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4 Immediate Takeaways From Michigan Basketball's Impressive Win vs. Marquette

Michigan moved to 2-1 after an impressive win over previously unbeaten Marquette.
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Michigan moved to 2-1 on the season after an impressive win over Marquette on Wednesday. The Wolverines found themselves down early, but Michigan went on a 13-0 run to retake the lead in the first half and the Wolverines never looked back.

Michigan would beat the Golden Eagles, 84-70, and the Wolverines handled Marquette's size really well. The Wolverines' next game will come Sunday against William & Mary.

Here are four takeaways from the game.

JP Estrella remains a bright spot for Michigan

JP Estrella was the first transfer find Dusty May landed when the transfer portal opened and it's become clear through three games why May wanted Estrella. He wasn't utilized to his full potential at Tennessee, but Mike Boynton Jr. has made Estrella a key piece to the pie.

Estrella has been arguably Michigan's most consistent player in the early going this season, and once again, he was active on the glass and led the charge in the first half. Against Marquette, Estrella scored a game-high 11 points in the first half, and finished with 18 points, while grabbing eight rebounds.

We wondered how Michigan would fare against Marquette's size, but Estrella played like he was the biggest player on the court. If this Estrella shows up every game, the Wolverines are going to be tough to beat.

Moustapha Thiam comes alive

Moustapha Thiam missed the Oakland game and came back against UConn. He said he was about 60% when playing the Huskies and that was obvious. However, against Marquette, the big center looked much, much better.

He didn't dominate the scoreboard, scoring just nine points. But Thiam grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds, and swatted three shots in the game. Thiam wasn't brought in to become a big-time scorer for Michigan, but if the Wolverines can get Thiam to stay energized in a secondary role — grabbing boards and forcing tough shots in the paint, that will be good enough for Boynton Jr.

Thiam has a three-point shot as well, but we haven't seen it this season. We would assume he will work that into the game at some point.

Trey McKenney remains streaky

Trey McKenney entered Wednesday as Michigan's leading scorer through two games, averaging 19 points. But it's been a streaky 19. He was held scoreless in the first half against UConn before he caught fire in the second half.

Against Marquette, McKenney had four points in the first half, shooting 2-for-9 and 0-for-5 from three in the first half. But in this game, he didn't catch fire in the final 20 minutes — he did make two late threes, though. He scored 15 points in the game, while shooting 6-for-18 from the field.

It's still early, but he's been very streaky in the early part of the season. It was good to see other players step up against Marquette, but McKenney will be a player to watch, in hopes that he finds his rhythm from the field.

Quinn Costello has locked in key role

Michigan's bench as a whole has been rather underwhelming this season. The Wolverines played four guys off the bench against Marquette, and Jalen Reed didn't see the court. Both Oscar Goodman and Ricky Liburd are still trying to figure out their role on this team, while Kenny Noland is still working his way in.

But true freshman Quinn Costello has locked in his role and he's been by far and away the most productive Wolverine off the bench. Costello has such a smooth shot from three and he's going to be Michigan's sniper this season.

Off the bench against Marquette, Costello scored 15 points, while shooting 5-for-6 from three. He also held his own inside on the defensive end of the court, which was good to see.

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Trent Knoop
TRENT KNOOP

Trent began writing and covering Michigan athletics back in 2020. He became a credentialed member of the media in 2021. Trent began writing with Sports Illustrated in 2023 and became the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI during the 2025 football season. Trent also serves as the Publisher of Baylor Bears on SI. His other bylines have appeared on Maryland on SI, Wisconsin on SI, and across the USA TODAY Sports network. Trent’s love of sports and being able to tell stories to fans is what made him get into writing.

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