A familiar face came to Ann Arbor for Michigan men’s basketball’s second exhibition game of the season, with the Wolverines hosting Justin Joyner and the Oregon State Beavers on Friday night. In a back-and-forth battle, Michigan did just enough in the final minutes to come away with a 98-93 victory.
It was a good test for the Wolverines. Not only is Joyner familiar with Michigan’s coaching staff and returning players after spending two years in Ann Arbor as an assistant, but his OSU roster was very large, including three seven-footers in Peteris Pinnis (7-foot-2), Dennis Evans (7-foot) and Xavion Staton (7-foot-1).
Michigan held a double-digit lead for much of the first half, but Oregon State cut the lead to three by halftime after knocking down a few tough threes. The game went back-and-forth in the second half, but Elliot Cadeau carried Michigan offensively when the Wolverines needed a bucket late.
Here are some takeaways from the exhibition game.
Remember it’s just an exhibition
As exciting as it is to see Michigan back on the field, these games are essentially scrimmages, where the coaches experiment more with lineups than trying to do everything possible to win.
There were several aspects of the game in which Michigan could have looked better; the transition defense wasn’t great, the offense lacked fluidity for stretches and the Wolverines forced a few threes. But Michigan had a lot of open looks and made a good number of them. UM also did a decent job taking care of the basketball, recording just seven turnovers, only four of which came in the first half.
Overall, this looks like a group that’s still working on developing chemistry, which is perfectly reasonable for a mid-October exhibition against a team that should finish in the middle of the pack in the Pac-12. There are a lot of things that could be fixed, but Michigan still has a few weeks before these games count toward its record.
Elliot Cadeau resumes the second half
After a quiet first half, Cadeau went to work in the second half, scoring eight of Michigan’s first 14 points. He scored or assisted on every Michigan basket in the first five minutes of the half.
Gift and the Wolverines continued to attack the Beavers at the free throw line, with Oregon State committing seven fouls in the first eight minutes of the second half to put Michigan in the bonus. Cadeau hit a deep three and found Thiam for a pair of alley-oops to help Michigan gain a cushion late in the second half. He got plenty of finishes around taller defenders late in the game to help Michigan seal this one.
Cadeau (27 points) and Trey McKenney (18 points) carried the Wolverines offensively in the second half, which seems like a good recipe for icing close games.
There’s a lot to like about Moustapha Thiam
The Cincinnati transfer, who finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists, had a stretch where he took control of the first half, nailing a three, dishing out a trio of assists and showcasing impressive footwork. One of the assists was a sweet behind-the-back pass to a cutting Trey McKenney, and he had another, throwing a pass 3/4 of the court like Kevin Love to find Joseph Hartman in transition. He capped a 13-o run for the Wolverines with his second three, helping Michigan steadily climb to a 37-25 lead four minutes into the first half.
Thiam did a great job anchoring Michigan’s defense, protecting the rim and forcing Oregon State into tough looks from mid-range. When he’s rolling offensively while playing elite defense, he looks like Michigan’s best player.
DeShawn Gory and Legend Smiley destabilize the Michigan defense
Oregon State forward DeShawn Gory got going early in this one, scoring 10 points in the first 8 minutes of play when Michigan’s defense couldn’t stop him.
The legend Smiley (an early contender for best name on any team Michigan faces) was shooting well from deep, making three of his first five attempts from deep. He and Gory combined for 23 of Oregon State’s 42 points in the first half.
Both players continued to make shots in the second half, helping the Beavers get back into this game after trailing by double digits in the first half. Gory and Smiley combined for 37 points, but Michigan did a good job containing everyone else.
I really liked Kenny Noland’s minutes. He ran the offense effectively in the first half for a long stretch with McKenney and Cadeau struggling.
He had a good rhythm with Thiam in the pick-and-roll, and played very solid ball defense. He plays to his strengths with the ball in his hands; he’s not going to crush you, but he’s crafty and has great footwork in the lane to get around defenders. He finished with six points and three assists, and he was probably Michigan’s best player coming off the bench.
The Columbia transfer will be a key player for the Wolverines this season.
Cool moment that happened right before this one was announced: Mike Boynton Jr. presented Justin Joyner with his championship ring at half court.
Joyner has an entertaining team with decent size and plenty of shooters; I wouldn’t be surprised if they make the NCAA tournament.
Michigan has one more exhibition game before the regular season begins, with the Wolverines traveling two and a half hours west to face Houston at Van Andel Arena on Sunday, October 25. Battleground 2K26 begins at 1 p.m. EST on B1G+.
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