'Dirty Dozen' Scorers Making Wolverines Difficult to Defend

Michigan has Gayle, Donaldson, Wolf, Goldin all averaging 12 points per game after beating Iowa, 85-83, Saturday with that foursome combining for 68 points. May: 'We have so many different weapons.'

Photo Courtesy of University of Michigan Photography

Tre Donaldson makes the Wolverines’ offense go, and combines with a strong nucleus to provide opponents scouting and defending challenges.

By Steve Kornacki

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan’s inside-outside scoring attack has a very easy nickname at this point: The Dirty Dozen.

It’s top four scorers after Saturday’s thrilling 85-83 win here over Iowa are scoring guard Roddy Gayle, Jr. (12.2 points per game), point guard Tre Donaldson (12.1), power forward Danny Wolf (12.1) and center Vlad Goldin (12.0).

Having four players each averaging one dozen points per game is quite an oddity, and it points to just how difficult it is to cover a team that is 8-1 overall, 2-0 in the Big Ten and about to break into the Associated Press Top 25 next week.

Donaldson (18 points) and Gayle (17 points, including the game-winner off a goal-tend) combined for 35 points at guard, while Goldin (20) and Wolf (13) teamed up for 33 from the post.

That ability to score big points from anywhere on the court by anyone in the lineup is making the Wolverines a tough team to game plan for and execute against defensively.

Donaldson said, “It’s tough to scout – especially when you have Vlad and Danny being able to run the ball screens and Danny being able to handle it. It’s tough to scout, and now you have to come and guard me and Vlad on the ball screen, and me and Danny on the ball screen…And then Vlad’s able to own the paint [while drawing nine fouls in this game]. Pick your poison.

“I mean, it’s tough to scout. It’s tough to guard. We don’t really know what to do, and offensively it gives us so many options and so many different ‘ops’ [options] on the defense.”

Donaldson had 18 points by scoring all over the half court, and contributed five assists and only two turnovers despite the team having way too many at 17.

“We have so many different weapons,” said May. “You see tonight that Nimari [Burnett] didn’t get a lot of shots. I thought Will Tschetter was great. I thought our front line played really well.”

Burnett, averaging 8.9 points, got into foul trouble and scored just 2 points. But Tschetter, sixth on the team in scoring at 6.7 as the sixth man, came off the bench to score 13 with five-for-six shooting from the field.

“Every great team has a sparkplug off the bench,” said Donaldson, “and Will has been that for us this year.”

May noted: “We’re getting positive contributions from a lot of guys, and there still are a few on our roster who are going to break through sooner than later.”

Those next four players off the bench are guards L.J. Cason, Rubin Jones and Justin Pippen and 6-foot-10 forward Sam Walters.

Cason and Walters both have scored in double-figures three times, while Jones has games with 9, 8 and 6 points. Pippen’s only scored 2 points, but is a freshman with great court sense who could be a significant contributor by the end of the season. And don’t forget freshman guard Phat-Phat Brooks, who was Mr. Basketball in Michigan last season. He also has great potential and is a rare strong defender for a young player.

But it all begins with Donaldson.

John Beilein, the winningest coach in Michigan history and now a studio analyst for the Big Ten Network said recently of Donaldson: “I love him. I don’t like him. I love him! He’s going to be a great Big Ten player.”

Donaldson didn’t score in Tuesday’s big win at Wisconsin, but had 7 points in the first seven minutes of this one.

“I thought Tre set the tone in this one early with tempo,” said May. “Got downhill, got to the rim, got our bigs some easy baskets. He does a lot for us. He’s a game-changer on the ball defensively. He gets the ball out of his hands – especially in transition – and so he does a lot for us.”

Donaldson broke the ice with a three-pointer, and then drew roars from the crowd when driving through the lane, zigging and zagging, before dropping in a finger roll. Oh, and he got the defensive rebound to spark that possession, too.

Then he displayed even more great hustle.

Donaldson sprinted more than half the court to recover a loose ball tipped by a Hawkeye just before it went out at the Iowa baseline. He was tightly guarded while dribbling rapidly down court, hair seemingly on fire. The shot clock in his head told him to go up for the shot behind the arc, and he was fouled with three seconds left while the shot missed. But he made two-of-three free throws.

Goldin later spotted him wide open under the basket, and drilled a pass to him for an easy bucket. Donaldson was fouled again and made the free throw for a three-point play.

With three-tenths of one second left in the half, Donaldson put up a floater that went in to assure a 40-37 halftime lead after Michigan had its 16-point lead whittled away.

He had 12 points at the break, but was far from done.

Donaldson swished a long trey from out top, and then drove to the basket for another basket, drawing another foul, and making it another three-point play.

And he was making some spectacular passes, too.

Wolf scored down low on a give-and-go play after receiving the ball with perfect timing. Gayle dropped in a reverse lay-in after Donaldson zipped him the ball along the baseline.

The junior transfer from Auburn, who was a four-star football free safety recruit as well, also played tough defense. He moved his feet quickly and precisely, bodying up on Hawkeyes, and frustrating them. Donaldson wasn’t called for a foul until 2:49 remained.

He’s a force over all 90 feet of the court.

“He gives us a lot,” said Goldin. “Whenever he sees the defense fall asleep a little bit, he drives to the basket and scores right away. It hurts. He is a leader and he brings the team [so much] every single day. He talks in the huddle. He tells us what to do.

“And as a point guard, it’s worth a lot.”

Michigan overcame 17 turnovers by out-rebounding the Hawkeyes, 45-30, and out-shooting them, 55 percent to 42 percent.

That comes down to all those solid offensive options.

May said, “We have good finishers, and our shooters allow us to have space and [opportunities] like that in the paint. That’s why we recruited shooters -- so we can get high-percentage twos.

“The most important thing is being connected, and I think we’re a connected group.”

While leaving the court, Donaldson had an arm around Gayle, and they had a brief exchange that prompted loud laughter.

“Somebody said his name but they didn’t say it right,” said Donaldson of the fans they shake hands with after games. “That was funny. I don’t know what it was, but they didn’t pronounce it right.”

These are good times for a “connected” team led by The Dirty Dozen scorers.

WINNING STREAK AND RANKINGS

Michigan should be ranked by the AP after beating No. 11 Wisconsin earlier this week, No. 22 Xavier the week before, and a very tough Iowa squad for a seventh straight win.

It’s been four years since the Wolverines had a winning streak this long. They opened that COVID-challenged season 11-0 and later won seven consecutive in Big Ten play, enroute to winning the 2020-21 conference championship and reaching the NCAA Elite Eight under Juwan Howard, finishing ranked No. 4.