Michigan MBB Dismantles Cleveland State 101-53 in Season Opener: Key Takeaways

ANN ARBOR, MI – Michigan men’s basketball hit the hardwood with a bang on Monday night. In Dusty May’s first official game as head coach the Wolverines dominated Cleveland State in every facet to come out with a 101-53 victory. Michigan never trailed on the scoreboard and it was up 54-26 going into halftime. 

Michigan guard Rubin Jones was out with an undisclosed injury, so Nimari Burnett took his place in the starting lineup. Along with Burnett the Wolverines trotted out guards Tre Donaldson and Roddy Gayle Jr. to go with forward Danny Wolf and center Vlad Goldin. 

Michigan Men’s Basketball Takeaways:

Wolf & Goldin Are a Dynamic Duo

Michigan outmatched Cleveland State everywhere on the floor, but it was especially apparent down low. Seven footers Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin had their way for most of the contest. Wolf had a monster game, with game-highs in points (19), rebounds (13), blocks (3) and steals (3). Wolf went 8-for-10 from the field and made his only three point attempt. May said the best of Wolf is yet to come. 

“He’s still getting comfortable in the new system (and) new environment,” head coach Dusty May said. “He’s just scratching the surface. He can shoot the three, he handles it like a guard (and) he passes it better than most guards. And defensively he’s made a real intentional effort to sit down and guard the basketball with determination.”

Goldin had a quiet night statistically on offense as he finished with two points and two rebounds. However, the box score never tells the whole story. Goldin tied Wolf with a game-high three blocks, and he set his team up for success in other areas such as screens and tip-outs. May said that Goldin was an unsung hero on Monday night.

“I think Vlad was probably the invisible player of the game,” May said. “Those threes we got late were because of (the) pressure he put on the rim. I thought defensively his rim protection was huge for us, he blocked several (shots) and changed several (shots). That’s something that he hasn’t consistently done over his career, and going forward if he can protect the rim like he did tonight and be that type of presence, the scoring is going to come.”

Tre Leads the Way

Michigan junior point guard Tre Donaldson was the ultimate catalyst for his offense in the season opener. Donaldson had 10 points and four assists in the first half alone, including a 6-for-6 mark from the free throw line. He made every shot he took and finished with 16 points, six assists and one rebound. The Wolverines had 28 fast break points and 29 points off turnovers, and Donaldson seemed to lead it all. 

Donaldson had some constructive criticism for himself after the game.

“I feel like I could do a better job (rebounding), I didn’t do a good job of that tonight, so that’s on me,” Donaldson said. “With having Vlad being 7-foot-2, or however tall he’s listed (as), he’s going to get a lot of attention so they’re going to box him out on the offense and defensive glass. Us guards being able to go down there and rebound, it allows us to get out on the break after a defensive rebound and play fast how we want to.” 

Cason Made His Case

Freshman guard LJ Cason was one of May’s first substitutions on Monday night, and he immediately showed why. Cason has a motor that seems to never shut off, and he provides a high level of defense off the bench. Cason finished with 14 points, three assists, two steals and one block. Donaldson said something about Cason reminds him of himself. 

“Something I preach to LJ, because I had a similar role that he has as a freshman, is that he’s going to have to be the spark off the bench,” Donaldson said. “I feel like he’s doing a very good job of embracing that role and when the opportunity comes he’s taking full advantage of his opportunity. We’re going to need that from LJ for sure.”

Energetic Defense

The first defensive possession for Michigan ended in a steal and resulted in two points, and not much changed thereafter. Every Wolverine that stepped on the floor on Monday had active hands, and it resulted in 21 forced turnovers. Donaldson said defense is an emphasis for everyone. 

“We call them eagles,” Donaldson said, referencing a defender having their arms out. “As guards we got to be pests on the offense, so all of us guards being able to bother the ball-handlers and stuff like that, that’s something we take pride on. The energy we have, that’s just Dusty himself, he’s always energetic. It translates to us and that’s why we’re able to be exciting (and) fun to watch.”

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