Takeaways: Michigan basketball bounces back with double-digit win over TCU

The Wolverines improve to 2-1 on the season...

Matt Lounsberry | 1 Hour Ago

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Michigan Wolverines

Coming off a nail-biting, two-point loss to Wake Forest, Michigan men's basketball bounced back with a 76-64 win over TCU on Friday night in Ann Arbor. Here are five takeaways from the Wolverines' victory over the Horned Frogs...

1. Michigan's turnover problem needs to get fixed quickly

Michigan Wolverines men's basketball head coach Dusty May

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One of the biggest problems for this Michigan team early in the year has been turnovers, and Friday night was the worst case of the giveaways yet this season. The Wolverines coughed up the rock an unfathomable 21 times, 16 of which came in the first half alone. TCU scored 22 points off those turnovers.

Michigan did do a much better job taking care of the ball after halftime, with just five turnovers in the second half. However, this has been a chronic problem for this team through the first three games. Michigan had 16 turnovers in each of its first two games against Cleveland State and Wake Forest.

Maybe this can be chalked up to a bunch of guys playing together for the first time, in a system that stresses a fast-tempo and quick decisions. Whatever the cause, May and his staff have to do a better job stressing the fundamentals and get this fixed quickly.

2. Have a day, Nimari Burnett

Michigan Wolverines men's basketball guard Nimari Burnett

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Numari Burnett had arguably the best game of his Michigan career tonight. The senior scored 16 points on an efficient 6-of-7 shooting, including 3-for-4 from 3-point range. Burnett added six rebounds in a strong overall performance.

Burnett has been really good early this season in catch-and-shoot opportunities, and his activity on the boards is something we needed to see more of out of Michigan's guards after the two first games of the year. Burnett plays a contrasting style to that of transfer point guard Tre Donaldson, and the pair complemented each other well tonight.

3. The Wolverines can shoot the rock

Michigan Wolverines men's basketball forward Sam Walters

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When the Wolverines do take care of the ball, they're very efficient on offense. That's because this team has a ton of guys who can stretch the floor and shoot the rock. Five different players knocked down a 3-pointer for Michigan tonight, and the Wolverines' collectively shot 37.5% from deep.

Four different players scored in double digures, with Danny Wolf (14 points), Tre Donaldson (14) and Sam Walters (10) joining Burnett. Walters has been sensational off the bench for U-M, shooting a blistering 56.3% from beyond the arc this season.

4. Slow start, better finish for Vlad Goldin

Michigan Wolverines men's basketball center Vlad Goldin

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Goldin was one of the higher-profile transfers that May added to Michigan's roster this offseason, but the big man struggled through the first two and half games in a maize and blue uniform.

Goldin had a strong close to this game to finish with eight points and eight rebounds, but he missed several bunnies right underneath the basket and hasn't quite found his role on the offensive end. There's more for Michigan to unlock here with Goldin, and that could determine the ceiling for this team this season.

5. Mixed bag defensively

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Michigan did a lot of good thing defensively, making it difficult for TCU to score in the halfcourt. However, the Wolverines need to cut down on shooting fouls and again struggled to secure defensive rebounds.

Michigan held the Horned Frogs to just 34% shooting, but TCU kept things close by shooting 15-for-22 from the free throw line, and scoring eight second-chance points on 16 offensive rebounds. The Wolverines were fortunate not to give up more on the Horned Frogs' second and third opportunities. I've been impressed with how hard May has these guys playing off the defensive end. The next step is defending without fouling, and ending possessions after just one shot.

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