5 months ago
- Wolverines
- Updated: Jan. 03, 2026, 6:52 a.m.
- Published: Jan. 03, 2026, 6:52 a.m.
ANN ARBOR — Will Tschetter had had enough. It was nan last fewer minutes of a beingness Big Ten conflict and players were lining up for a free throw. Tschetter turned to Michigan teammate Morez Johnson Jr. and suggested they move positions. Johnson could grip nan much challenging container out. Tschetter had done capable of that not conscionable Friday but during practices.
“Physical arsenic heck” was really Tschetter described Johnson, smiling and shaking his caput aft Michigan’s 96-66 triumph Friday astatine Crisler Center. “Just to beryllium capable to spell up against him, it makes nan games consciousness easy.”
Friday’s crippled looked easy for Johnson, who scored a career-high 29 points. He needed conscionable 12 shots to do it, making 10 of them while besides going 8 for 10 from nan foul line. In his 26 minutes of action, Michigan outscored USC by 27 points.
“Drawing fouls, finishing done contact, being capable to decorativeness nan unrecorded plays moreover though they’re trying to return legs retired and worldly for illustration that,” Johnson said erstwhile asked astir what worked good for him.
The capacity came connected nan heels of a likewise businesslike 24-point crippled past clip out. The 6-foot-9, 250-pound sophomore guardant has now joined teammate Yaxel Lendeborg successful nan apical 10 of nan kenpom.com subordinate of nan twelvemonth race. Johnson is shooting 68% from nan field; only 1 subordinate successful a awesome convention is up of him. He made a 3 connected Friday, conscionable nan 3rd of his career.
Scoring isn’t moreover Johnson’s champion attribute. He’s an exceptional rebounder and defender, tin of defending each 5 positions connected nan floor.
Michigan coach Dusty May is impressed. “On nan nights erstwhile he has an advantage down low, we emotion nan truth that he tin spell down location and punish guys,” May said aft Friday’s game. “And erstwhile he has bigger guys wherever he has a ft velocity advantage, he tin get retired connected nan perimeter and get into immoderate dribble handoffs and prime and pop. … We’re conscionable fortunate he’s connected our team.”
The Wolverines figured retired aft a fewer minutes that their champion discourtesy would beryllium feeding Johnson. So they did, and he delivered. Michigan is 13-0 wide and 3-0 successful nan Big Ten.
Johnson was subbed retired pinch 3:22 near to a large ovation from nan sold-out crowd. He didn’t announcement but was grateful nary nan less.
He besides wasn’t peculiarly pleased pinch Michigan’s capacity contempt nan separator of victory. “I don’t deliberation our defense was up to par tonight,” he said pinch complete sincerity. USC changeable nether 35%.
Reminded that USC had nary points and six turnovers done nan first 6:41, Johnson conceded, “I conjecture it was each right.”
In a 10-second span later successful nan half, Johnson ran nan level for a dunk connected a nifty no-look crockery from Elliot Cadeau, stole a walk and vanished an alley-oop from Cadeau.
Johnson made 4 free throws to unfastened nan second-half scoring and punctual nan Trojans nan first half was nary fluke.
He played hard, he played well, yet he wasn’t satisfied. May understood. He felt Michigan lacked an separator Friday and truthful understood Johnson’s postgame comments.
“It’s not arsenic if nan players and nan unit aren’t connected nan aforesaid page,” May said. “There’s a collaborative effort to each of america being astatine our absolute best. Rez has a large sound successful our locker room and evidently he brings nan unit connected nan court. So if he said it, I’m going pinch Rez connected that.”
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Andrew Kahn covers University of Michigan athletics for MLive. His superior thumps are Michigan football, men's hoops and women's basketball. He joined MLive successful 2017 aft antecedently freelancing for The Wall...
