Perhaps the most exhilarating moment during the evening at the Crisler Center came when a fan in the student section was featured on the video board. This fan held a white board with a significant reminder: Five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood had switched his commitment from LSU to Michigan. This news broke approximately two hours before the tip-off on Thursday and created a buzz within the hoops arena. The Michigan basketball team was also engaged in a game, and Dusty May's squad managed to secure a 72 - 49 victory against an overmatched Tarleton State team.

Winning to End the Home Stand

"It's gratifying to conclude our home stand with a win. Each game provides an opportunity for us to learn more about ourselves," expressed May. "This particular game was crucial for us. Coach (Billy) Gillespie gets his players to play with a physical edge... Given our past struggles, it allowed us to focus on taking care of the basketball."

Turnovers and Their Impact

Turnovers have been a concern for the Wolverines (4 - 1) in the early stages of the season. Early on Thursday, they had seven turnovers in the first half. However, they managed to significantly reduce this number after the break, with just three turnovers. Fortunately for Michigan, which ranks 349th in turnover rating per Kenpom, they were playing against one of the few teams in the nation that turns the ball over more. Tarleton State entered the game at 364th (out of 364 teams).

Forcing Turnovers and Second-Chance Points

On Thursday, Michigan forced 24 turnovers from the Texans, which translated into 28 points, including 13 on the fast break. Tarleton State also struggled on the glass, entering the game as the team allowing opponents to rebound 45.9% of their misses. Michigan came close, with 13 offensive boards on 31 misses (41.9%), converting those into 13 second-chance points.

Balanced Scoring and Shooting Challenges

Just like in their other games, the scoring was evenly distributed among the players. Roddy Gayle Jr. led the team with 16 points, Tre Donaldson had 13 points and five assists, Sam Walters also scored 13 points, and Vlad Goldin contributed 12 points. However, Michigan had their worst shooting night from beyond the arc, making only six out of 22 (27.2%), and they also made just 16 out of 23 (69.6%) free throws."It was an unusual game where we didn't convert well around the rim," May noted. "We missed some open rhythm shots and the front ends of our free throws. Despite all that, we still managed to maintain a significant margin, which is a testament to our team's effort."

Early Struggles and Comebacks

Michigan appeared to be on their way to an easy win early on, scoring the first six points and building a 11 - 3 lead. But then the turnovers started, and Tarleton State began to heat up from the floor. Seven early Michigan turnovers led to 11 transition points in the first half, including a bad pass from Danny Wolf that resulted in a runout the other way and gave the Texans a temporary 24 - 23 lead. Tarleton State was only in range to take the lead because Bubu Benjamin couldn't miss early, hitting four 3-pointers in the first 12 minutes. But Michigan settled down and finished the half on a 11 - 2 run, with Gayle Jr. sandwiching a pair of layups around two Walters 3-pointers. Tarleton was down just 10 at halftime, despite having as many turnovers as made field goals.

Pressuring the Opponent in the Second Half

After the break, Michigan intensified their defense, implementing an intermittent full-court press. This forced two 10 - second violations in the first three minutes of the half and sparked a 10 - 0 start, with four points coming from Goldin. U-M seemed to make a deliberate effort to get the ball to him, but he still struggled, finishing 4 - for - 8 from the floor and 4 - for - 7 from the free throw line."The highlight of the run was a no-look lefty pass from Donaldson to Wolf in transition, which was celebrated by the point guard throwing up goggles with his hands," May added. Michigan's lead grew to 20, 54 - 34, but then they went cold from the floor, missing seven consecutive shots and going 4 minutes and 50 seconds without a point. This allowed Tarleton to go on a 6 - 0 run and get back within 14. But once Gayle threw down a slam with 10:13 to go, U-M was back on track.It didn't help the visitors that starting point guard Izzy Miles, who scored seven points and grabbed four rebounds, fouled out with 9:22 to play. The Texans got as close as 13, but a quick 9 - 0 run fueled by five Walters points stretched U-M's lead to 22.After the contest, U-M's players got in a postgame lift as they prepare for Monday's tip-off against Virginia Tech. "We're looking forward to getting some Vitamin D," said May, the former Florida Atlantic head coach, as he prepared to return to Florida.