UConn cruises past Michigan: Silas Demary Jr. leads way as No. 4 Huskies earn national title game revenge

Before the season started, I wrote about title-contender tiers. UConn was in Tier 1 with Duke, Illinois and Florida. This game is exactly why the Huskies belong among the top title contenders in the sport. UConn didn't play that great a game and still managed to beat a top-20 team by double digits on a neutral floor. UConn has one of the best backcourts in the country, which will be the strength of this roster going forward.

Shooting from beyond the arc was one of the strengths of this Michigan roster last season under Dusty May. However, in the first two games of the season, the Wolverines have struggled in that department. Michigan shot 7-for-34 (21%) against Oakland earlier this week and followed up by going 7-for-28 against UConn. It's too early to tell how concerning that could be going forward, but it's definitely a trend to watch.

In the national title game last spring, UConn's guards struggled against Michigan. Solo Ball, who didn't score against Michigan on Friday, scored 11 points. Demary had just two points and shot the ball only four times. In the rematch, UConn's guards controlled the game and outplayed Michigan's guards. With Michigan losing its entire frontcourt to the NBA, the experience on this roster is on the guard side. McKenney was great in the second half, but couldn't buy a bucket in the first.

Mullins had a game-high 23 points, while Demary added 21. That was the difference in this one.

Silas Demary Jr. and Elliot Cadeau have flipped roles tonight vs. what we saw in April. When Michigan won the title, Cadeau was voted the MOP. Demary had two points and five fouls. Tonight, Demary's got 21 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Cadeau is at eight points, three rebounds, three assists, four fouls and five turnovers. Michigan's issues have been much more than this, but Demary set the the tone and has been the most impactful player on the floor. Barring a minor miracle, he's why UConn's about to get to 2-0 and validate its preseason top-five standing. 

MID 2H: No. 4 UConn 69, No. 16 Michigan 57

Khamania, who transferred from Duke to UConn this offseason, just knocked down a huge 3-pointer to stretch the lead back to 12 with 7:50 to go. He has attempted only three shots tonight but has made all of them.

MID 2H: No. 4 UConn 64, No. 16 Michigan 55

It's down to single digits with 9:09 remaining. Timeout UConn. Can the Wolverines make a push?

It's 60-47 with 11:46 to go and the next three minutes out of the break will determine if the Wolverines can induce this game into some drama to wrap up our Friday nights. Trey McKenney sitting with five point; Demary has been held scoreless so far in the second half.

EARLY 2H: No. 4 UConn 60, No. 16 Michigan 47

UConn has gotten 12 of its 16 bench points tonight from five-star freshman Colben Landrew. However, Landrew and Oskar Giltay both have four fouls, while Na'Jai Hines has three. UConn is still in control, up 13 with 11:46 to go, but that will be something to keep an eye on.

EARLY 2H: No. 4 UConn 54, No. 16 Michigan 39

UConn has stretched its lead to 18 here in the opening minutes of the second half. Michigan can't hit a shot. All Huskies.

Tremendous environment here at TD Garden. UConn up 43-30 thanks to 17 points from Silas Demary Jr. and a defensive attack that has held Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney to seven points combined. The whistle's been uneven but the basketball has been pretty good. Michigan has to not just match, but exceed UConn's physicality in the second half. Huskies' off-ball movement is hard to limit, but keep in mind that Michigan switches just about everything, which should give them some opportunities if they shots start falling. 

HALF: No. 4 UConn 43, No. 16 Michigan 30

No. 4 UConn leads No. 16 Michigan 43-30 at halftime behind an incredible first half from star guard Silas Demary Jr. The UConn star scored nearly half of his team's points (17) during the opening period of play in the marquee ranked-on-ranked matchup. This is a rematch of last season's national title game, which Michigan won.

From the opening minute, UConn has been in control. Michigan won the opening tip and scored quickly, but since then, it's been all Huskies. Braylon Mullins, who scored just 11 points in the national title game earlier this spring, has nine points. UConn closed the first half on a 9-0 run during the final two minutes and change.

LATE 1H: No. 4 UConn 34, No. 16 Michigan 30

It feels like UConn is fully in control of this game ... but Michigan keeps finding a way to keep it close. Michigan hasn't led since the opening seconds of the game, when it won the jump ball and Moustapha Thiam scored shortly after. Neither team can make a shot.

UConn fans sound like a jet engine after three missed foul shots following a technical foul levied against the UConn bench. Hurley flew off the handle; he was sitting in confusion at the foul called against UConn. The whistle is tough and the game is riveting.

MID 1H: No. 4 UConn 25, No. 16 Michigan 18

The story of UConn's first half vs. Michigan has been its backcourt. Mullins and Silas Demary Jr. have combined to score 21 of UConn's first 25 points. They have knocked down all five of UConn's 3-pointers so far.

BOSTON — Silas Demary Jr. had a bad title-game performance; I figured he'd be as motivated as anyone tonight. He just had a technical initially ruled against him switched to Jayden Ross. Na'Jai Hines also picked up two. Dan Hurley is going to rotations he almost definitely did not expect in the prep for this game. Junior County and Oskar Giltay are getting extra burn tonight.

EARLY 1H: No. 4 UConn 18, No. 16 Michigan 14

It's been a tough shooting start for the reigning national champions. Michigan is 6 of 18 (33.3%) from the field to start this game. Star sophomore Trey McKenney has missed his first five shots. Michigan dominated opponents last season with its size. The bad news? Those players are now in the NBA.

EARLY 1H: No. 4 UConn 10, No. 16 Michigan 7

What a start for Braylon Mullins. The UConn star guard has knocked down both of his attempts from beyond the arc and has a team-high six points. Michigan missed six consecutive field goals before Elliot Cadeau knocked down a corner 3. Michigan is winning the battle on the glass but is just 3-of-8 to start this game.

BOSTON — Hello from courtside. I'd say this is a 75-25 UConn split. Only the second national title game rematch in the last 16 years! Special night on the opening Friday of the season.

UConn vs. Michigan is officially underway.

Some fun facts to know ahead of Friday's clash at TD Garden.

• This is the earliest national title rematch in the following regular season (2 games into the season) since 1999-00 (UConn vs. Duke)
• This is the first national title game rematch in the following regular season since 2018-19 (Michigan at Villanova)
• This is the first meeting in the regular season since 2015-16 (UConn won 74-60 vs. Michigan)

• Michigan in its last six regular-season games vs. top-5 opponents: 1-5 record. PPG 69.8/OPP PPG 78.0

The starting 5s for each of these teams are pretty even. Cadeau and Demary are a draw at point guard. Snipers like Trey McKenney and Braylon Mullins are pretty similar. On and on we go. The difference is the bench. UConn can bring a potential first-round pick off the bench in linebacker Colben Landrew. Michigan planned to have something similar, but five-star freshman Brandon McCoy Jr. blew out his knee on the Wolverines' international tour. UConn is the deeper team and looks ahead of schedule on both ends of the floor. Michigan's defense isn't airtight, and I also struggle to envision how the Wolverines create good shots if Cadeau ever gets into foul trouble. 

This line opened with UConn as a three-point favorite and understandably got hammered. It's ballooned out to six. But two whole possessions feels a bit rich for a game where the top-shelf talent is basically even on both sides. UConn can out-physical a lot of teams, but not Michigan. Gayle, Cadeau and McKenney are physical guards. Plus, if Hines gets in foul trouble, I'm not quite convinced Oskar Giltay is ready to be a needle-mover against a talented frontcourt like Michigan's. UConn ain't losing in Boston, but the points are the right side here at anything north of six. If it drops back inside two possessions, you can pivot back to Hurley's boys. Pick: Michigan +6

Some over-index on preseason results. Others completely ignore them. The truth is likely more in the middle. In the preseason, UConn's defense looked way ahead of schedule. It put Purdue in clamps for long stretches. Hurley has grown men, positional size and at least one elite defender at every single level. Meanwhile, Michigan doesn't look super connected on defense yet. We already knew Michigan's defense was not going to be on the level of the 2025-26 squad's special group. The question is whether this UM squad is a top-25 or top-50 unit. Any disconnected defense is going to be in hell against the labyrinth that is the UConn offense.

UConn and Michigan had to replace a combined five NBA players who all played in the frontcourt. UConn spent big in the portal for Seton Hall transfer Na'jai Hines, who is a total freak. Michigan did the same with Cincinnati transfer Moustapha Thiam, who is expected to suit up in this one after missing the opener against Oakland with an illness. Bigs from the portal always take a little time to fully coalesce for their new teams, but UConn and Michigan don't have time to wait. Thiam and Hines need to be immediate difference-makers. 

Specifically, keep an eye on when UConn aggressively hard-hedges Michigan's ball screens. Hines can be a bit foul-prone when he's flying out to try and be disruptive. Those avoidable fouls drove Dan Hurley up a wall in the preseason and earned Hines plenty of time on the pine. Conversely, that coverage forces the ball out of Cadeau's hands and into Thiam's hands. The 7-foot-2 big fella has to make good decisions if Michigan wants to find good shots, but he's not a great passer (yet). Friday's test should be enlightening on both sides of the aisle.

Cadeau and Demary Jr. are both front-runners for the Bob Cousy Award, given to the best point guard in America. Cadeau is a wizard playmaker who mixes speed, power and creativity. In an ideal world, Cadeau would love to finish a game with 12 assists rather than 20 points, but new Michigan head coach Mike Boynton Jr. may need him to score more than ever before. That's easier said than done because Demary is an elite point-of-attack defender. Demary is all of 6-foot-5 who takes it personally if anyone works him for a bucket. The team with the best point guard play will win this game, but it's as close to a draw on paper.

UConn vs. Michigan prediction, pick, odds, spread: Dan Hurley eyes national championship game revenge

Isaac Trotter