Michigan gets another early-season measuring stick on Wednesday night, and this one comes with a chance to steady the ship.
The Wolverines are 1-1 after opening with a win over Oakland and then running into a wall against UConn last Friday. That loss exposed two issues in a hurry: Michigan shot poorly from three, and the Huskies built a big early cushion that the Wolverines never fully erased. The result dropped Michigan to No. 20 in the latest AP Top 25 poll.
Now comes Marquette, with Michigan looking to clean things up at home. The Wolverines are 14-6 all-time against the Golden Eagles and have gone 8-1 against Marquette in Ann Arbor.
One of the biggest questions hanging over Michigan right now is what it gets from Elliot Cadeau. Through two games, the Wolverines have three players scoring in double figures, and Cadeau is not one of them. That’s a problem, because Michigan is counting on the veteran guard to be a major piece this season and would love for him to settle in as the No. 2 option behind Trey McKenney.
Instead, Cadeau has opened the year in a slump. He’s shooting 25% from the field, has had foul trouble, and averaged just seven points per game.
He also turned the ball over too many times against UConn. If Michigan is going to make a real push this season, it needs more from him - and this could be the night he tries to break out of it.
The other issue is the glass. Michigan has been outworked on the boards in both games so far.
Oakland out-rebounded the Wolverines, though Michigan was without center Moustapha Thiam in that one. Thiam returned against UConn, but the results were mixed.
As a team, Michigan is averaging 38 rebounds per game, and Wednesday brings another tough assignment.
Marquette may have only played two buy-games, but the Golden Eagles are still averaging 10 more rebounds than Michigan. That size advantage starts up front. Three of Marquette’s top four scorers are bigs: Royce Parham, who is 6'9" and leads the team with 14 points and seven rebounds; Joshua Clark, a 7'1" center averaging 13 points and 7.5 rebounds; and Sanadra Fru, a 6'11" forward putting up 10 points and 10 rebounds.
That puts the spotlight on Thiam and JP Estrella, who will be charged with holding their ground in the paint without piling up fouls.
Michigan got a harsh lesson from UConn, and Mike Boynton Jr. and Co. should have a clearer picture now of what still needs work. Marquette offers another strong test, especially inside, after UConn exposed the Wolverines with elite guard play. The Golden Eagles are built to challenge Michigan’s front line.
It’s only the third game of the season, but Wednesday should tell us plenty about this team. Michigan can’t keep shooting the three this poorly, and it has to do a better job attacking the boards. At home, these are the kinds of games the Wolverines need to win.
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