7. Michigan (3-0)
Dusty May began year two at Michigan with heightened expectations after the way this program turned things around under his leadership last year. Additionally, his staff landed an incredible group of talent through the transfer portal and showcased that potential by putting up 121 points in their season opener last week. However, week two of the season turned out to be much more of a challenge.
The Wolverines barely survived Tuesday’s matchup in Detroit, beating Wake Forest 85-84 in overtime. Michigan shot abysmally from outside the arc, but got 18 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists from Aday Mara and a great effort (17 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists) out of Elliot Cadeau in the win. Another close call came Friday, with Michigan fighting for a 67-63 win at TCU. Morez Johnson Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg both had double-doubles as the Wolverines survived a tough fight from the Horned Frogs.
We just mentioned four new faces in Michigan’s lineup this year, as those players were each notable additions from the transfer portal. Obviously, Michigan isn’t going to score 100 points every night, but they need more consistency from this lineup as a whole. They aren’t going to win the Big Ten by shooting 16% from the 3 every night. It’s just a home date against Middle Tennessee on next week’s slate and hopefully a chance for the lineup to continue to meld.