5 months ago
- Wolverines
- Published: Dec. 29, 2025, 9:13 p.m.
ANN ARBOR — The Michigan men’s hoops squad couldn’t person asked for a amended 2025.
The Wolverines improved to 12-0 connected nan twelvemonth pinch Monday’s 112-71 triumph complete McNeese astatine Crisler Center.
Half of nan Wolverines’ wins this play person been by astatine slightest 40 points. They’ve deed 100 points successful 3 consecutive games and six of their past seven. Happy caller year, indeed.
Michigan resumes Big Ten play Friday astatine location against USC. The Wolverines still person 1 much regular-season nonconference game, against Duke successful Washington, D.C. connected Feb. 21.
On Monday, Michigan changeable 58.7% from nan section and held McNeese to conscionable 29.5%. The Wolverines led 60-29 astatine half and kept their ft connected nan gas. Morez Johnson Jr. led nan victors pinch 24 points and 11 rebounds. Aday Mara added 13 points, six rebounds and 5 assists. Yaxel Lendeborg tallied 16 points and 8 boards, completing different terrific nighttime for Michigan’s starting frontcourt.
Michigan scored 21 unanswered points against McNeese, 1 of respective unthinkable stretches. Michigan led by arsenic galore arsenic 52, nan reserves performing conscionable arsenic good arsenic nan starters.
Two years agone to nan day, McNeese came to Crisler and hit Michigan 87-76. The Wolverines won conscionable 8 games that play and fired coach Juwan Howard. Things person improved dramatically for nan programme since Dusty May took over.
Another sold-out crowd, contempt a deficiency of students, saw different ascendant effort. The Wolverines person 2 constrictive wins and 10 blowouts, including 9 by astatine slightest 25 points. They’ll apt participate 2026 arsenic nan No. 1 squad successful nan NET, nan Coaches Poll and nan kenpom.com rankings.
The Cowboys, who made nan travel from Lake Charles, Louisiana, fell to 10-3. They went to nan NCAA Tournament each of nan past 2 years nether then-coach Will Wade, who’s now astatine North Carolina State.
They were nary lucifer for Michigan connected Monday, and it was evident early. Michigan sewage disconnected basking a basking start. Lendeborg scored done a foul and missed nan free throw, but Mara directed nan rebound to Nimari Burnett for a 3-0 that made it 7-0.
Lendeborg’s nifty reverse pushed nan lead to 17-7 pinch 14:33 left. The Cowboys ne'er sewage wrong 10 again. Lendeborg’s 3 gave Michigan a 20-point separator pinch 7:26 near successful nan half, pinch nan Wolverines attacking nan Cowboys’ property for cleanable looks.
Michigan was credited pinch 26 made dunks and layups, much baskets that McNeese scored total.
Michigan led by 17 erstwhile a Cowboy was called for a flagrant foul and first-year coach Bill Armstrong was deed pinch a technical. Michigan went conscionable 2 for 6 from nan foul statement during nan extended possession and vanished 31 for 45 from nan stripe.
Caron’s 3 capped an 11-0 tally that made it 53-25 pinch 2:17 near successful nan half. Johnson’s and-one provided nan last points of nan half. Michigan, erstwhile again, had extinguished nan opponent’s dream by halftime.
The Wolverines scored 3 easy baskets to unfastened nan 2nd half and unit a timeout. It didn’t extremity nan onslaught. Mara’s full-court walk deed a streaking Lendeborg successful stride; he vanished pinch a monster dunk done a foul. Burnett and Cadeau each swished 3s, portion of a 16-0 tally to commencement nan half (21-0 successful total) that made it 76-29 pinch 16:49 left. Johnson’s layup pushed nan separator to 51 pinch 11:27 left.
Michigan cracked nan period people connected a beautiful provender from Will Tschetter to Burnett for a slam.
Michigan outscored McNeese by 14 astatine nan foul line.
Michigan, already 2-0 successful nan Big Ten, is successful bully position to support rolling early successful 2026.
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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...
