Michigan basketball returns to Crisler Center for its second exhibition game of the season. The Wolverines took down Eastern Michigan this past Sunday, and now Michigan welcomes in Oregon State.
The Beavers are coached by a familiar face. Former Michigan assistant coach Justin Joyner enters Year 1 as Oregon State's head coach. The Beavers have a new-look team under Joyner's guidance and it will be a good test for Michigan's team on Friday night.
Here's how you can see the game, along with some storylines to follow.
How to watch
- When: Friday, Oct. 16
- Where: Crisler Center (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
- Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
- Streaming: Big Ten +
- Broadcast Team: Michigan's StudentU broadcast team
Storylines to watch
Does Roddy Gayle Jr. play, how does he look?
While he is expected to start this season, Roddy Gayle Jr. didn't play in the Wolverines' first exhibition game against Eastern Michigan. Despite being ruled eligible for this season, Mike Boynton Jr. noted that his injunction didn't address his involvement in the NBA Summer League and an amendment needed to be added.
He was hopeful it was going to be taken care of in the next few days following Michigan's win over Eastern Michigan. There has been no news on the situation, so we will find out this evening if Gayle Jr. will take the court or not.
Ricky Liburd started in place of Gayle Jr., which was good to see since he didn't play overseas. But the Wolverines will need Gayle Jr. this season, especially with Brandon McCoy Jr. out for the season.
How does Michigan handle Oregon State's size?
Justin Joyner saw how having a tall lineup worked for Michigan last season and he mimicked that this season at Oregon State. The Beavers will come into Ann Arbor with four players between 6'11" and 7'2".
Oregon State brought in three seven-footers from the transfer portal. The most notable addition was Xavion Staton, who played at BYU last season. Michigan was in the running to land Staton, but he opted to head to the Cougars.
Michigan has good size with both J.P. Estrella and Moustapha Thiam down low, but the Wolverines' size takes a hit once they need a breather. It will be interesting to see how Jalen Reed and Quinn Costello fare when they are in the game and playing in the post.
Kenny Noland's progression
Kenny Noland was the other fifth-year addition to Michigan's roster. He played at Columbia for four seasons and led the team as its point guard. Noland flashed scoring ability, scoring over 17 points per game, while being a distributor and defensive menace.
He played in 14 minutes against Eastern Michigan, making one-of-three shots. He also had two assists and one turnover in the game. It was his first go with the team, and with Noland being the primary backup to Elliot Cadeau, we hope to see continual progression moving forward.
Noland can play the '2', but Mike Boynton Jr. has made it known he will primarily back up Cadeau. We want to see the Wolverines' offense flow with Noland in command.
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