Michigan Basketball: 3 things we learned in Wolverines win vs Buffalo

The Michigan basketball team defeated the Buffalo Bulls 88-76 in a high-intensity, scrappy season opener. Buffalo is currently the consensus favorites to win the MAC Conference. Michigan improves their record to 1-0 on the season.

That was one fun game! The Wolverines and Bulls faced off in one of the most fun and exciting games I have ever watched from a MAC School. Before we go into any specifications on Michigan’s performance and what we learned, I would like to give my hats off to two people.

Hat’s off to Jim Whitesell for getting his team ready and stepping up the occasion against Michigan basketball. They had no quit in them at any point in the game. Buffalo is going to be a very dangerous team going forward.

My second “Hat’s off” is to Juwan Howard. Juwan clearly knew what Buffalo was about and he knew they were a very good Basketball team. He never panicked, almost like he expected it. It’s fantastic that he is not scared of competition. It’s fantastic for the sport and the players.

Now into what you clicked this article for, three things we learned against Buffalo. We learned a lot about this brand-new team. Here are some of the main things that I think are worth addressing and highlighting in a stellar season-opening performance.

1. Caleb Houstan & Moussa Diabate are the TRUTH

As suggested in an earlier article, I said that these two players are going to need to step up for the Wolverines to win a lot of games this year, and oh boy did they step up.

Caleb Houstan put up good numbers in his first game scoring 11 points and snatching up 6 boards in the process. It’s worth noting that he shot 4-7 from the field and 2-4 from deep. At times, he looked uncomfortable and hesitant to put up shots but other times he looked like a senior controlling the tempo.

Over time, Caleb will grow into his own and contribute even more to the team than he already is. It’s evident that there is potential. Caleb did exactly as expected which was put up numbers, and be a key contributor to the team. He’s not flashy, but he’s fundamental and smart. Expect these numbers to just keep going up as he finds his role on the team.

Moussa Diabate looked unbelievable on the court. At times, I could not believe how big and strong he truly is. Coming off the bench, Moussa put up 7 points and 5 boards in 16 minutes.

What the stats won’t tell you however is how much of an impact he had in the paint. He took up so much space and was so quick and agile for his height that it was almost impossible to take it to the lane on him.

Moussa made some questionable offensive decisions in the game, but that’s what happens when you have young and inexperienced players playing against a good team. Like Caleb, over time Moussa is going to become a very vital part of this Michigan basketball team when he finds his role. Working out some of the small issues won’t take long, but it will take time.