In a recent basketball game, Michigan found themselves in an unexpected situation. Instead of quickly returning to the other end of the court after scoring, Roddy Gayle Jr. lingered near the baseline, along with Nimari Burnett near the 3-point line and Trey Donaldson just inside half court. Something was clearly afoot.

Spur-of-the-Moment Press Tactics

When Tarleton State inbounded to Jordan Mizell and he took a few dribbles, Gayle and Donaldson pounced. Mizell tried to escape towards the sideline but Burnett was waiting, and a referee blew his whistle for a 10-second violation. This wasn't a planned strategy; it was a spontaneous move that seemed to work. Dusty May and his staff have been trying various tweaks in the opening weeks, and this full-court press was designed to speed up the game. The Wolverines believe they have the offensive skill to win out over a larger sample size, and their length and depth make pressing effective, as it was on this particular Thursday.

As Gayle revealed after Michigan's 72-49 win, "It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. And it kind of worked." This shows the team's ability to adapt on the fly and use unexpected tactics to their advantage.

Depth and Rotation

Part of Michigan's success is their depth. On Thursday, 11 Wolverines played meaningful minutes. Dusty May admitted that this is a large rotation on a game-by-game basis and that different guys will play on different nights. There seems to be a set seven-man rotation, with the others potentially rotating depending on the game. For example, any of the three freshmen could get 8-10 minutes one game and a DNP the next.

This variety in the rotation might not have helped offensive cohesion in the turnover department initially. Ball security was emphasized before the game, and Michigan was much improved. One Wolverine was removed after just a couple of minutes because he didn't step towards a pass that was stolen. But overall, they had just 11 turnovers, their lowest turnover rate of the season.

Player Performances

Tre Donaldson continued his strong start to the season. He looks like a point guard who looks for his teammates early and then asserts himself as a scorer when needed. He finished with 13 points and five assists on Thursday and at least once or twice a game, he has raced past everyone on the court for a streaking layup.

"He's taken what the game gives him," May said. "We'll live with some Tre Donaldson over-aggressive turnovers" - he had two against Tarleton - "because he puts so much pressure on the defense." This shows Donaldson's impact on the game.

Vladislav Goldin had his best scoring output as a Wolverine with 12 points on 4 of 8 shooting, but he missed a few right at the basket and went 4 of 7 on free throws.

"As far as not converting around the rim, it's tough," May conceded. "These are shots he normally converts. They're not dropping." But May is confident that when the time is right, Goldin will make a high percentage of those shots.

Overall, Michigan moved in the right direction on Thursday by limiting turnovers, controlling the glass, and dominating for a stretch just before and after halftime. It took longer than expected to take control of the game, both in the first half and for good.

"It's nice to finish our homestand with a win in another game that I feel like we learned something about ourselves," May said. "It was an odd game where we didn't convert very well around the rim, we didn't make our open rhythm shots, we missed several front ends (of free throws). For us to still have this margin with all that happening is a testament to our guys."