3 takeaways from Michigan's 94-54 win over San Diego State

On Monday, the 7th-ranked Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team opened up group play against San Diego State in Las Vegas in the Players Era tournament and cruised to a 40-point victory over the Aztecs to move to 5-0 on the season.

Here are thee takeaways from the Wolverine victory.

Defense is shaping up to be elite

With the positional length, physicality and overall athleticism the Wolverines possess across the board, this team was always going to have the potential to become elite on the defensive end of the floor.

Through most of the season, Dusty May's team has been very good on defense, holding its opponents to just under 36% from the field coming into the night. However, on Monday night, Michigan took things to another level with their activity and overall energy level while holding SDSU to just 27% shooting and forcing 16 turnovers.

A fitting play to represent the Wolverines' effort on that side of the ball took place about midway in the second half, when forward Roddy Gayle Jr. came up with a hustle steal and took the ball to the other end to finish a layup through contact while drawing a foul.

When the Wolverines are connected on defense and rebounding at a high level, they are able to get out in transition and utilize their effective pace and ability to get to the rim with players like Gayle and Yaxel Lendeborg.

Depth shows out

Part of what makes Michigan so dangerous is the depth they have on the roster and the fact than any player can beat the opposition on any given night.

The fact of the matter is, Gayle Jr., Will Tschetter and L.J. Cason would not ever be coming off the bench for many teams in college basketball as they are plenty good enough to be starters on most teams across the country. True freshman Trey McKenney would likely also got heavier minutes on teams that aren't as deep.

However, each of those players have embraced roles on the team to make major contributions whenever they are called upon. Each of them showed up in a big way against SDSU, with Gayle being a spark plug on both ends and finishing with 11 points and four rebounds.

Tschetter added 10 points and three rebounds, while McKenney and Cason had six points off the bench each. Overall, the Wolverines finished with 35 points from their bench, and the added minutes from various guys could play dividends in this tournament where Michigan will play three games in as many days.

Nov 24, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward Will Tschetter (42) passes the ball against the San Diego State Aztecs during the first half in a 2025 Players Era Festival group play game at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Big lineup pays dividends on the glass

Michigan didn't end up needing huge minutes from its bigs on Monday in what ended up to be a blowout victory, but the front three of Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara, on top of all of them having efficient games offensively, each helped the Wolverines to a 49-34 advantage on the glass.

Mara came up with eight rebounds while Johnson and Lendeborg had six apiece, while each of them made major impacts around the rim, totaling five blocks between the trio (Mara had three of them).

If Michigan plays with this level of energy around the rim on a consistent basis, it's going to be difficult for opposing teams to compete with them in the paint on both ends of the floor, as it was for SDSU in this one.

The Wolverines hit the floor again for game two of the tournament on Tuesday night against No. 21 Auburn, beginning at 8:30 p.m. EST.

Nov 24, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Michigan Wolverines center Aday Mara (15) controls the ball against San Diego State Aztecs forward Miles Heide (40) during the first half in a 2025 Players Era Festival group play game at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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