ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Roddy Gayle and Trey McKenney scored 17 points apiece for No. 16 Michigan and the defending national champions beat Oakland 84-68 on Monday night in Mike Boynton’s coaching debut with the program.
J.P. Estrella, a transfer from Tennessee, had 15 points and 12 rebounds and freshman Quinn Costello scored 13 points in their first game with the Wolverines.
Gayle returned for a fifth season as one of the many college basketball players
who joined lawsuits across the country after the NCAA changed its eligibility rules.
After Michigan won its second national championship and first since 1989, coach Dusty May left to lead the Dallas Mavericks and Boynton was promoted from assistant to head coach. The Wolverines also lost a trio of first-round picks to the NBA: Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara and Morez Johnson.
Boynton is getting another chance to lead a team after he was fired two years ago following a seven-season run at Oklahoma State.
Michigan is counting on returning guards McKenney, Gayle and Elliot Cadeau to lead the way with transfers and freshmen filling the roster.
Former Cincinnati center Moustapha Thiam missed the game with an illness and the Estrella started strong before cooling off. The 6-foot-11 forward scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the first half to help the Wolverines take control with a 47-36 lead.
Costello made a pair of 3-pointers early in the second half to put Michigan ahead by 14.
Oakland's Chris Fields Jr. scored 18, Nassim Mashhour had 14 of his 16 points in the first half and Ryder Bradley added 12 points off the bench.
Oakland: At Stanford on Friday night.
Michigan: Vs. No. 4 UConn on Friday night in Boston.
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