5 Takeaways From Michigan’s Big Wins Over SDSU And Auburn

Through the first two days of the Players Era Festival, the seventh-ranked Wolverines have proven why they’re considered one of the top teams in the country.

Monday night, Michigan demolished a solid San Diego State squad by 40 points, 94-54. Six Wolverines scored in double figures, but graduate forward Yaxel Lendeborg led the way with 15 points, six rebounds, and four assists.

Michigan continued its dominance Tuesday night, this time clobbering No. 21 Auburn by a score of 102-72. Four players scored 15 or more points, but Lendeborg and senior guard Roddy Gayle Jr. led all scorers with 17 apiece.

With two massive wins under their belt, the Wolverines are set to take on No. 12 Gonzaga Wednesday night at 9:20 p.m. in the Players Era Festival final. 

Here are five key takeaways from Michigan’s wins over the Aztecs and Tigers.

The Wolverines’ defense is suffocating. With their combination of size and athleticism, they simply cause a slew of matchup problems for opposing teams.

Junior center Aday Mara is emerging as one of the premier shot-blockers in the nation as well. Standing at 7-foot-3, if he’s not physically blocking a shot, he’s altering it simply due to the fear that he might block it. Even if opponents are able to get into the lane, Mara is in there, waiting.

Outside of Mara, the Wolverines like to switch every screen, a tactic which can confuse opposing offenses and blow up their set plays. While this scheme can sometimes lead to wide open baskets due to communication breakdowns, it seems to be working just fine for Michigan so far.

Following the Wolverines’ win over Auburn, they ranked No. 1 nationally in defensive efficiency according to KenPom.

In several of Michigan’s early contests, some guys were seemingly struggling to figure out what their roles on the team were. It makes sense, given that a majority of the team has never played together before this year, so there was always going to be an adjustment period.

But it seems that the Wolverines have begun to figure it out — the lineups look more cohesive, and things are running smoother on both sides of the ball. The offense is moving with more intent, and teammates are learning each other’s tendencies and preferences.

This doesn’t mean that the gelling period is entirely done, but it’s certainly an encouraging sign that they looked so cohesive this early in the season.

Through its first four games, Michigan was struggling to find an identity, but it seems like it has finally found one: interior dominance. 

The Wolverines definitely have capable shooters on the roster, but their real bread and butter is pounding the paint. With Mara and sophomore center Morez Johnson as back-to-the-basket bigs, Lendeborg and Gayle as perimeter slashers, and sophomore L.J. Cason and junior Elliot Cadeau as scrappy guards, Michigan has a lot of weapons that can score in the paint.

Against both SDSU and Auburn, the Wolverines scored 38 points in the paint and dominated the rebound differential as well. 

The Wolverines have been volatile from beyond the arc this season, but they showed their potential from deep on Monday and Tuesday, hitting double-digit 3-pointers in both games.

Guys like Lendeborg, graduate guard Nimari Burnett, and freshman guard Trey McKenney are great shooters, but outside of them, shooting isn’t necessarily a strong suit of this roster. Regardless, Michigan has proven that it is capable of putting together solid shooting performances like it did against the Aztecs and Tigers. 

Last season, the Wolverines would often generate large leads, but were unable to put the game away. It seemed that they’d always let the opponent back into the game, and it led to Michigan losing a few games that it could have put away earlier. 

Against SDSU and Auburn, however, that wasn’t a problem. The Wolverines took advantage of any opportunity to open up a big lead, and held on to it. A big reason for this is that they didn’t turn the ball over as much, garnering  just 13 and nine turnovers in the two games, respectively. They valued their possessions and didn’t let their opponents gain any momentum.

Being able to bury teams when given the chance is a sign of a great team, and Michigan is showing that ability so far this season.