Michigan
Why Michigan’s quarterback competition between Bryce Underwood and Mikey Keene is legitimate
Michigan’s quarterback situation in 2024 was abysmal at best, ranking No. 129 in passing offense. However, better days are ahead at QB for Michigan. The Wolverines added 2025 No. 1 overall prospect and No. 1 quarterback Bryce Underwood to the equation as well as Fresno State transfer quarterback Mikey Keene.
Underwood’s an early enrollee and practiced with the Michigan team during their ReliaQuest Bowl prep against Alabama, and both he and Keene will be with the team for offseason conditioning and spring practices. While many assume that Underwood will be the starter in 2025 due to being the cream of the crop in his recruiting class, that is far from being decided — a legitimate competition between him and Keene will unfold.
“It’s open competition,” Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore said this week. “Nobody is promised a certain spot. Everybody has got to earn it, and he really understands that, even with the guys we’ve brought in. So he’s really excited to push the whole room.”
Keene has plenty of experience, and will be entering his fifth collegiate season after stops at Central Florida and Fresno State. Keene had a 70.5 completion percentage in 2024 at Fresno State with 2,892 yards with 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Keene has passed 8,245 passing yards in his career with 65 touchdowns and 28 interceptions with a 67.8 completion percentage.
Moore noted that Keene’s familiarity with new Michigan offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey’s scheme was “huge.” Lindsey was Central Florida’s offensive coordinator in 2022 while Keene was at UCF — Keene threw for 647 yards, six touchdowns and one interception with a 72.3 completion rate that season.
“Heard great things and tactical things about him as a leader,” Moore said. “Really excited for him to push that room and give us an experienced guy that we feel that he can win us games, and that was the most important piece of it.”
Bringing Keene into Michigan is the type of addition that Michigan needed and Underwood wanted. Underwood realizes that the only way he’s going to get better is by having good competition day in and day out in Ann Arbor.
“You just want to make sure you have enough guys in the room who can push each other,” Moore said. “A big thing when we recruited Bryce was ‘who’s going to push me, who’s going to make me better?’ All his life he’s been pushed to be made better, he doesn’t want to be given anything.”
Underwood has the highest of ceilings, and Keene has tons of experience and familiarity in Michigan’s new offensive scheme — who winds up starting is currently anyone’s guess. The fact we don’t know should serve both Underwood and Keene well in the months to come.
Michigan
Saturday’s state basketball: Nelson scores 32 as Eastern Michigan edges Northern Illinois
Ypsilanti — Da’Sean Nelson scored 32 points as Eastern Michigan beat Northern Illinois 75-71 on Saturday.
Nelson also added nine rebounds for the Eagles (7-6, 1-0 Mid-American Conference). Jalin Billingsley added 15 points while shooting 5 of 7 from the field and 4 for 8 from the line and had five rebounds. Christian Henry had 13 points and shot 5 for 10, including 1 for 4 from beyond the arc.
James Dent Jr. led the way for the Huskies (4-9, 0-1) with 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Northern Illinois also got 14 points and six rebounds from Ethan Butler. Quaran McPherson also put up 12 points.
Nelson’s 16-point second half helped Eastern Michigan close out the four-point victory.
Both teams play on Tuesday. Eastern Michigan visits Toledo and Northern Illinois hosts Kent State.
More state games
▶Robert Morris 79, (at) Oakland 71: Kam Woods had 29 points, shot 9 of 15 from the field, including 3 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 8 for 10 from the line for the Colonials (10-6, 2-3 Horizon League). Josh Omojafo scored 15 points, going 3 of 9 and 8 of 8 from the free-throw line. Alvaro Folgueiras had 11 points and shot 4 of 5 from the field and 2 for 3 from the line.
Tuburu Niavalurua finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and three steals for the Golden Grizzlies (5-11, 2-3). Allen David Mukeba Jr. added 13 points, six rebounds and three blocks for Oakland. Malcolm Christie finished with 11 points.
▶Milwaukee 64, (at) Detroit Mercy 56: AJ McKee had 14 points, and added six rebounds for the Panthers (11-5, 4-1 Horizon League). Themus Fulks scored 14 points while going 3 of 10 and 8 of 10 from the free-throw line and added five rebounds. Jamichael Stillwell had 11 points and shot 4 of 12 from the field, including 0 for 3 from 3-point range, and went 3 for 5 from the line.
Orlando Lovejoy led the Titans (6-11, 2-4) in scoring, finishing with 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
▶Toledo 76, (at) Western Michigan 70: Sonny Wilson scored 20 points in a Mid-American Conference opener. Wilson had seven rebounds and five assists for the Rockets (7-6, 1-0 Mid-American Conference). Sam Lewis scored 14 points and added 10 rebounds and three blocks. Andre Lorentsson shot 3 for 9, including 2 for 7 from beyond the arc to finish with 10 points.
The Broncos (3-10, 0-1) were led in scoring by Chansey Willis Jr., who finished with 21 points and seven assists. Western Michigan also got 13 points and seven rebounds from Javaughn Hannah. Owen Lobsinger also had 11 points, 13 rebounds and two steals. The loss is the sixth straight for the Broncos.
Wilson scored 11 points in the first half for Toledo, who led 35-33 at halftime. Toledo turned a one-point second-half lead into an eight-point advantage with a 7-0 run to make it a 52-44 lead with 9:45 left in the half. Lewis scored 10 second-half points in the victory.
More men’s results
Arizona 72, Cincinnati 67
Ashland 72, Malone 61
Calvin 68, St. Norbert 52
Davenport 73, Michigan Tech 71, OT
Ferris St. 91, Wayne St. (Mich.) 81
Hillsdale 75, Lake Erie 72
Lake Superior St. 73, Saginaw Valley St. 44
N. Michigan 78, Grand Valley St. 70
Thomas More Saints 73, Northwood 57
State women’s results
Ball St. 72, Cent. Michigan 61
Miami (Ohio) 57, W. Michigan 51
Michigan
Michigan’s nostalgic vintage arcade, museum locking its doors after this weekend
FARMINGTON HILLS, MI – This is one of those places which gives you all the feels.
One of Michigan’s most nostalgic spots is locking its doors this Sunday night after being located in the same spot for decades. It will soon be located elsewhere.
Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum has been a destination and attraction at a strip mall on Orchard Lake at 14 Mile in Farmington Hills since 1990.
The part arcade, part museum will be demolished to make way for other developments.
Marvin’s owner, Jeremy Yagoda, said he vowed this would not be the end of what his father Marvin, who passed way in 2017, started.
After Marvin’s closes this Sunday evening, relocation will soon begin to the Orchard Mall on the NE corner of Maple and Orchard Lake Road in West Bloomfield.
Yagoda says it is expected to take a few months to make the move to the new building which will expand the museum from 5,300 sq. ft. to around 14,000 sq. ft.
“We will take a couple days to relax before we start the move,” Yagoda wrote on Facebook. “I do not have a date for the reopening yet as the build out will take some time. Sad to leave Farmington Hills as the whole city has been MARVELOUS, but this was the best location we found. Time to start the next chapter for MMMM.”
Marvin’s will be open on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Michigan
Zapala scores season-high 15 points as No. 18 Michigan State holds off Ohio State 69-62
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Szymon Zapala scored a season-high 15 points and No. 18 Michigan State made 8 of 10 free throws to hold off Ohio State 69-62 on Friday night for its third straight win to start Big Ten play.
Zapala fueled a 12-0 run to build a 14-point lead for the Spartans (12-2, 3-0). However, the Buckeyes rallied as John Mobley Jr. hit a 3 and Bruce Thornton followed with a jumper with 8:47 left to go up, 50-49.
Ohio State (9-5, 1-2) then committed turnovers on three straight possessions. After Thornton’s second turnover in under a minute Xavier Booker drove the length of the floor for a three-point play. Tre Holloman drilled a 3 and Booker dunked to give Michigan State a 57-50 lead. Micah Parrish hit two 3-pointers and Mobley added a third, but the Spartans finished hitting 8 of 10 from the line.
Jaden Akins was 5 for 6 from the free-throw line, hitting 3 of 4 in the final minute, to finish with 14 points for Michigan State. Coen Carr was 7 for 8 at the line and added 11 points. Jaxon Kohler grabbed 10 rebounds.
Parrish was 3 of 6 from 3-point range and finished with 13 points to lead Ohio State. Thornton finished with 10 points.
Takeaways
Michigan State was able to attack the rim consistently.
Ohio State shot 36.7% from the floor at home, hitting 22 of 60 from the field including 7 of 27 on 3s.
Key moment
After Ohio State used a 7-0 run to take a 50-49 lead, Booker turned a turnover by Thornton into a three-point play to put the Spartans back in front.
Key stat
Michigan State scored 56 of its 69 points either in the paint or from the free-throw line.
Up next
Michigan State hosts Washington on Thursday, and Ohio State plays at Minnesota on Monday.
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