Houston Exhibition Gives Michigan a Useful Reality Check Before Oakland

Michigan’s final exhibition supplied a clear reminder that a promising roster still has to become a connected team.

The Wolverines lost 83–66 to Houston on October 25, finishing their exhibition schedule 2–1. Michigan shot 34 percent from the field and made nine of 33 three-point attempts. Houston also held a 42–30 rebounding advantage. Those numbers identified several areas requiring attention before results begin counting toward the regular-season record. 

The correct response is neither panic nor dismissal. Exhibition games provide limited evidence, but they still reveal how a team responds to pressure, physicality, and a changing scoreboard.

For Michigan, the first question concerns offensive balance. Taking a large number of three-pointers is not inherently a problem. The quality of those attempts matters more than the total. Open shots created through penetration and ball movement are different from rushed attempts taken because an action has stalled.

The Wolverines need to evaluate what happened before the release. Did the ball reach the paint? Did a screen create an advantage? Was there an opportunity to make one more pass? Those details offer more useful guidance than simply demanding a better shooting percentage.

Rebounding deserves similar attention. A defensive stop remains incomplete until someone secures the ball. Giving an opponent additional possessions can undermine otherwise solid coverage and make an uneven shooting performance harder to survive.

There were individual positives against Houston. Roddy Gayle Jr. scored 14 points, while Moustapha Thiam added 12 points and eight rebounds. Those contributions gave Michigan useful production even as the team struggled to sustain control. 

The larger task is connecting those pieces. A productive scorer needs teammates who create space. A center needs support when he rotates defensively. A point guard needs receivers who move with purpose.

Michigan opens the regular season against Oakland on November 2 at Crisler Center. The Wolverines enter ranked No. 16, with tipoff scheduled for 6 p.m. on Big Ten Network. The opener gives them an immediate opportunity to apply what the exhibition exposed. 

The most encouraging signs would extend beyond the final margin. Cleaner offensive possessions, more consistent defensive communication, and stronger rebounding habits would indicate that Michigan used the preparation period effectively.

A comfortable victory without those improvements would leave important questions unresolved. A disciplined performance would provide a stronger foundation for the more demanding games ahead.

Houston showed Michigan where its execution can break down. Oakland offers the first official chance to demonstrate a response. The value of the exhibition loss will ultimately depend on whether the Wolverines turn its lessons into habits they can sustain.