding halt against Illinois. David DeJulius was limited to 7 points on just 3-of-7 shooting, and that was the most the Wolverines got off the bench. Colin Castleton, Brandon Johns Jr. and Adrian Nunez combined for just 2 points on 1-of-4 shooting off the bench. It will be tough to win Big Ten games, particularly on the road, with just 9 bench points on 4-of-11 shooting.

5 takeaways from the Big Ten-opener for No. 4 Michigan

No. 4 Michigan bounced back from their loss to No. 1 Louisville with an impressive 103-91 victory over Iowa to open Big Ten Conference play.

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Hosting Iowa for their Big Ten season-opener, No. 4 Michigan bounced back nicely from their first loss of the season at No. 1 Louisville by defeating the Hawkeyes by the score of 103-91.

The two teams traded blows early in the game, before the Wolverines ended the half with a 7-0 run to take a 50-38 lead into the locker room. In the second half, Iowa got within 78-71 but Michigan’s offense was too much as they pulled away again, improving to 8-1 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play. The Hawkeyes fall to 6-3 on the season.

Five takeaways from the Wolverines’ victory:

1. BACK TO (SHOOTING) FORM

Michigan had an ugly shooting night against Louisville, finishing at just 26 percent from the floor and 16 percent from three-point range. However, the Wolverines returned to form against Iowa, shooting 32-of-58 from the floor (55 percent) and 10-of-24 from deep (42 percent). It was a welcome sight, and a product of better ball movement and fluidity on offense than Michigan had against the Cardinals.

2. SHARING THE WEALTH

As mentioned above, the Wolverines’ ball movement was noticeably better on Friday night, leading to 21 assists on 32 made shots. As a result, Michigan was able to get several guys going offensively, finishing with an impressive six players scoring in double figures (Franz Wagner, Jon Teske, Zaver Simpson, Isaiah Livers, Eli Brook, Brandon Johns Jr.). The offensive outburst led to the Wolverines scoring their most points in a Big Ten game since 1998, when they scored 112 against Indiana.

3. BATTLE OF THE BIGS

Iowa center Luka Garza, the Big Ten’s leading scorer, had a career-high with 44 points and added 8 rebounds to lead the Hawkeyes. Michigan had no answer defensively for the Iowa big man, and Wolverines center Jon Teske picked up four fouls trying to defend Garza. However, Michigan countered with the combined efforts of Teske (16 points, 5 rebounds), Brandon Johns Jr. (12 points, 8 rebounds) and Austin Davis (8 points, 3 rebounds). The Wolverines will need to tighten up their post defense moving forward, but it was good to see the response from Michigan’s big men on offense.

4. OWNING THE BOARDS

One area that Michigan appeared to struggle in early this season was rebounding, but the Wolverines have seemed to correct that as of late. Michigan held their own on the glass throughout the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament — out-rebounding their opponents by 10 over the course of three games — and that trend continued against the Hawkeyes. The Wolverines won the rebounding battle 38-30 over Iowa. It was a team effort to win on the glass, as five Michigan players finished with five rebounds or more.

5. YOUNG WOLVERINES BREAK OUT

A pair of young Wolverines had their best outings in maize and blue uniforms, as freshman Franz Wagner finished with a career-high 18 points to lead Michigan in scoring. He was aggressive throughout the game and went 9-of-10 from the free throw line. Brandon Johns Jr. also had a career game for the Wolverines, scoring 12 points (career-high) and adding 8 rebounds (tied career high). John Jr.’s minutes off the bench were vital with fellow sophomore Colin Castleton being limited due to a non-serious first half injury, and junior Isaiah Livers struggling with foul trouble.

Halftime Analysis: No. 4 Michigan vs. Iowa

Halftime analysis from Michigan basketball’s Big Ten opener against the Iowa Hawkeyes at the friendly confines of the Crisler Center.

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Coming off its first loss of the season at No. 1 Louisville, the fourth-ranked Michigan Wolverines welcomed Iowa to the Crisler Center.

After facing three straight teams ranked in the Top 10, the unranked Hawkeyes are no slouch for Michigan either. Iowa already has wins over Texas Tech and Syracuse this season.

After trading blows early on, Michigan’s hot shooting eventually allowed them to pull away towards the end of the half. At the break, the Wolverines lead by a score of 50-38.

POSITIVES:

  • After finishing with 9 points, 3 assists and 4 turnovers against the Cardinals, Michigan point guard Zavier Simpson got off to a fast start and looked more like himself in the first half against Iowa. At the break, the senior is already up to 7 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds and a steal. The senior and has 2 turnovers.
  • The Wolverines got off to a great start shooting the ball, which was a welcome sight after they struggled so mightily in that department at Louisville. After opening the game by shooting north of 60 percent from the floor and 50 percent from three-point range, Michigan ended the half 17-of-31 from the floor (55 percent) and 6-of-13 from deep (46 percent).
  • Freshman Franz Wagner was active in first half for Michigan. While he only attempted two shots, making one, Wagner was assertive on offense and got to the free throw line on several occasions, going 6-for-6 from the charity stripe to finish the half with 8 points.
  • Brandon Johns Jr. provided some nice minutes off the bench for the Wolverines. At the break, he’s up to 10 points on 3-of-5 shooting, including 2-of-3 from three-point range. It was perhaps the sophomore’s best half of basketball since donning a Michigan uniform.

NEGATIVES:

  • Iowa’s Luke Garza came into the contest as the Big Ten’s leading scorer at 20 points per game, and third in the conference in rebounding with 10 per game. Michigan did nothing to slow down the Hawkeye center’s fast start to the season, as Garza finished the first half with 27 points on 11-of-19 shooting, and added 4 rebounds. It didn’t matter who coach Juwan Howard had guarding Garza, the Iowa big man had his way.
  • Sophomore Colin Castleton left the game with an injury early in the game after he took an elbow to the mouth from Garza on a rebound attempt. Castleton did return to the game with 2:30 remaining in the half, sporting a cut lip. He went to the free throw line shortly after and converted both of his foul shots.

5 takeaways from No. 4 Michigan at No. 1 Louisville

Five takeaways from No. 4 Michigan’s first true road trip of the season, as they battle No. 1 Louisville in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

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Michigan’s jump from unranked to No. 4 in the Associated Press poll was the largest leap by a team in the 70-year history of the poll. The Wolverines spot in the Top 5 was challenged right away on Tuesday night.

Louisville, hosting Michigan for the ACC/Big Ten challenge, came in as the No. 1 team in the AP Poll. In addition to the challenge of playing the top team in the country, it was also the Wolverines first true road game of the season.

Michigan got off to a dreadful start, missing nine of their first ten shots and finishing the first half on 6-of-30 shooting (20 percent). Louisville led at the break, 28-18.

The Wolverines began the second half with a miniature spurt, cutting their deficit to 30-24, but Louisville responded to stretch the lead back to as many as 16 points.

Michigan was never able to make a run and put a scare in the Cardinals, as they fell by a final score of 58-43.

1. WOLVERINES GO COLD ON OFFENSE

In their win over Gonzaga, Michigan shot 54 percent from the floor and 52 percent from three-point range. In the win over North Carolina, the Wolverines were 50 percent from the floor and 42 percent from three. But against the Cardinals, Michigan struggled mightily from the floor, shooting an ugly 26 percent overall (15-of-58) and just 16 percent from deep (3-of-19).

2. FATIGUE A FACTOR?

The Wolverines played three games in three days in the Bahamas to win the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. It was an exciting run, but playing three games back-to-back-to-back challenges a team’s stamina, especially this early in the season. Perhaps Michigan hasn’t fully recovered from that run yet. The shooting woes could have been a result of tired legs. Still, give the Cardinals credit for playing very good defense throughout the contest.

3. LIVERS, SIMPSON MUST BE BETTER

Isaiah Livers had a very poor performance, finishing with just 3 points on 1-of-9 shooting. He had 5 rebounds and 2 blocks. Livers’ shooting ability is far superior than what he showed against Louisville, and Michigan struggled to score as a result. Meanwhile, senior point guard Zavier Simpson struggled as well. He finished with 9 points on 4-of-11 shooting, but the bigger issue was that Simpson had only 3 assists against 4 turnovers. Coming into the contest, the senior led the nation in assist percentage. The Wolverines rely on Simpson’s ability to create on offense, but he was contained well by the Cardinals.

4. JON TESKE STAYS CONSISTENT

Jon Teske continues to be very reliable for Michigan. He finished the night with a double-double, scoring 18 points and adding 10 rebounds. Like the rest of his team, Teske did struggle with his shooting however, finishing just 6-of-18 from the floor. Still, the big guy has been a steady presence on the floor all season long. He was the MVP of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, and was really the lone bright spot for the Wolverines in this game.

5. NOT AN UNEXPECTED OUTCOME

It was disappointing to see Michigan shoot as poorly as they did in this game, and the final score is a bit ugly. However, this isn’t an entirely unexpected outcome in this game. Louisville is a really good team that’s already generating Final Four buzz. The Cardinals are the No. 1 team in America for a reason, and this was an extremely tough place for the Wolverines to play their first road game of the season. Michigan’s start to the season remains very impressive, despite this loss, and it’s a defeat that can be used to keep the team motivated to continue improving.

Five takeaways from Michigan hoops vs. Elon

Five takeaways from Michigan basketball’s win over Elon University in the opening round of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.

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Michigan hosted Elon University on Friday night in the opening round of the Battle 4 Atlantis college basketball tournament.

After a slow start the game, the Wolverines settled in to cruise to a 70-50 victory to improve to 3-0 on the young season. Juwan Howard is off to a strong start in his first stint as a head coach, though far bigger tests await than Michigan’s opening three games against Appalachian State, Creighton and Elon. The Wolverines will potentially play North Carolina later in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, and have future out of conference games against No. 4 Louisville and No. 14 Oregon coming in December.

Below are five takeaways from Friday’s victory for the Wolverines:

1. RESPONDING TO A SLOW START

Michigan opened the game sluggish and uninterested. Through the first ten minutes of play, the Wolverines shot 3-of-12 from the floor — including 1-of-7 from three-point range — and turned the ball over five times. Michigan finished the first half strong however to take a 31-22 into halftime, and carried that into the second half. The Wolverines finished the game 28-of-58 from the field (48 percent) and had just 5 turnovers in the final 30 minutes of play.

2. TESKE DOMINATES THE PAINT

Jon Teske’s game mirrored the Wolverines’ in that he responded after a slow start of his own. The 7-foot center was easily the biggest guy on the floor Friday night, and started to play like it around the midway mark of the first half. Teske finished with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals to help the Wolverines pull away. The big man also help Michigan dominate the Elon in the paint, as the Wolverines outscored the Pheonix 34-16 down low.

3. DAVID DEJULIUS CONTINUES TO IMPRESS

The Wolverines needed a spark after the slow start on Friday night, and that spark came in the form of sophomore David DeJulius. In the first half, the combo-guard had 8 points and a team-leading 8 rebounds for Michigan despite being the shortest player on the floor for the Wolverines. DeJulius finished with 10 points but did not add to his rebounding total in the second half.

4. SHARE THE WEALTH

Michigan finished the game with four players (Teske, DeJulius, Zavier Simpson, Eli Brooks) scoring in the double digits, and junior Isaiah Livers was close to double figures with 9 points. The Wolverines moved the ball well offensively, and got multiple people involved once they settled into the game. Michigan finished the game with 12 assists — Simpson led the Wolverines with 7 assists.

5. REBOUNDING STILL A CONCERN

Michigan has struggled to rebound in the early goings this season, and that continued to some degree in this contest. The Wolverines out-rebounded Elon 38-31, but edging the oversized Pheonix by only seven is disappointing. This has become a trend for Michigan this season. The Wolverines were out-rebounded 38-27 against Creighton, after giving up an ugly 18 offensive rebounds to the Bluejays earlier this week. Michigan also struggled to out-rebound lowly Appalachian State in the opener (34-33).

Five takeaways from Michigan hoops vs. Creighton

Michigan moved to 2-0 in the Juwan Howard era with a 79-69 win over Creighton on Tuesday night. Five takeaways from the Wolverines win.

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Coming off a season-opening win over Appalachian State last week, Michigan welcomed Creighton to Crisler Arena on Tuesday night for their second consecutive home game to start the year.

After a back-and-forth first half saw the Bluejays take a 41-38 lead into the locker room, the Wolverines responded in the second half, taking the lead and pulling away late for a 79-69 victory. Michigan moves to 2-0 on the year, and will return to game action on Friday against Elon University.

Below are five takeaways from the Wolverines’ win over the Creighton:

1. LIVERS, TESKE LEAD THE WAY

Junior forward Isaiah Livers played phenomenally for the Wolverines, leading the way with 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting. The junior shot well from deep as well, hitting 4-of-7 shots from behind the three-point arc. After a bit of a slow start, senior center Jon Teske had a big second half to finish with 17 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals. The senior center asserted his will in the second half, and was a go-to player on offense as the Wolverines put the game away down the stretch.

2. BLUEJAYS DOMINATE THE GLASS

Creighton had their way on the boards, out-rebounding Michigan by a 38-to-27 margin. The Bluejays hit the offensive glass especially hard, with 18 offensive rebounds leading to 13 second chance points for Creighton. Following the game, head coach Juwan Howard said his Wolverines were out-muscled and out-hustled, particularly in the first half. Michigan will have to do a better job rebounding going forward, especially when Big Ten play begins.

3. SIMPSON RETURNS TO FORM

Zavier Simpson had a tough opener against Appalachian State, finishing with six turnovers and shooting just 2-of-8 from the field. Against Creighton, however, the senior returned to what fans have come to expect of him. Simpson finished with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting. More importantly, the senior finished with 9 assists against 4 turnovers, a much better ratio than he had in the season-opener. The senior will need to continue to cut down on his turnovers — he’s averaging 5 per game so far — but this was a step in the right direction.

4. DAVID DEJULIUS STRONG OFF THE BENCH

Sophomore combo-guard David DeJulius played well off the bench as the Wolverines’ sixth man on Tuesday night. DeJulius had 9 points — including an impressive step-back three-pointer while defended closely — and added 7 rebounds in a gritty performance for the second-year guard. The sophomore went 4-for-4 from the free throw line, and his 28 minutes were the fifth-most for the team.

5. GOOD ADJUSTMENTS FROM HOWARD

Creighton got in the lane via the dribble drive at will in the first half, leading to 24 points in the paint, and several kick-out threes after 20 minutes. However, the Wolverines defended better in the second half, cutting down the Bluejays paint points to 18 in the second half. More impressively, Michigan limited Creighton to just 2-of-7 shooting from the three-point line after the break, after the Bluejays hit five triples in the first half. Head coach Juwan Howard and his coaching staff clearly put an emphasis on shutting down the driving lanes during halftime, and the Wolverines responded well. Michigan held Creighton to just 28 points in the second half.

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