DETROIT – It’s gameday for the No. 7-ranked Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball team, which will take on Wake Forest inside Little Caesars Arena.
Tipoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. and the Wolverines (1-0) are entering the game off a dominant performance against the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, 121-78, to open the season inside Crisler Arena.
Recommended Videos
Michigan aims to avenge its 2024 72-70 loss to Wake Forest in the matchup.
In that game, which was the first time both schools met on the hardwood, the Wolverines led by 12 at one point and held a 38-35 halftime lead after former guard Tre Donaldson’s half-court shot at the end of the first half.
The second half saw seven lead changes before a late turnover allowed Wake Forest a transition dunk that sealed the win.
Senior guard Roddy Gayle Jr. led Michigan with 11 points, while Donaldson added 10 points, nine rebounds, and four assists in the 2024 matchup.
Michigan, when playing inside the LCA since 2017, is 3-0, with victories over Oakland in 2024, Eastern Michigan in 2022, and the University of Detroit Mercy in 2017.
Speaking of Eastern, the Wolverines broke a program record in their home opener vs. Oakland for most points in a first half when they scored 67 points with transfer Aday Mara hitting a baseline jumper with 1:02 left to play in the first half.
The record was stretched to 69 following a Morez Johnson Jr. layup with 34.6 seconds remaining in the quarter, as Michigan went on to take the 69-38 lead.
→ No. 7 Michigan basketball breaks program record for points in first half vs. Oakland University
The original record was 66 points in the first half of a basketball game during the 1987 season against the Eastern Michigan Eagles in December of that year.
Michigan’s 121 points in their season opener against Oakland set a program record for points in a season debut, marking their ninth 100-point opener.
They tied another program record in made threes with 19 while dishing out 31 assists, the most since the 2025 Big Ten Tournament, led by transfer Elliot Cadeau‘s career-high 14 assists.
Freshman guard Trey McKenney scored 21 points on six three-pointers, adding four assists and two rebounds.
He became the first Michigan freshman since Jett Howard in 2022 to score 20 or more points in his debut and the first since Donaldson in 2025 to make six threes in a game.
Morez Johnson Jr. also impressed in his Michigan debut, scoring a career-best 24 points on 10-for-11 shooting, including three dunks in just 20 minutes. It was his second career 20-point game.
Mara recorded a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds in his Wolverine debut, matching his career high with five blocks.
The 12 rebounds set a personal best, marking his third career double-double and fourth game with five blocks, highlighting his immediate two-way impact.
Transfer Yaxel Lendeborg has scored in double figures in 23 consecutive games and is six rebounds shy of 800 for his Division I career.
Cadeau needs five assists to reach 400 for his career and is expected to play in his 76th consecutive game.
Graduate Student Nimari Burnett is expected to make his 70th straight start, having not missed a game in three seasons.
Wolverines head coach Dusty May had the players practicing with weights during drills in order to get the team ready for Wake Forest’s