Wolverine TV: Phil Martelli, Michigan players discuss impressive season-opening win over UNC Asheville
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan Wolverines basketball associate and interim head coach Phil Martelli, sophomore guard Dug McDaniel and graduate forward Olivier Nkamhoua met with the media following their 99-74 season opening victory over UNC Asheville Tuesday evening. Watch video of Martelli in the player at the top of the screen (or on our YouTube channel) and the players in the embeds below.
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• Michigan basketball: Dug McDaniel shines in season-opening blowout win over UNC Asheville
Dug McDaniel
Olivier Nkamhoua
Michigan shot 57 percent from the field and put up 99 points in making its first impression. Martelli was asked about the stellar ball movement from his group Tuesday.
“Well, I think that’s going to have to lead to the balance that we’re going to have to have to be successful,” the Michigan coach said. “You look at it, it really could have been six guys in double figures. You have four. And the 9 turnovers, that means that there were 8 … really, we opened the game with a turnover and ended the game with a turnover. So really, we played 40 minutes there with 7 turnovers. That’s acceptable. And we gave ourselves a chance by using this balance.
“There is no confusion. Juwan knew that this was coming, so we were teaching offense in July. And then you have Howard Eisley — he’s really exceptional. He calls the whole game. So he was calling this game, and it was his scout. So, along with Saddi [Washington], he has to determine who the matchups are and how we’re going to guard. And they give us a little wrinkle with [Caleb] Burgess being out. And then kid had a nice game, Evan Johnson, for them. He kinda changed how we were guarding the ball screens.”
Added the Michigan coach: “Our strength is our balance. It’s going to have to be our balance. It’s going to be our versatility. Even as you’re keeping track, there was the lineup out there at one time of T-Will and Tray Jackson. Somebody said, ‘Who’s the two?’ I said, ‘I don’t know.’ They were both the wings in that instance. I looked Duggie off one or two times. He kept pulling at his shirt, and I was like, ‘Hmm, it’s a pretty good crowd,’ and I wasn’t paying any attention to him with Nimari being in foul trouble and George being in foul trouble.”
Michigan will take on Youngstown State Friday night at Crisler Center, before traveling to New York to play St. John’s next week.
