The No. 6 Wolverines ripped off their third straight victory over three nights, obliterating No. 10 Gonzaga, 101-61, to win the Players Era Festival championship – complete with a $1 million NIL bonus prize to split amongst the team.
This was billed as a heavyweight matchup in every regard – the 90.3 ‘thrill score’ from KenPom was the highest in the site’s history for a non-conference matchup – and coach Dusty May’s team made it look like a buy game.
On the heels of dog-walking San Diego State by 40 in the opener on Monday, Nov. 24, and then Auburn by 30 on Tuesday, U-M somehow saved its best for last. The Wolverines led by 10 less than four minutes in and the game never got inside double digits again; they built their halftime lead out to 24 – Gonzaga’s largest deficit at the break since 2007.
In the second half, the Wolverines turned the ball over four times in the first three minutes, only to get going again. Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara combined for four dunks and layups while Nimari Burnett made a pair of 3s in just three minutes, ripping off a 15-2 run to go up 35 points with 12:51 to go.
The exclamation of the night came after a Johnson swat led to a Yaxel Lendeborg runout in transition; he threw down a dunk with authority as part of a three-point play. That’s when the ‘Beat Ohio!’ chants began, followed by yet another 15-2 run, this time in 2:49 featuring a pair of Trey McKenney 3s and yet another Lendeborg highlight, a reverse slam in transition.
Lendeborg led the way with 20 points and 11 rebounds while Burnett scored 14, McKenney had 17, Johnson had 11 and Mara had 13. Elliot Cadeau set the table all night with 13 assists.
Gonzaga (7-1), which entered as KenPom’s No. 1 team, was averaging 95 points per game while giving up just 62. In this one, Michigan had 53 … at the half. The game finished as Mark Few’s largest loss in more than a quarter-century at the West Coast Conference power from Spokane, Washington.
Michigan (7-0) may well be the nation’s No. 1 team when the next coaches poll is released on Dec. 1.
“I love this team, best team I’ve been a part of,” Lendeborg told TNT postgame. “We know if we buy in, we will be the best team in the country.
“We’re capable of a national championship. … Nobody can stop us.”
A flawless 48 hours
This is the Michigan that isn’t just a national title contender, but on the short list of favorites.
The Wolverines, who entered No. 11 in 2-point percentage (63%) continued their dominance inside. Michigan made its first eight shots inside the arc, seven of which were dunks or layups, as well as a Mara hook from 5 feet out.
Then, Michigan got it going from long range. Burnett hit four 3-pointers, McKenney had three, and Lendeborg and Will Tschetter each made a pair. On the night, the Wolverines made 13 of 27 3-pointers, for their third consecutive night making at least 11 shots from the long line.
It simply became a highlight reel in the second half with Lendeborg hammering down multiple slams, then throwing an alley-oop of his own to Roddy Gayle Jr. for good measure to go up, 89-43, against a team many expect to compete for a Final Four.
Defense dismantles
Gonzaga had just one answer for Michigan’s quickness on the outside and length on the inside: a push shot from the middle of the lane between 8-12 feet.
Braden Huff hit a handful of them, including three in 71 seconds to get to 42-28 with 4:30 to play, but a midrange floater over a 7-foot-3 center didn’t prove to be sustainable. Gonzaga, which came in as the No. 5 offense per KenPom, suffered its worst night of the year in making just a third of its shots.
Perhaps the Bulldogs’ legs were tired – Gonzaga made three of 22 3-pointers – but that’s not the only reason Michigan suffocated Few’s team.
Johnson, Mara and Lendeborg, the trio that make up Michigan’s super-big lineup, each had a block in the first minute of the second half. Opponents still haven’t found a way to challenge the group when they have the ball.
Gionzaga’s Graham Ike was a prime example; he entered the game averaging 17 points and nine boards. The 6-foot-9 senior missed all nine of his shots en route to one point.
So … now what?
The good news is Michigan can play like this. The bad news is, now everybody knows it can.
That doesn’t mean other teams will be able to compete with the Wolverines night in and night out, but they certainly won’t be flying under the radar in any way.
The Wolverines will be held to this standard. It’s impossible to play this way every single night, but Michigan is clearly capable of dominating any team in the country.
Before Michigan headed west, May said his team wouldn’t be too high or too low returning from Vegas – no matter the outcome. Perhaps he didn’t even see this level of domination, but don’t expect a banner just yet.
The Wolverines are laying their foundation in what could be one of the better seasons in the history of this program and just finished a three-day stretch which will be remembered for quite some time.
