In the season opener against respectable mid-major opposition, Michigan Men's Basketball thoroughly ripped apart the UNC-Asheville Bulldogs with a whizbang offensive performance en route to a comfortable 99-74 victory. Sophomore guard Dug McDaniel and transfer power forward Olivier Nkamhoua were the stars as Michigan shot a sizzling 57% from the floor, including 12 of 26 from three. The ball movement looked crisp, shooting was lights out, and 13 different players got to see the floor in this blowout. For a program that badly needed a Good Vibes win after a profound Bad Vibes season last year, this was just what the doctor ordered. 

UNC-Asheville scored first on a pair of free throws following a Tarris Reed Jr. foul, but Nimari Burnett answered with a three to put Michigan up 3-2 in the first minute. They never trailed again. By the under 16 media timeout, Michigan had already put 13 points on the board to take a seven point lead, with the biggest visual stand-out being McDaniel. The diminutive guard averaged just 2.7 three point attempts per game last season but he fired off a couple looks in just the first couple minutes alone. It was clear right off the jump that McDaniel's not going to be timid shooting the jumper this season and he kept firing away all night long, with great success. 

There's not much of a narrative to speak of tonight, as Michigan led by 15 just over 11 minutes in and the margin never got to single digits again. Michigan was firmly in command of the game from start to finish and there aren't many negatives to speak of for Michigan fans. If there were two to speak of, it would be second-half defensive lapses (which probably were score effects more than anything else) and fouls.

[Marc-Gregor Campredon]

The fouls, I should note, were a bit of an issue for both sides, as the two teams combined for 41 fouls on the evening. Asheville star Drew Pember racked up four fouls quite early in the game (relatively speaking) and was limited to 21 minutes as a result, pouring in points late in the contest (mostly at the free throw line) but his impact on the game was light. On Michigan's side, Nimari Burnett finished with four fouls and George Washington III picked up three pretty quickly, but not too much else impacted usage in terms of fouls. The high volume of fouls is something to monitor, but it could easily be the result of who happened to be refereeing this evening and nothing more. 

Otherwise, Michigan was precise and dominant, an effort Phil Martelli (and Juwan Howard, presumably watching from afar) is certainly going to be happy with. Praise has to start with Dug McDaniel, who looked like a legitimate star. He played with poise and aggression, looking like the sort of player who can be a focal point of an offense and a volume scorer if his team needs. Dug finished second on the team with 15 field goal attempts, shooting 9/15. His improved three point stroke was apparent, 5/9 for the game with one pull-up three in the second half announcing firmly that this is a new Dug McDaniel. He also dished out eight assists and got a steal in 31 minutes, scoring 22 points and finishing with a team-best +28. If you wanted to see signs of a sophomore leap for McDaniel, they were everywhere to be found tonight. 

The other big name was Olivier Nkamhoua, who led the team with 25 points. Nkamhoua narrowly edged McDaniel for the team lead in FGAs with 16, putting up 12 from inside the arc (10/12!!) and going 1/4 from the beyond the long line. A not-insignificant amount of Nkamhoua's points were dunks, as Michigan's fluid ball movement found him open inside for easy buckets. Nkamhoua also snatched down seven rebounds and recorded three assists, playing team basketball and helping his teammates score as much as they were helping him. Michigan's two stars on the evening were most memorable during McDaniel's alley-oop for Nkamhoua near the end of the first half, which got an audible yelp from your author. 

[Marc-Gregor Campredon]

The other three starters tonight were Nimari Burnett at the 2, Terrance Williams II at the 3, and Tarris Reed Jr. at the 5. These players all had quieter evenings than the headliners, but none were bad by any means. Burnett did battle the whistle, as noted in the fouls section, but the shooting that will be so crucial for Michigan's ability to score and space the floor, was exactly what you wanted: 2/3 from three. A similar thing could be said for T-Will, who shot 3-5 from three and scored 15 points. Williams continued to do his glue guy stuff, grabbing six rebounds and he defended pretty well, with two of Michigan's three blocks on the night. A spin-and-finish off a McDaniel pass was his highlight for me. As for Reed, he only played 20 minutes and was rather quiet offensively but it's hard to argue with his efficiency: 4/4 from the floor. Reed grabbed seven rebounds, his best being a neat follow-up tip-in on a missed shot by Will Tschetter. 

Michigan's starting lineup was summed up by an offensive possession in the second half. Dug McDaniel pulled up and showed a shot, sucking in defenders before dishing to an open Nkamhoua. The forward's three was off the mark but Nimari Burnett pulled down the offensive rebound, who kicked it out to an open Terrance Williams II for a three from the wing, which T-Will canned. Hustle on the glass, energy, compete, unselfish basketball, and great ball movement finding open shooters. 

[Marc-Gregor Campredon]

The reserves weren't any worse than the starters in these regards. Will Tschetter logged 21 minutes as the most-used reserve, drawing a charge and finishing off a beautiful up-and-under. He also went 2/2 from three, shooting which will be essential for Tschetter to be a plus-player this season. Tray Jackson played 20 minutes but he didn't make a large offensive impact, just three points on a lone field goal (and free throw) make. Based on what we saw in the exhibition, it feels like there is more for Jackson to unlock.

George Washington III got into the action and played 16 minutes, but was unable to score his first collegiate points. I did like his pass from the baseline under pressure to find an open McDaniel in the corner, who knocked down the three and netted GW3 an assist. Youssef Khayat played seven minutes and made a couple free throws, but didn't score from the floor. Walk-ons Cooper Smith, Jackson Selvala, Harrison Hochberg, and Ian Burns all got on the floor late in the game, with Smith finishing off an acrobatic layup that ended up being Michigan's final score of the contest. 

In totality, it is just one game, but it's hard to reasonably imagine a better first game. Michigan was facing an Asheville team that went 27-8 last season, 16-2 in Big South play and the conference tournament victor, a 15 seed in the tournament. That team returned seven of its top nine players, including its stars, and Michigan swatted them aside with no trouble. The KenPom line was Michigan+12 and Vegas' was Michigan+11. The Wolverines won by double that margin, doing so with style and energy. A good first outing for Michigan. They have one more game before facing a power conference team, with Youngstown State coming to Ann Arbor on Friday. That game is scheduled for 6:30 PM and will be broadcast on BTN. 

[Click the JUMP for the box score]