Michigan basketball gets reality check in exhibition loss vs Houston

GRAND RAPIDS − Michigan basketball writer Tony Garcia offers three observations from the Wolverines’ 83-66 loss to Houston in its final exhibition, the Battleground 2K26, at Van Andel Arena on Sunday, Oct. 25.

1. Michigan may lives and die by the 3

Mike Boynton Jr. said the Wolverines were going to take even more 3s than last season. That said, even he likely didn’t care for the ratio in the first half — 20 3s compared to just seven 2-point shots.

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The real issue was U-M wasn’t hitting them, making just five of 20 before the break. The Wolverines couldn’t find any consistency against Houston and in fact, didn’t make back-to-back tries from the field until Roddy Gayle Jr. hit a 3 and J.P. Estrella threw down a dunk with 15:47 left in the second half.

U-M found more balance in its shot selection after the break, attempting 10 shots from inside the arc compared to 13 3-pointers, but as a team finished 9-for-33 (27.3%) on 3-pointers. Trey McKenney and Quinn Costello both made just 2 of 7 shots, while the four bench players not named Oscar Goodman made zero of their seven combined shots.

Goodman finished 2-for-4 while Gayle, who has struggled with his shot at times the past two years, was 2-for-5. Many seemed forced, like Noland’s attempt in the second half and another by Thiam early on. There were fewer inside-out 3s and transition looks than last year – U-M lost the fast break battle 15-9 – which is where the Wolverines made their hay last year.

2. Rebounding an issue in exhibition

For the second game in a row, Michigan was out-rebounded, this time 42-31.

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It’s not an indictment to lose the battle of physicality against Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars, but it’s one of the areas that is notably different from last year. Instead of Yaxel Lendeborg at the 3, it’s Gayle. That’s not a knock on Gayle, he can do things on the perimeter, but the strength of this team is in the backcourt and on a day where shots aren’t falling, losing on the boards looms larger.

ON…

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Publish date : 2026-10-25 19:42:00

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