Michigan’s first exhibition offered an early look at what can carry this team: Trey McKenney on the perimeter and Moustapha Thiam in the middle.
In an 87-62 win over Eastern Michigan on Sunday, the Wolverines leaned on a lineup that rotated heavily through the roster, but it was McKenney and Thiam who set the tone. McKenney kept finding ways to score, while Thiam controlled the paint on both ends and gave Michigan a steadying force inside.
McKenney finished with 21 points, and 14 of them came in the first half. Michigan used Thiam and graduate forward J.P.
Estrella in ball screens to create space for McKenney beyond the arc, and he made the Eagles pay by knocking down open 3s. When Eastern Michigan started closing hard to take away the jumper, he went to work off the dribble, using jab steps and pump fakes to get downhill for easy finishes at the rim.
“He has as green of a light as you can have,” Wolverines coach Mike Boynton Jr. said. “ … He doesn’t have a whole lot of restrictions from our coaching staff.”
Even when Michigan’s offense bogged down early in the first half and the Wolverines committed eight turnovers in the first 10 minutes, McKenney kept them afloat. Later, with Michigan leading by only three, he came off a Thiam screen, rose into a one-dribble pull-up 3 over Eastern Michigan guard Braelon Green, and drew the foul to complete a four-point play.
“He just has that it-factor,” Costello said. “If you need a bucket, he will go and get you one.”
Thiam’s impact showed up everywhere else. The 7-foot-2 junior center finished with game-high four blocks and helped hold Eastern Michigan to 62 points.
His 90-inch wingspan bothered passing lanes, and he cleaned up on the glass when Michigan needed stops. That defensive activity matched the rim protection expected from him, but he did more than guard the basket.
Thiam scored 11 points and added three assists, and even if the box score didn’t scream dominance, his work changed how the game flowed. He drew contact repeatedly to get to the free-throw line and flashed playmaking touch from the low post, finding cutters for easy baskets.
“(Thiam) has a lot of ability,” Boynton said. “He is going to make a great impact on our team on both ends of the court, because he plays really hard and is really active.”
With several key contributors gone from the offseason roster, Michigan got an encouraging first answer on Sunday. McKenney supplied the scoring punch.
Thiam brought the size, activity and versatility. Together, they helped shape the Wolverines’ new look in their opening exhibition.
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