Michigan’s season opener had a little bit of everything: a shaky shooting night, a sturdy defensive stretch after halftime and enough individual flashes to leave the Wolverines with a comfortable 84-68 win over Oakland.
The final margin was solid, but the game still offered a few reminders that this roster is very much still taking shape. Michigan didn’t exactly light it up from deep, yet it found enough answers inside the arc and on the glass to control the night.
One of the biggest bright spots was Quinn Costello’s debut. The McDonald’s All-American looked the part in his first Michigan game, scoring 13 points in 20 minutes while going 5-for-12 overall and 3-for-10 from 3-point range. He spent time at both the three and the four, looked comfortable enough defensively, grabbed four rebounds and added a block.
Roddy Gayle also gave Michigan the kind of scoring punch it will need more often. The fifth-year player took the second-most shots on the team with 11 and finished with 17 points, tying for the team lead.
He did his damage by attacking the basket, going 7-for-9 on 2-pointers, and he threw down a dunk before halftime. He didn’t hit a 3, but the aggression was the story.
J.P. Estrella turned in another strong showing in the paint.
The transfer portal addition finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds, including five offensive boards, while also blocking a shot. He looked active defensively and showed some ability to switch ball screens, which has been a useful trait for Michigan the past two seasons.
He also appears capable of filling the Morez Johnson role as a solid rim protector, even if he’s not an elite shot blocker.
Michigan’s defense was generally good, especially considering Moustapha Thiam, the 7-foot-2 rim protector, missed the game because of illness. Oakland shot 32 percent from the field, made just 37 percent of its 2-point tries and hit 23 percent from 3-point range. The biggest problem was the free-throw line, where the Grizzlies got 30 attempts.
The more troubling issue was on the defensive glass. Oakland rebounded 46 percent of its misses, grabbing 21 of its 43 missed shots.
That kept the game closer than it needed to be, and it’s something Michigan will have to clean up quickly. One game is too small a sample to call it a real concern, but it will be worth watching Friday against UConn in the national title rematch.
The other obvious sore spot was Michigan’s own perimeter shooting. The Wolverines went just 7-for-34 from 3-point range, with only three players connecting from beyond the arc.
Trey McKenney matched Gayle’s 17 points and did it on 3-for-6 shooting from deep. Costello added three triples, and Kenny Noland was the only other Wolverine to make one.
Oscar Goodman, starting in place of Thiam, went 0-for-5, Ricky Libuard was 0-for-4 and Elliot Cadeau also finished 0-for-4 from long range.
It wasn’t a clean opener, but Michigan still walked away with a win and a few encouraging signs.
In Other News...
Former Wolverine Suddenly Faces A Brutal Lions Setback
Dan Campbells postgame injury update brought a little clarity, but not much comfort, for a Lions team already juggling a growing list of concerns. The head coach said linebacker Jack Campbell is recovering in the hospital and offered a positive update without getting into specifics, while also noting he and general manager Brad Holmes are still sorting through the possibility of roster moves as the team evaluates its health situation.
For former Michigan linebacker Jimmy Rolder, the news was far more severe. He will miss the rest of the season after suffering a significant injury that will require surgery, a brutal setback for a player trying to carve out his place in the league. For Wolverines fans, it is another reminder of how quickly a promising season can turn when injuries start to stack up, and the recovery timeline now becomes the next thing to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Suddenly Risks Losing A Prized Legacy Recruit To Notre Dame
Michigan has done a solid job keeping its legacy pipeline flowing, landing commitments from Tommy Carr and Tommy Fraumann in the 2026 class and Charles Woodson Jr. in 2027. That made Asa Burch an especially important name to watch in the 2028 group, with the four-star edge rusher from Warren Harding High School long viewed as a natural fit to continue the family connection in Ann Arbor.
Now the picture has shifted. Recent predictions from Rivals and 247Sports point to Notre Dame as the team to beat for Burch, and the timing only adds to the intrigue with a decision expected soon. He is also set to visit Notre Dame for a game, giving the Irish a chance to make a late push in a recruitment Michigan once appeared to control. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Michigan Broadcast Choice Says A Lot About Where Both Teams Stand
Michigans next two weekends say plenty about where the season has gone. First comes a night game against Michigan State that will live only on Peacock, then a Week 11 matchup with Oregon that is set for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on FS1. For a team still chasing bowl eligibility, the spotlight is not exactly where the Wolverines hoped it would be at this point in the year.
Oregon arrives with the same 5-3 record, which makes the broadcast assignment feel like a fitting snapshot of both programs right now. Neither side is in the national-title conversation, but there is still enough name value and enough at stake to make the meeting matter, especially for Michigan as it tries to steady a difficult season and keep its postseason path alive. [Read more 🡒]