Michigan
5 Takeaways: Vlad Goldin scores 36, Tre Donaldson adds 20 as Michigan routes UCLA
Michigan men’s basketball had a productive trip to the West Coast as the new year got underway, sweeping new Big Ten Conference additions USC and UCLA to improve to 4-0 in league play.
Late Tuesday night, the No. 24 Wolverines built an 18-point first half lead before the No. 22 Bruins came soaring back with an extended 28-6 run to take the lead themselves, 55-51, with just over 14 minutes left in the game. However, Michigan responded, outscoring the Bruins 39-24 the rest of the way for a 94-75 victory.
Michigan’s 94 points were the most points allowed by UCLA all season by far, with four Wolverines reaching double figures. Here are five takeaways from U-M’s fourth consecutive victory…
Michigan big man Vlad Goldin easily had his best game in a Maize and Blue uniform, and perhaps the best of his collegiate career against the Bruins. The 7-foot center finished with a career-high 36 points on 13-of-18 shooting from the floor and 9-for-11 from the free throw line.
The Wolverines’ center added seven rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot in a spectacular performance. UCLA had no answer for Goldin as he scored 21 points in the first half for Michigan, and while the 7-footer was slowed somewhat in the second half by foul trouble and some adjustments from the Bruins, Goldin helped the Wolverines close out this road victory in L.A.
After a slow start to the season, Goldin has really come into his own over the past three or so week, and has become a dominant force in the Wolverines’ frontcourt.
It was a career day for point guard Tre Donaldson as well, who played an instrumental role in Michigan’s second-half comeback in L.A. With the Wolverines’ trailing by four, Donaldson knocked down a 3-point shot, found forward Will Tschetter for another triple, and hit another 3 himself on three consecutive trips to pull Michigan back even.
Later in the second half, with Goldin and fellow big Danny Wolf each on the bench with four fouls, Donaldson hit two more 3-pointers to extend Michigan’s lead from eight to 12, assisting Nimari Burnett on a third triple minutes later. That stretch sealed the deal for the Maize and Blue.
Donaldson finished with a career-high 20 points on a red-hot 7-of-11 shooting, including 6-of-10 from deep. He added seven assists, six rebounds and a pair of steals for the Wolverines. When Donaldson plays like this, Michigan will be tough for anyone in the country to beat.
Danny Wolf has emerged as a contender for Big Ten Player of the Year this season, but he had a rough second game in Los Angeles. The 7-foot forward played too loose with the basketball and was frustrated by UCLA’s defense, resulting in seven turnovers for Wolf alone. The transfer from Yale also found himself in foul trouble, which forced him to sit for much of the second half.
Despite this, Wolf still managed to score 12 points on an efficient 4-of-7 shooting, and made his usual contributions in other areas with eight rebounds, six assists, a blocked shot and a steal. Wolf can play a little out of control at times, and was clearly frustrated tonight, but still played a large role in Michigan’s victory.
Meanwhile, with small forward Roddy Gayle Jr. out with injury, the Wolverines needed Nimari Burnett to continue his strong play of late, and they got just that from the senior. Burnett scored 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor and 3-for-4 from deep. He added four rebounds, four assists and two steals.
The season is still young, but Michigan has the makings of a team that can win the Big Ten and make a run in the NCAA Tournament this March. However, the Wolverines have two key areas they must address in order to realize that potential — limiting turnovers and holding on to double-digit leads.
Michigan had 16 turnovers against UCLA’s tough, aggressive defense, which led to 20 points for the Bruins. The Wolverines did a better job after halftime, but this remains a lingering issue for Dusty May’s squad. During UCLA’s 28-6 run between the end of the first and beginning of the second half, Michigan had five turnovers in about a nine-minute stretch, which contributed to the Wolverines’ blowing its 18-point lead.
Michigan has had several leads evaporate this season, including all three of their losses. The turnovers have played a major role in the Wolverines’ inability to hold these leads, and that will keep this team from realizing its full potential unless it’s corrected.
As mentioned above, there’s some areas to clean up in order for Michigan to reach it’s potential and win championships this season. However, the Wolverines are underrated as the current No. 24 team in the country (per the Associated Press).
Michigan’s three losses have come by a combined five points against Wake Forest (72-70), Arkansas (89-87) and No. 17 Oklahoma (87-86), and the Wolverines led in each of those three defeats. That’s how close this team is to being 15-0. The combined record of those three teams is 35-8.
Ultimately, the Wolverines’ national ranking will take care of itself as long as they continue to win games. Michigan has an excellent chance to continue to build momentum, with homes games against Washington (10-5, 1-3 Big Ten) and Northwestern (10-5, 1-3) sandwiched around a road game at Minnesota (8-7, 0-4) over the next week and a half.
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Michigan mother of three talks about how she broke her kratom addiction
Melanie Clark, 35, of Kincheloe in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, has fought a four-year-long addiction to kratom, the so-called “gas station heroin.”
Michigan lawmakers are debating a complete ban on the sale of kratom products in the state, citing cases of addiction and instances of death from people consuming the herbal supplement known as the “gas station heroin.”
Here is what to know about this unregulated herbal substance commonly sold in convenience stores, gas stations and tobacco shops across Michigan:
What is kratom?
Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia whose leaves contain compounds that can produce stimulant effects at low doses and opioid-like effects at higher doses. It is manufactured and sold in different forms: liquid tonics, tablets, gummies, powders and capsules.
What is kratom used for?
Kratom is marketed as a herbal supplement for energy, mood, pain relief or opioid withdrawal, though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved any of those uses. Some kratom users take it to get off heroin or fentanyl, according to University of Michigan researchers.
How is kratom pronounced?
Kratom is pronounced KRA-tum. The letter “a” takes a short “a” sound, as in crab or crack.
What is 7-OH?
7-hydroxymitragynin, or 7-OH, is an alkaloid found in kratom leaves. It is manufactured in a synthetic form to produce an opioid-like sensation of pain relief or sedation. It is more potent than pure leaf kratom and sometimes referred to as the hard liquor version of kratom (if pure leaf kratom were considered beer, which typically has a much lower percentage of alcohol by volume compared with distilled liquor).
Is kratom an opioid or addictive?
Kratom users, substance abuse counselors and doctors report symptoms of dependence and withdrawal from the substance, particularly when users exceed the recommended serving size.
The Drug Enforcement Agency has warned that kratom has “sedative effects” that “can lead to addiction.”
On July 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration moved to declare certain 7-hydroxymitragynine synthetic kratom products a Schedule I controlled substance, the same class of drugs as heroin, ecstasy and peyote. As of April 9, the substance had not yet been formally added to the list of Schedule I drugs, which would effectively ban 7-OH nationwide.
Does kratom have side effects?
The FDA has warned that kratom use can lead to liver toxicity, seizures or substance use disorder.
Withdrawal from the substance can lead to increased anxiety, insomnia and psychiatric episodes, according to University of Michigan researchers.
Dr. Eliza Hutchinson, a family physician based in Ann Arbor who is a clinical instructor at UM, said her substance abuse patients describe withdrawal from kratom as “the worst influenza of your life — times 10.”
CARE Southeastern Michigan, a recovery advocacy group, has reported some individuals experiencing psychotic episodes after taking 7-OH, the synthetic form of kratom.
The FDA has also said kratom is “not appropriate for use as a dietary supplement” and unsafe as an additive to food. The powder and liquid forms of kratom are sometimes marketed as an additive to shakes and smoothies.
Does kratom show up on a drug test?
Yes, if it’s part of a specialized screening of narcotics and other substances that looks for active ingredients in kratom products.
Some substance abuse clinics in Michigan are starting to test for it, said Madison Lauder, a counselor at The Guidance Center in Southgate.
“We see you so often, we have added into our (drug test) panel,” Lauder said.
Is there any age restriction on buying kratom in Michigan?
No, Michigan has no laws governing the sale of kratom and related synthetics, such as 7-OH.
But retailers set their own rules. Some stores won’t sell to anyone under age 21.
Some of the 7-OH kratom products on the shelves of stores are labeled “21+.”
But there’s no law on the books in Michigan requiring buyers to show a photo ID when buying kratom, as is required to purchase alcohol, tobacco or marijuana.
Which states have bans on selling kratom?
Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin have outright bans on the sale of kratom.
In December, Ohio’s Board of Pharmacy used the state’s controlled substance laws to ban the retail sale, distribution and possession of 7-OH and other synthetic forms of kratom, board spokesman Cameron McNamee said.
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy has a separate proposal to ban natural kratom products that remains in the rulemaking process, McNamee said.
Some cities and counties across the country have imposed varying local sales bans, including Anaheim, Calif., Spokane, Wash., and the New York City suburbs of Nassau County on Long Island, according to published reports.
What’s the status of legislation to ban kratom in Michigan?
On March 18, the Republican-controlled Michigan House voted 56-48 on legislation that would completely ban the sale of kratom products in Michigan. All 46 Democrats and two Republicans opposed the legislation.
Democrats cited a lack of any committee hearings on the legislation.
“There is no question of the growing concern around this product, and no one is saying, with this vote or otherwise, that the concern isn’t justified,” the House Democratic caucus said in a statement. “What we are saying is an outright ban, without any testimony or dialogue, is not the solution.”
The bill moved to the Democratic-controlled Senate, where Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, assigned it to her Government Operations Committee.
Some kratom industry interests and individual users have advocated for a ban on just the 7-OH synthetic form of kratom.
Sen. Kevin Hertel, the St. Clair Shores Democrat who chairs the Senate Health Policy Committee, said the House’s passage of a total ban on kratom has changed the debate toward prohibition, which he favors until the FDA can further study the substance and its impact on the human body.
clivengood@detroitnews.com
Staff Writers Anne Snabes and Beth LeBlanc contributed.
For much of April, showers and melting snow has swamped Michigan, flooding homes, businesses, cottages, roadways; threatening and destroying infrastructure, including dams, and forcing what is likely hundreds of Michiganders to evacuate.
The unusual weather put the entire state under a flood watch.
It’s not over.
To help, the state’s Emergency Operations Center — which was activated on April 10, along with the governor’s state of emergency declaration — created a digital map identifying shelters and damaged areas.
There also is a livestream of the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex.
As of Monday morning, the water level at the dam had dropped slightly, and was less than 8 inches below the top, which is still a threat to both the community in the event of a spillover — or structural failure.
The map, which the emergency center is calling a dashboard, shows warming and cooling centers and where people can get food. It tracks where the tornadoes touched down, and the roadways that are under water, were eroded away and are completely washed out.
The emergency center also is providing more information on its website on how to ask for help, what state and federal assistance might be available, and how to get emergency email alerts from the State Police.
Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com
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