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Gut reactions from Michigan basketball win over St. John’s

By Chris Peterson

Nov 13, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Michigan Wolverines guard Dug McDaniel (0) looks to dribble past St. John's Red Storm guard Simeon Wilcher (7) in the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 13, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Michigan Wolverines guard Dug McDaniel (0) looks to dribble past St. John's Red Storm guard Simeon Wilcher (7) in the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports /
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Michigan basketball scored an impressive road win over St. John’s on Monday night at MSG and here are the gut reactions. 

We knew that we would learn something about the Michigan basketball team on Monday night and learned that the Wolverines look like a top-25 team.

Playing on the road, at Madison Square Garden, Michigan basketball routed a St. John’s team ranked 60th according to the Kenpom rankings.

The final score was a 16-point win for the Wolverines. However, Michigan by well over 20 and completely controlled things in the second half.

Dug McDaniel dominated — just like he needed to Rick Pitino was determined to press all night. But just like Trey Burke proved back in the day against VCU, there is zero point in pressing a team with a good point guard and Dug McDaniel is a damn good point guard.

Nov 13, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Michigan Wolverines guard Dug McDaniel (0) looks to dribble past St. John’s Red Storm guard Simeon Wilcher (7) in the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 13, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Michigan Wolverines guard Dug McDaniel (0) looks to dribble past St. John’s Red Storm guard Simeon Wilcher (7) in the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports /

McDaniel hasn’t just taken a small step forward — it’s been a giant leap. He looks like one of the Big Ten’s best point guards. Add the improvement of Tarris Reed, and Terrance Williams, plus the additions of Nimari Burnett and Olivier Nkamhoua.

All of those guys have been stellar, plus Will Tschetter and Tray Jackson off the bench.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair and thanks to 21 points from Nimari Burnett, the Wolverines were able to grab a 48-38 lead at the half.

McDaniel took over in the second half and finished with 26 points on 8-of-16 shooting. He drilled a trio of step-back shots in the second and two were from 3-point range. He also beat the press, dished out seven assists, grabbed six rebounds, and had two steals.

Michigan basketball was incredible from beyond the arc, making 11 3-pointers. Four different players in the starting lineup made at least two. Burnett made four, while Williams, Nkamhoua, and McDaniel all made two.

It was a clinic, and Juwan Howard also said he would be back soon. Phil Martelli is putting on a clinic and here are the gut reactions to an 89-73 win for Michigan basketball.

Gut reactions to Michigan basketball win

  • Dug McDaniel is the next great Michigan point guard.
  • That’s why Nimari Burnett came to Michigan. He’s just scratching the surface on offense too.
  • Olivier Nkamhoua scored just nine points but showed he can be a playmaker too with four assists.
  • This isn’t the old Terrence Williams. He did a lot more than just hit a couple of 3-pointers too. His defense was solid and he was decent on the boards too.
  • Will Tschetter just makes good things happen.
  • Tarris Reed struggled on offense. But he was an impact defender — grabbing 11 boards, three blocks, and two steals. He also fouled just once.
  • It really was addition by subtraction.
  • This team could be ranked soon.
  • Either way, this will be a good win down the road.
  • The chemistry feels more like 2020 than the past two seasons.
  • Go Blue!
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