Michigan rolls past Texas Southern, 82-66
Juwan Howard got the win in his first NCAA Tournament game since taking over at Michigan, guiding Mike Smith and the top-seeded Wolverines to an 82-66 victory over Texas Southern on Saturday.
Smith scored 18 points and Hunter Dickinson added 16 as Michigan rolled into the second round without Isaiah Livers, who is out with a foot injury. Eli Brooks and Brandon Johns Jr. had 11 points apiece.
Howard is back in the tournament for the first time since his stellar playing career with Michigan, including back-to-back Final Four appearances in 1992
and 1993. It’s his second season in charge, but the NCAA Tournament was canceled last year because of the pandemic.
Howard and the Wolverines (21-4) had little trouble with the No 16 seed Texas Southern, but the absence of Livers could lead to adversity down the road. Next up is No 8 seed LSU on Monday.
Livers, a 6-foot-7 senior forward, is sidelined indefinitely with a right foot stress reaction injury, and he ambled down from his seat to timeout huddles while wearing a protective boot. He also wore a black Tshirt with the slogan #NotNCAAProperty, part of a social media effort to raise awareness about inequities in college sports.
The Wolverines used their depth to replace his 13.1 points per game and floor leadership against the Tigers (17-9).
Michigan never trailed in building a lead that reached 24 early in the second half. The 7-1 Dickinson provided the inside power against the smaller Tigers while Smith and Brooks offered long-distance punch by knocking down 3-pointers.