Moe Wagner and a concerned onlooker. [Marc-Gregor Campredon/MGoBlog]

After a slow start against a funky matchup zone defense, Michigan found some consistency late in the first half and pulled away in the second for a comfortable 76-58 win over Howard in the season opener. This was a stilted, largely unwatchable game; the officials called 47 fouls.

The Wolverines spent much of the first half trying to shoot over Howard's zone defense, allowing an overmatched Bison squad to take a small early lead and hang around for much of the first half. Derrick Walton took control of the game, hitting threes, running the point, and knocking down four free throws on one late-half possession after drawing a foul and ensuing technical on a play that left him with a slight limp that he played through with aplomb. Walton finished with 20 points, three assists, and three steals, and did most of his damage from beyond the arc, making four of his seven three-point attempts.

DJ Wilson (right, Campredon) keyed a quick start to the second half with a massive two-handed tip slam and a block on the following possession, but a sloppy turnover and back-to-back Howard three-pointers made it a five-point game with only 12:27 to play. That was as close as the Bison could get. Zak Irvin responded with a tough layup between two defenders, Wilson converted an and-one after an offensive rebound, and Irvin capped the quick run with an open three off a Wilson kickout—the rout was on.

While Wilson didn't have a totally clean game—his two turnovers were both ugly—he loooked like he could eventually overtake Duncan Robinson at the four. His length made him a matchup problem on both ends of the floor, he was very active on the boards, and he moved the ball around well. With nine points, eight boards, two assists, and a block, he showed he's quite capable of stuffing the stat sheet, and he's already a better defender than Robinson, who had a rough night (1/6 FG). At the very least, Wilson looks like he's earned his role as the first player off the bench.

Walton and Moe Wagner turned up the pressure on defense and gave Howard's ballhandlers fits. Both came away with three steals, and the new-look defense forced 17 total turnovers. Wagner did his best work on that end of the floor; Mark Donnal was the better offensive player in this game, finishing with 12 points and four offensive rebounds.

Zak Irvin couldn't find his outside shot, needing 13 shots to get 11 points. Xavier Simpson went 2-for-2 to net his first career points, first on a corner three, then a slick runner at the end of the shot clock. Ibi Watson also got his first bucket in a real game in limited action, and fellow freshman Jon Teske burned his redshirt in garbage time.

While Michigan will have to find a way to generate more shots at the rim that don't come off rebounds, this was an encouraging performance. Billy Donlon's impact is apparent. Those 17 turnovers stood out, as did Michigan's increased willingness to foul near the rim instead of ceding easy buckets, which was a winning strategy on a night Howard shot just 14-for-29 from the charity stripe. Much like in last week's exhibition, DJ Wilson looked like he's putting it all together, and that could be a season-changing development if it continues.