On a night that celebrated Michigan point guard royalty, with Trey Burke’s No. 3 jersey rising into the Crisler Center rafters, all eyes naturally shifted to the Wolverines’ current floor general wearing that same iconic number - Elliot Cadeau. The symbolism was impossible to ignore. Burke, the 2013 National Player of the Year, sat courtside, watching as Cadeau took the floor with a chance to leave his own mark on a program that’s long been defined by elite guard play.
Cadeau entered the night riding a wave of momentum after strong scoring performances against Indiana and Oregon. The moment felt tailor-made for a breakout. But basketball rarely sticks to the script.
Ohio State made sure of that.
From the opening tip, the Buckeyes threw a wrench into Cadeau’s rhythm. They packed the paint with a zone defense and doubled him aggressively off ball screens - a clear strategy to take the ball out of his hands and force someone else to beat them.
The plan worked. Cadeau was held scoreless in the first half and managed just three assists while picking up two quick fouls in only ten minutes of action.
“Part of (his slow start) was the zone,” Michigan head coach Dusty May said. “Part of it was that he was battling foul trouble; he picked up two fouls in the first half.
They were putting two on the ball on his ball screens. They were trying to take it out of his hands.”
With Cadeau sidelined and the offense out of sync, Michigan sputtered. The Wolverines committed eight turnovers in the first half - two from Cadeau - and couldn’t get anything going from deep or at the free-throw line. Their usual offensive flow was missing, and without their floor general orchestrating, they never found a rhythm or a lead.
Even coming out of halftime, a period where Michigan has often found its footing, Cadeau continued to struggle. A lob attempt to senior guard Roddy Gayle Jr. misfired badly, clanking off the rim - a play that summed up the frustration of the night to that point.
But basketball is a 40-minute game, and Cadeau wasn’t done.
In the final 10 minutes of Saturday’s win, Cadeau flipped the script. He found his footing, made plays, and helped steady the Wolverines when it mattered most. It wasn’t a stat-sheet-stuffing performance, but it was a reminder of the poise and playmaking Michigan needs from its point guard - especially one wearing No. 3 on a night when that number carried a little extra weight.
For Cadeau, it wasn’t about matching Burke’s legacy in one night. It was about weathering the storm, adjusting to the moment, and finding a way to contribute when the game was still in the balance. And in that sense, he delivered when it counted.