Michigan Basketball: Pressing and mishaps almost sour Howard’s debut

Michigan basketball was rolling along versus App State until they hit the proverbial opening night wall to survive an all-time collapse.

It was a memorable night to tip-off the new beginning for Michigan basketball in Crisler Arena on Tuesday evening. The maize and blue played off that energy in the early atmosphere as they got off to a hot start. Jon Teske had a perfect way to begin the season. He scored the first nine points, along with being a menace on the defensive side of the floor as well. Teske capped of the night with a double-double and showed how involved he is going to be moving forward.

Eli Brooks was the standout of the contest. A team-leading 24 points as a starter with silky smooth shooting from beyond the arc. Brooks played the most minutes last night too, with 37 of the overall 40. His most impressive stat though was 5-11 from behind the stretched out three-point line.

Zavier Simpson had an uncharacteristic performance. Six turnovers because of questionable passing decisions. He was clearly frustrated as seen during the outing but is not the type to linger on those numbers with Creighton on deck. Simpson and his teammates will certainly look to crack down on the 17 team turnovers next time out.

With Franz Wagner still out, Howard only let a rotation of eight see the floor. Colin Castleton, Brandon Johns and David DeJulius were the only reserves off the bench. Freshman Cole Bajema could be on course to redshirt unless Howard decides to use him when he thinks he is ready. DeJulius garnered the most minutes with Simpson in early foul trouble, while Castleton had the biggest impact. The size of Castleton and Teske gave the Mountaineers fits throughout with the two constantly around the paint.

Adrien Nunez was the question mark of the lineup coming in. After barely seeing time last year, Nunez started in place of Wagner and wasn’t much of a factor. He tallied four fouls in only 13 minutes of action. It will be very interesting to see how he progresses knowing he is considered the weak link on the current roster.

All in all, Michigan basketball had a 30 point lead evaporate, but was doing what it was supposed to against an inferior squad for the first 30 minutes.

With an overabundance of sloppiness they couldn’t buy a bucket for nearly eight minutes and let App State make it to close for comfort. Missed free throws is something that’s been a problem during Beilein’s tenure and continued down the stretch. Needless to say the Wolverines have a lot to work on with the schedule getting tougher from here.

With that said, Howard’s first club can be a tournament contender. When Wagner returns, things should fall into shape on both sides of the court. Managing the load put on their plates will be difficult, but this group showed what it can be with their heads on straight. It’s going to be an exciting ride to see how they do just that.