Freshman PG Dug McDaniel stars in first start
MINNEAPOLIS – Hunter Dickinson scored 19 points, freshman Dug McDaniel had 15 points and seven assists in his first start of the season and Michigan basketball routed Minnesota, 90-75, on Thursday night.
Michigan made its first five 3-pointers, led 24-9 after the opening eight minutes and extended it to 37-13. Minnesota used a 15-3 run to pull within 40-28 with 3:15 left in the first half but McDaniel ended Michigan’s nearly four minute scoring drought with a long 3pointer and the Wolverines led, 47-31, at the break.
McDaniel scored nine of U-M’s 17 points to start the second half for a 21-point lead. And Jett Howard scored five straight Michigan points during a 12-2 run for a 76-47 advantage.
McDaniel shined in Michigan’s first game without point guard Jaelin Llewellyn, who suffered a season-ending knee injury on Sunday. The play-making guard was 5 of 6 from the field, making all three of his 3-pointers, while only turning it over twice in 27 minutes.
Kobe Bufkin added 15 points and Howard finished with 14 points for Michigan (6-3, 1-0 Big Ten) in their first true road game of the season. The Wolverines, who lost to No. 3 Virginia by two points and No. 16 Kentucky by four points last week, don’t play again until Dec. 17 against Lipscomb followed by a trip to Charlotte to play North Carolina on Dec. 21.
Ta’lon Cooper scored 16 points and Pharrel Payne added 15 for Minnesota (4-5, 0-2), which will look to snap a four-game losing streak when it faces No. 23 Mississippi State on Sunday.