Michigan

Michigan basketball vs. Wake Forest: 3 things to watch on Wolverines’ first road trip

Published

1 year ago

November 9, 2024

Michigan basketball vs. Wake Forest: 3 things to watch on Wolverines’ first road trip

After taking care of business in two exhibition games and the season opener, Michigan basketball is ready for a road test against a power conference opponent.

Michigan is 1-0 under new head coach Dusty May after obliterating Cleveland State by 48 points in the opener on Monday. The Wolverines will have had almost a full week off before facing Wake Forest on Sunday afternoon.

The game will be played at a technically neutral site — First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina — albeit one just over 30 miles west of Wake Forest’s campus. That should give Michigan a pseudo-road environment, with most fans cheering against the Wolverines. (Next year, U-M gets its payback: a neutral-site game vs. Wake Forest at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.)

Here are three factors to watch on Sunday afternoon when the Wolverines and Demon Deacons tip off at 1 p.m. (ESPN2).

A tournament-level test

Wake Forest enters the game at 2-0 with wins over Coppin State (by 15 points) and North Carolina A&T (by 16 points) at home. The Demon Deacons were ranked third in the preseason ACC poll, behind just Duke and North Carolina, and received one vote for first place.

“I’m really excited,” said Michigan wing Sam Walters, a transfer from Alabama. “They got some really good players. My former teammate (Davin Cosby) plays for them as well, so I’m really excited to play against guys I know and a really good team. I think it’s going to be a good test for us, especially early in the season to play a good team in their home state.”

The Demon Deacons are led by senior guard Hunter Sallis, a preseason All-ACC first-team selection after he averaged 18 points as a junior last year. Sallis, who played two seasons at Gonzaga before transferring across the country, is a big-bodied guard who thrives attacking downhill while shooting 39.2% from 3-point range for his career.

“His athleticism, his size and then his ability to get into the pain, stop, shot fake and then obviously make,” Michigan assistant coach and general manager Kyle Church said. “Combine that with the ability to make 3s. I think he’s becoming a better playmaker for others as well. He’ll be one of the better guards we play all year.”

Hitting the road

This is Michigan’s first regular-season game outside of Crisler Center this season, though the Wolverines won an exhibition game against Oakland last month at LCA in Detroit. Michigan scheduled the neutral-site game to help provide a boost to its NET rankings and get a taste of playing at an NCAA tournament venue — Greensboro hosted first- and second-round men’s games in the 2023 tournament, though it’s not on the schedule for the next three men’s tournaments.

“It’s still a different feel,” Church said. “It’s not like being on campus and having the students, so it’s something we want to work in for those reasons.”

Michigan still expects a large Wake Forest presence cheering against them. It will help prepare them for the Big Ten teams they will face on the road, starting with a visit to Wisconsin in early December.

“I think it will be a great atmosphere,” said Will Tschetter, one of U-M’s few returning players. “It’ll be great for our team to have our first road game played in front of an opposing crowd. Looking forward to it.”

Focus on cleaning up rebounding and limiting turnovers

Even though Michigan hasn’t had to face much adversity through the exhibitions and opener, they still want to see improvements in a few key areas of the floor, namely in keeping possession and not surrendering second-chance opportunities. Monday against Cleveland State, the Wolverines had 16 turnovers and were just plus-one in rebounding because of the Vikings’ 20 offensive rebounds.

“Obviously, the glaring weakness would be the defensive rebounding,” Church said. “That’s something that’s been addressed heavily this week.”

The team didn’t break out any new rebounding drills, Walters said.

“I wouldn’t say we did anything specifically, but there was a big emphasis when we are playing like in our drills and our live stuff to make sure we are boxing out, finding our guy,” Walters said. “And even in our film breakdowns, that was a main point of focus.”

The other main area of focus is limiting giveaways. Michigan’s 16 turnovers only led to eight Cleveland State points, but it limited the amount of shots Michigan could take.

“It is a possessions game,” Tschetter said. “Being able to have as many possessions as possible is critical. So that’s kind of our main focus right now in our area of improvement.”

Next up: Demon Deacons

Matchup: Michigan (1-0) vs. Wake Forest (2-0), Deacon-Wolverine Challenge.

Tipoff: 1 p.m. Sunday; First Horizon Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina.

TV/radio: ESPN2; WWJ-AM (950).

Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press. Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22, and email him at jramsey@freepress.com.

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Michigan

Opportunity knocks for Michigan’s guards with L.J. Cason out

Published

2 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Opportunity knocks for Michigan’s guards with L.J. Cason out

Ann Arbor — The Wolverines won the outright Big Ten regular-season title with two games to go, but it came at a great cost.

L.J. Cason, Michigan’s backup point guard and a key piece of the rotation, tore his right ACL in the championship-clinching win at Illinois. Just like that, Cason’s season was over and Michigan was hit with a brutal blow.

But when adversity strikes, opportunity knocks. While the team won’t be the same without Cason, coach Dusty May believes Michigan has backcourt pieces who can step up and make up for the loss.

“This is a great opportunity for Roddy (Gayle Jr.), Trey (McKenney) and Nimari (Burnett) to play more, and those guys are really good players,” May said Monday. “Our rotation has been nine and nine, I think, is too deep. It’s playing too many guys, if you want to optimize everyone. But we felt like we had nine guys that deserved to play, that gave us a different element.

“We look at this as another challenge, but it’s also an opportunity for guys to play a little bit more, to play longer periods, to play through a mistake, to play a little bit different role. We do feel like these guys are a lot better than they were earlier this year, so we’re prepared to handle whatever comes at us.”

May said he doesn’t know exactly when Cason tore his ACL, and neither does Cason. The sophomore guard fell to the court and got up favoring his right leg on two separate occasions against Illinois.

The first instance came in the final minute of the first half, when Cason tipped a long rebound ahead and chased it down to start a fast break. After he grabbed the ball in the air and bounced it backward between his legs to a trailing teammate, Cason went down. He got up hobbling, was subbed out and went back to the locker room.

Cason briefly checked back in during the second half and scored a driving layup a minute into his shift. But on Michigan’s next possession, he fell down after trying to score through contact and got up limping again. Shortly after that, Cason motioned to the Michigan bench to be taken out of the game and he exited for good.

“At halftime, the training staff came and said basically he’s passed all of his jump test. He just did the bike. He says he’s 100% ready to go. I was surprised, because I was expecting him to be out,” May said. “I said, ‘What about the test?’ They said both of his knees are loose, so it’s hard. We don’t feel that anything is torn.

“He comes back in. He lands funny again. … It’s unfortunate for him because he was playing so well. When an ACL pops on a noncontact injury, you’re like, ‘Man, what could we have done different?’ When it happens on a funny, quirky play, usually those are the ones that aren’t preventable.”

May added it hasn’t been determined yet when Cason will undergo surgery. Given the typical recovery timeline for a torn ACL ranges anywhere from nine to 12 months, May said Cason redshirting next season is a possibility that’s “on the table.”

“That’s certainly been discussed as well, and then that impacts the recruiting decision-making,” May said. “But right now, we’re still trying to figure out when he’s going to have it. What’s the timeline? Does it make sense to go ahead and sit out next year? … We haven’t made any definitive decisions, because all the information is so inconclusive.”

Moving forward, the plan isn’t to have just one guy replace Cason, who averaged 8.4 points and 2.4 assists in 18.6 minutes per game, shot 40.2% from 3-point range and served as a facilitator when starting point guard Elliot Cadeau wasn’t on the court. It’ll be a by-committee approach.

That said, Cason’s absence is certainly going to put much more on Cadeau’s shoulders. The Wolverines can ill afford to have Cadeau commit unnecessary fouls and miss long stretches at a time. Without Cason, Cadeau is the one guard who can break down opposing defenses off the dribble and create for others.

“This will force Elliot to be much more solid with his defensive decision-making when it comes to fouling,” May said. “He doesn’t have that insurance policy anymore named L.J. behind him, because L.J. came in and carried the load several games for our group. That’s not there anymore.”

While Burnett, Gayle and McKenney haven’t had to be facilitators in their roles this season, May expressed confidence all three can take on minutes with the ball in their hands and initiate the offense.

Even beyond the guards, May noted the team has “other capable weapons” who can serve as triggers on offense depending on the matchup, like forwards Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr. and big man Aday Mara.

Add it all together, May feels the Wolverines can find a way to absorb the blow, fill the void and forge ahead with Cason sidelined.

“We have enough to overcome what L.J. brought to the team,” May said. “I don’t know if he’s the best backup point guard in the country, but I can’t think of one that’s better. We’re losing a lot, but once again, we’re not going to sit here and look at it from that angle.

“This is an opportunity for all these other guys to do a little bit more, and they’re more than capable. It’s on us to find the right rotations and situations. Without a doubt, we have a lot of confidence in our roster.”

jhawkins@detroitnews.com

@jamesbhawkins

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Michigan

Michigan State Police patrol car damaged in hit-and-run on Lodge Freeway in Detroit

Published

14 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Michigan State Police patrol car damaged in hit-and-run on Lodge Freeway in Detroit

Nick Lentz

Updated on: March 1, 2026 / 11:08 PM EST
/ CBS Detroit

The Michigan State Police is looking for the driver of a Jeep that the agency said hit one of its patrol cars on Lodge Freeway in Detroit Sunday night.

According to officials, the incident happened at 7:50 p.m. on the northbound side of the freeway near Shaefer Highway. The agency said a trooper was investigating a crash and had the patrol car parked on the right shoulder of the freeway with its emergency lights on when it was rear-ended by the Jeep.

“The impact forced the patrol car to strike the concrete wall on the right shoulder,” according to the agency.

A damaged Michigan State Police patrol car on the side of Lodge Freeway in Detroit on March 1, 2026, after it was hit by a Jeep.

Michigan State Police

The Jeep then went across three lanes of the freeway and hit a median wall, officials said. The driver, identified by law enforcement as a 29-year-old Detroit woman, left the vehicle and fled the scene.

Michigan State Police First Lieutenant Mike Shaw said that while the trooper was evaluated and cleared at the scene by medical personnel, he was still taken to the hospital as a precaution.

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Indiana extends Big Ten streak to five as the Michigan women win for the first time since 2018

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Indiana extends Big Ten streak to five as the Michigan women win for the first time since 2018

The Indiana men didn’t just win, they secured a fifth straight conference championship, continuing a swimming and diving dynasty in Bloomington. Michigan’s women surged to the top of the league, capturing the title with authority and balance across the lineup.

Records fell left and right throughout the week as this year’s Big 10 championships featured some of the best performances in conference history in the pool.

Here are the main takeaways from this year’s Big 10 swimming and diving championships:

Indiana breaks away from Michigan to win fifth straight title

The Indiana men continued their dominance in the pool in 2026, extending their Big 10 dynasty.

From start to finish, the Hoosiers demonstrated experience and elite talent. Indiana won ten different events, including two relays and eight individual wins from six different athletes.

Indiana dominated the distance events this week, winning the 400-yd IM, the 500-yd freestyle, and 1,650-yd freestyle. Senior Zalan Sarkany won both distance freestyle events while freshman Josh Bey started off his Big 10 career with a win in the 400-yard IM.

Owen McDonald was the second highest scorer in the meet behind Michigan senior Tyler Ray, who was named Big 10 Swimmer of the Championships. The senior won the Big 10 title in the 100-yd backstroke and 200-yd IM.

Senior Kai Van Westering and junior Dylan Smiley closed on the week with wins on the last night of competition for the Hoosiers. Van Westering grabbed the win in the 200-yd backstroke and Dylan Smiley won the 100-yd freestyle before leading Indiana to a win in the 400-yd freestyle relay to close out the meet.

Beyond individual stars, the Hoosiers stacked swims in the top eight of each event, showcasing balance across not only distance, but sprint and mid-distance events as well. Indiana’s performance combined consistency and poise, placing swimmers in the establishing control from the first event individual event to the final relay.

The win marks Indiana’s 32nd Big 10 title overall, which is second all time behind Michigan. Head coach Ray Looze won his ninth men’s Big Ten title, moving him into the top five all time in conference history.

The Hoosiers have once again positioned themselves as one of the nation’s elite teams, ready to challenge for another top-three finish at the NCAA Championships in March.

Michigan women continue building momentum

The Michigan women left Minneapolis with its first Big 10 title since 2018 and the Wolverines’ 18th all-time, the most in conference history.

The Michigan women started the season ranked tenth in the CSCAA Top 25, one spot behind Big 10 rival Indiana. Since December they’ve moved into the top four and have cemented themselves as one of the best teams in the country.

“We had a really great team this year,” senior Devon Kitchel told Yahoo Sports. “Throughout the season we consistently worked hard and continually improved. By the time B1Gs came we were ready to go.”

As a team Michigan won eight individual events, took first in four of the five relays and medaled in five additional events.

Bella Sims lead the charge for the Wolverines. The junior transfer won two out of her three individual swims and was named Swimmer of the Championships, the first for Michigan since Maggie MacNeil won it three times between 2020-22.

As a team, Michigan put eight athletes of a possible 17 on the All-Big 10 First Team. Along with Sims, eight-time Big 10 champion Stephanie Balduccini, eight-time Big 10 champion Brady Kendall, five-time Big 10 champion Letitia Sim, and five-time Big 10 champion Hannah Bellard led the way for the Wolverines.

Michigan will now turn its focus to the NCAA Championships in March, where the team will attempt to improve on its ninth-place finish in 2025.

Welcome to the Big 10, Bella Sims

Bella Sims is finding her groove in Ann Arbor.

Sims swam in seven Big Ten finals, which included the 200-yd and 400-yd IM’s, the 100-yd backstroke, and four relays. She finished the meet with five gold medals and two silvers.

In her first two years of collegiate swimming Sims was a three-time NCAA champion, thirteen time All-American, and nine time SEC champion. However, all three of her NCAA titles came during her freshman season at Florida.

The Las Vegas native has represented the United States at the Olympics and World Championships and transferred to Michigan to finish her collegiate career.

Now approaching her third NCAA championship meet, Sims has momentum on her side. Although she is yet to go a personal best this season, Sims is leading the Michigan women to new heights in 2026.