The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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DECEMBER 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 39 ❱ MICHIGAN BASKETBALL Three Best Players 1. Junior guard Tre Donaldson Michigan's floor general had a stellar debut in the 101-53 season-opening win over Cleveland State Nov. 4, registering 16 points and 7 assists. He made all 6 of his field goal attempts, includ- ing a pair of threes, and all 6 of his free throw tries. The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder also controlled the pace, which was extremely up-tempo. The former Auburn guard added 10 points, 4 assists and 9 rebounds in the 72-70 loss to Wake Forest Nov. 10. According to Synergy, he's produced 18 points on 11 half-court possessions as the primary player, with that 1.636 average slotting in the 98th percentile nationally. 2. Junior guard Roddy Gayle Jr. The Ohio State transfer's activity on both ends of the floor has given Michigan a big lift early in the season. He put up 13 and 11 points in two outings, respectively, adding a total of 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. The 6-foot-5, 205-pounder is shooting 7-of-11 on twos and 2-of-7 on threes, and his aggressiveness in get- ting into the lane has allowed him to draw 5 fouls per 40 minutes, a career best. 3. Junior forward/center Danny Wolf The 7-foot, 250-pounder struggled in some ar- eas in the Wake Forest loss (4 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists), and turnovers have been an issue in both games (11), but he was sensational to open the campaign. He led Michigan with 19 points and 13 rebounds against Cleveland State, adding 2 assists, 3 blocks and 3 steals. He's unusually quick for a seven-footer, giving him the ability to lead the fast break. He made 8 of his 10 field goal attempts on the night, putting the nation on notice. Key Play Wake Forest recorded 11 offensive rebounds in its 72-70 win over U-M Nov. 10, but two were back-breaking down the stretch. Trailing by two points (65-63) with 2:31 to go after junior guard Tre Donaldson missed a layup in transition, Michi- gan needed a stop. The Wolverines forced two missed shots by guard Hunter Sallis but failed to corral the rebound each time, so the Demon Deacons' possession lasted more than a minute. They turned the ball over at the 1:24 mark, but the lengthy trip down the floor trimmed Michi- gan's chances of coming back to win. Best Highlight With Michigan up 93-45 and less than five min- utes to go in the 101-53 win over Cleveland State Nov. 4, redshirt junior forward Will Tschetter brought the house down. Graduate guard Ni- mari Burnett dove and captured a loose ball on defense, flipping it up to Tschetter, who dribbled across half court, had an edge on the defense, picked up his dribble at the free throw line and rose up for a ferocious one-handed slam. He ran down the floor and joined the thousands of screaming fans by showing his excitement. The Wolverines' spectators were already into the fast- paced game all night long, but the Crisler Center crowd never got louder than after Tschetter's slam in transition. Some of his teammates looked surprised on the bench — it wasn't because he's not a dunker (he had three last season) but be- cause he hadn't shown that type of athleticism on a regular basis. Bold Prediction Junior forward/center Danny Wolf (19 points versus Cleveland State) and junior guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (11 points versus Wake Forest) have each led Michigan in scoring in one of two tilts. Head coach Dusty May has said he has nine "starters" capable of leading the team in scor- ing, and we predict that in the next two games — against TCU Nov. 15 and Miami Ohio Nov. 18 — the Wolverines will be paced by two different players not named Wolf or Gayle. There's enough balance on the squad for that to take place. — Clayton Sayfie Superlatives For U-M's Two Games From Nov. 4 To Nov. 10 In Michigan's first two outings, junior guard Roddy Gayle averaged 12 points per game to go along with 2.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL