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 win.
This was a good test for the Wolverines. Not only does Joyner know Michigan’s coaching staff and returning players well after spending two years in Ann Arbor as an assistant, but his roster featured plenty
of size, including three 7-footers in Peteris Pinnis (7-foot-2), Dennis Evans (7-feet) and Xavion Staton (7-foot-1).
Michigan maintained a double-digit lead for a large portion of the first half, but Oregon State cut the lead to three by halftime after knocking down some tough threes. The game was 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 on the floor again, these games are essentially scrimmages where coaches are more so experimenting with lineups than trying to do everything possible to win.
There were several aspects of the game that Michigan could have looked better in; the transition defense wasn’t great, the offense lacked flow for stretches, and the Wolverines forced a few threes. But Michigan got plenty of open looks and made a good amount of them. U-M also did a decent job taking care of the basketball, logging just seven turnovers, including just four in the first half.
Overall, this looks like a group that is still working to develop chemistry, which is perfectly reasonable for a mid-October exhibition against a team projected to finish in the middle of the pack in the Pac-12. There’s a lot of stuff that could be ironed out, but Michigan still has a few weeks before these games count towards their record.
Elliot Cadeau takes over the second half
After a quiet first half, Cadeau got 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.
Cadeau and the Wolverines kept chipping away at the Beavers at the free-throw line, with Oregon State racking up 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 get a late second-half cushion. He got a lot 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 feels 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 over the first half, hitting a three, dishing a trio of assists and showcasing some impressive footwork. One of the assists was a sweet behind-the-back feed to a cutting McKenney, and he had another one, throwing a 3/4 court pass like Kevin Love to find Joseph Hartman in transition. Thiam capped off a 13-o run for the Wolverines with his second made three, helping Michigan climb steadily climb to a 37-25 lead over a four-minute stretch late in the first half.
Thiam did a great job anchoring Michigan’s defense, protecting the rim and forcing Oregon State into some tough mid-range looks. When he’s rolling offensively while playing elite rim defense, he looks like Michigan’s best player.
DeShawn Gory and Legend Smiley dice up the Michigan defense
Oregon State forward DeShawn Gory got going early in this one, scoring 10 points in the first eight game minutes as the Michigan defense could not stop him.
Legend Smiley (early contender for best name on all the teams 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 kept knocking down shots in the second half, helping the Beavers back into that 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.
Kenny Noland steps up
I really liked the minutes from Kenny Noland. He ran the offense efficiently in the first half in an extended stretch with McKenney and Cadeau in foul trouble.
He had a good rhythm with Thiam in the pick-and-roll, and played very solid on-ball defense. Noland plays to his strengths with the ball in his hands; he’s not going to blow by you, but he’s crafty and has great footwork in the lane to snake around defenders. He finished with six points and three assists, and he was probably Michigan’s best player off the bench.
The Columbia transfer is gonna be a key piece for the Wolverines this season.
Joyner gets his ring
A cool moment that happened right before tip-off: Mike Boynton Jr. presented Justin Joyner with his championship ring at half-court.
Joyner’s got an entertaining team with decent size and plenty of shooters; I wouldn’t be surprised if they get into the NCAA Tournament.
Up Next
Michigan has one more exhibition game before the regular season starts, with the Wolverines riding two-and-a-half hours west to play Houston at Van Andel Arena on Sunday, Oct. 25. The Battleground 2K26 tips off at 1 p.m. EST on B1G+
