Michigan Basketball blows out Detroit: Highlights and key takeaways

Michigan basketball blew out Detroit Saturday 90-58 in the Detroit Classic. Here are some key takeaways and highlights of the Wolverines win.

After two difficult non-conference wins over UCLA and Texas, the Michigan basketball team had an easier time finding the winner’s circle Saturday against Detroit.

Related Story: Michigan Football: 3 players to watch in Outback Bowl

The game was close for a little while in the first half, when the score was 23-13 about 11 minutes into the game. Yet at that point, Michigan basketball ripped off 17 straight points to take complete control of the game.

At halftime, the Wolverines found themselves in front 54-19. With a bunch of young guys playing in the second half, Detroit outscored the Wolverines 39-36, but the game was decided early on. UM went on to win in the end 90-58.

Charles Matthews, who has arguably been Michigan’s best player this season, had another stellar offensive day, scoring 20 points, including 10 straight at one point in the second half.

Jon Teske who saw significant minutes starting in place of the injured Moe Wagner, scored 15 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. It was his second double-double of the season. He was 6-of-12 from the field and also added two steals.

Teske played well, but he wasn’t the only young guy to have a good day. Sophomore Zavier Simpson built on a string of solid games with 12 points, six assists and five rebounds. He was also 2-for-2 from 3-point range.

Jordan Poole also had a big first half, scoring 10 points in the first 20 minutes, before finishing with 12. This slam dunk helped set the tone early.

Simpson, who is still coming off the bench, is taking advantage of his minutes these days. One of his best moments included this perfect alley oop for Matthews.

Duncan Robinson was the other Michigan basketball player to reach double figures, as he finished with 11 points after connecting on 3-of-4 shots from beyond the arc.

Key takeaways

One of the biggest takeaways had to be the play of Teske, who started for Wagner after the big man injured his ankle in the win over Texas. The good news is that Wagner is day-to-day, but if he misses the next two games against Alabama A&M and Jacksonville, it shouldn’t be a big deal.

While Teske did his damage from the starting lineup, another key performer, Simpson, came off the bench. The second-year point guard continued to make his case for more minutes with 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting. He connected on two shots from 3-point range and defended really well, finishing with three steals. Nothing against Eli Brooks, but Simpson is playing the best ball of any point guard right now.

Another thing to like in the win for Michigan basketball was the play of Poole, who made two 3’s and scored 12. The athletic freshman showed again just how explosive he can on the offensive end. In limited minutes, he scored 10 in the first half.

One thing to takeaway from all of this is the depth of Michigan right now. Teske, Poole and Simpson all come off the bench for Wolverines, which means UM has a pretty solid rotation. Guys like Isaiah Livers, Ibi Watson, Austin Davis and Jaaron Simmons give the Wolverines even more depth.

Next: Top 15 Michigan quarterbacks of all time

After the next two games, some of these younger guys will see their minutes cut. But Simpson, Poole and Teske in particular seem to have played their way into John Beilein’s good graces and his 8-man rotation. So when he trims it down to eight or nine guys, expect all three to keep getting plenty of minutes.