Gut reactions: Dusty May's Michigan basketball debut lives up to the hype

Don't forget about the defense

One of the most impressive things about the Michigan basketball win over Cleveland State was the defensive effort. The Vikings went 0-for-11 in the first half from 3-point range and were held to under a point-per-possession.

Not much changed in the second half. Cleveland State eventually hit some 3-pointers (two) but the Vikings had very few assists and were constantly forced to create in one-on-one situations.

Other teams might be able to do that. Cleveland State wasn't and it was an effective strategy. Beyond that, the defensive was aggressive. Michigan had 19 combined blocks/steals and held the Vikings to 30 percent shooting.

Defensive rebounding was an issue (18 allowed) and Michigan basketball gave up way too many which doesn't bode well for Big Ten play. That will have to be cleaned up and might be an Achilles heel.

Yet, the length and athleticism were impressive on defense. Gayle, Donaldson, Nimari Burnett, and Cason give the Wolverines some really solid on-ball defenders. Heck, Rubin Jones wasn't even in the lineup.

Michigan fans might be focused on all the points scored by the Wolverines but personally, the effort on defense is what leads me to believe this team might be better than expected. That, and the fact that Wolf and Cason could have even bigger impacts than expected.