The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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DECEMBER 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 41 ❱ MICHIGAN BASKETBALL Three Best Players 1. Sophomore guard Dug McDaniel What a difference a year makes. McDaniel was impressive as a freshman stepping into a starting role after graduate Jaelin Llewellyn went down with a season-ending knee injury last December, but now he looks like he could be an elite point guard, averaging 21.3 points, 6.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds per contest. Between scoring (26 points) and playmaking (7 assists), he cre- ated 46 of the Wolverines' 89 points in a 16-point win over St. John's Nov. 13, pos- sessing complete control of the game. The 5-foot- 11, 175-pounder can break presses by himself, get past defenders with ease using his speed and quickness, and he is a nightmare for opponents to face. 2. Graduate forward Ol- ivier Nkamhoua He was listed as Kenpom's MVP for Michigan's first two victories, 99-74 over UNC Asheville and 92-62 over Youngstown State. Nkam- houa does so many differ- ent things well. The 6-9, 235-pounder can play on the inside and also hit jumpers, impacts with his passing, is a tough defender and pro- vides great leadership. He was named a team captain despite being in his first sea- son with the program after transferring in from Tennes- see. Through three games, Nkamhoua was registering 17 points, 8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per night, shooting 75 percent from the field. 3. Senior forward Terrance Williams II There's no way around it, last season was tough for Williams. He struggled with his shot due to confidence issues, making just 25 per- cent of his threes and 47.2 percent of his twos, and the issue fed on itself. He worked hard on his jumper in the off- season and has shown dramatic improvement this year and a newfound con- fidence. The 6-7, 225-pounder is playing on the wing as opposed to power forward and has hit 46.7 percent of his threes and 53.8 percent of his looks from inside the arc. Williams was averaging 13.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per outing through the first three games. Key Moment Michigan looked uncomfortable with the ball early on in an 89-73 win over St. John's at Madison Square Garden Nov. 13, with 6 turnovers in the first 9 minutes — throwing the ball away and fumbling it, along with some questionable shot selections. But graduate transfer guard Nimari Burnett, who went scoreless the previous game, saved the day. He scored 15 of the Wolverines' first 16 points, and he finished the first half with 21 points. Michigan needed it, too. In the first 12 minutes, non-Burnett Wolverines went 3-of-10 shooting from the field to go along with the aforementioned turnovers. Michigan had a late run to build a 10-point halftime l e a d , b efo re eve r y t h i n g clicked in the second half. But they wouldn't have been in that position without Bur- nett. Best Highlight Michigan put on a show with a 99-74, season-open- ing victory over UNC Ashe- ville Nov. 7, and the highlight came in the first half, showing that this team does indeed have increased athleticism. Leading 46-27 with just over two minutes remaining in the first half, McDaniel jogged up the floor in transition, kept his eyes up and thrust a two- handed lob toward the right side of the backboard … from half court. Nkamhoua was sprinting along the baseline, leaped, caught the ball and flushed it with two hands, bringing the Crisler Center crowd to its feet and causing the Bulldogs to call timeout. Bold Prediction Michigan will head into January with two losses or fewer. The Wolverines' pre- New Year schedule looked tough heading into the sea- son, particularly with games away from home — at St. John's, in the Bahamas, at Oregon, at Iowa and versus Florida in Charlotte. Now, Michigan looks like a tough test for each of those teams. The Battle 4 Atlantis field is tough, with Arkansas, Memphis, North Carolina, Stanford, Texas Tech, Northern Iowa and Villanova joining the Wolverines, but we predict U-M will only drop at the most one game during "Feast Week." They're favored on Kenpom in every other game before the new year outside of Oregon Dec. 2 and Iowa Dec. 10 — both road games in which they're one-point underdogs. Suddenly, things look more manageable in the early going. — Clayton Sayfie Superlatives For U-M's Three Games From Nov. 7 To Nov. 13 Sophomore point guard Dug McDaniel has been elite in Michigan's first three games, averaging 21.3 points, 6.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds per contest. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL