Michigan basketball played a McNeese State team that's likely going to be an NCAA tournament team in March, and the Wolverines just dismantled them, 112-71.
You wondered if Michigan might be a little sleepy with a game over the holiday break, but not Dusty May's squad. The Wolverines built a 31-point lead in the first half before opening the second on a 16-0 run.
Midway through the second half, Michigan basketball had 90 points. The Wolverines were beating the 64th-ranked team in the Kenpom rankings by 50.
It was another flat-out domination by the No. 1-ranked team in the Coaches Poll. Here are the gut reactions to Michigan's 12th win of the season.
Paint domination
McNeese State was one of the best teams in the country when it came to 2-point percentage and 2-point defense. Yet, the Wolverines aren't just good in that area, they are elite.
Morez Johnson and Aday Mara controlled the paint. They combined for 34 points, 17 rebounds, three blocks, and six assists.
At one point, McNeese State, late in the second half, was shooting 29 percent on dunks/layups, while shooting just 33 percent on 2-point attempts. On the other side, Michigan was making almost 80 percent of its dunk/layups, and 70 percent overall on 2s.
It's hard to outdo Michigan in that game. McNeese got a rude reminder of that. The Wolverines got 45 free-throw attempts as they reached 100 points for the seventh time in 12 games.
Michigan managed the turnovers
The Wolverines didn't reach 10 turnovers until late in the second half. Part of that is getting stops and scoring as often and easily as they did. It's hard to press when you don't score.
There were some turnovers from bench players late, but the Wolverines did a stellar job of managing things and taking care of the ball. They had fewer than 10 with the game in doubt, which is impressive against a team forcing 18 turnovers per game.
A championship effort
The way Michigan played on Monday night is how you need to play to win championships. You can't take a night off, and this team doesn't. Ever. It's remarkable. It suffocated McNeese State.
The Cowboys shot 30 percent from the field and 26 percent from 3-point range. They had six assists on 23 field goals, compared to 21 assists on 35 field goals for Michigan.
Michigan shot better, attempted and made more free throws, had more rebounds, 15 more assists, more blocks, more steals and more of just about everything.
It was an overwhelming effort, but one that fans have come to expect. Johnson's double-double featured 24 points and 11 rebounds for Michigan. Yaxel Lendeborg added 16 and eight, while Mara finished with 13 points, six boards, five assists, and two blocks. Six different Michigan basketball players reached double figures.
What else can be said?