4 Things I Want to See From Michigan Basketball in Final Foreign Tour Game

Michigan has had a rough start to its foreign tour. The Wolverines played two games in Lithuania, losing to the national team on Sunday and then the B Team on Monday.

Mike Boynton Jr. admitted he wasn't going to care about wins or losses during these exhibition games, but he wanted to play around with his rotations and see where his team needs to improve.

Michigan has one more game to play, and that will be against Mega Superbet (Serbia) in Croatia

Cut down on the fouls

Michigan guard Elliot Cadeau dribbles the ball around Connecticut guard Silas Demary Jr. — USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It's been an adjustment for the Wolverines playing overseas with a new-look team. Fouls have been a major issue for Michigan and guard Elliot Cadeau is averaging five fouls per game, after he fouled out in both exhibition games.

Trey McKenney and J.P. Estrella fouled out in Game 1, and Brandon McCoy Jr. joined Cadeau, fouling out in the second game.

Early fouls have forced Mike Boynton Jr.'s hand, needing to mix things up more than he likely wanted to. It would be ideal for Michigan and the coaching staff to have one game where fouls weren't an issue and the Wolverines could mix things up purely how they wanted to.

Figure out second-half woes

This is part of fouls being a major issue, but Michigan has been outplayed in the second half of both games. The Wolverines were up by 12 points entering the second half of the first game, and then Michigan was up by one over the B Team after one half of basketball.

But the Wolverines' youth and fouls have haunted Michigan in the second half. The Wolverines' physicality wasn't there in either game in the final 20 minutes, but it's hard to tell if that was because Michigan was afraid to get whistled.

In this final game, Michigan needs to play smarter in the first half, and that could allow for the Wolverines to play more free in the final part of the game.

Ricky Liburd, Moustapha Thiam?

Michigan Wolverines guard Ricky Liburd (0) shoots a layup during a practice session — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Entering Michigan's foreign tour, we knew that the Wolverines were going to be without Jalen Reed and Lincoln Cosby. However, we did not know Michigan wasn't going to have Ricky Liburd, who hadn't played in either game.

As of this writing, there hasn't been an update on Liburd, and it would be great to see him suit up for the final game. Liburd is a player who is in store for a big season, and he's been fighting for a starting role. After not playing in his freshman season, fans would love a sneak peek of Liburd's game.

Center Moustapha Thiam exited Game 1 after playing less than six minutes of action. He started strong, scoring six points, but Elliot Cadeau rolled up on his ankle, and Thiam never returned. He didn't play in Game 2, either.

Thiam's injury is considered minor, and I'd guess he won't play in Game 3, but getting Michigan's center some game action would be great, if he can play.

Give Marcus Moller an extended look

If Thiam is able to play, he needs to, but if not, I'd love to see Marcus Moller get an extended look. Both J.P. Estrella and Quinn Costello dominated the action in Game 2, and Costello has impressed.

But in Game 1, Moller played over 22 minutes of game action, compared to just nine minutes in Game 2 — without Thiam. With a few days off, it would be nice to see Moller get some more time on the court.

Moller has flashed his deep-range shot, but I'd like to see him get some more paint touches. Going up stronger and finishing below the rim will be key for him to carve out a role in his freshman season. Moller has averaged four rebounds in the two games, another number I'd like to see improve.

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