Michigan basketball splits first two games against European pros - MLive.com

Michigan's next and final game of its European exhibition tour will be a rubber match of sorts. The Wolverines have split their first two games after blowing out Olympiacos in Athens on Monday (Aug. 22).

Michigan won 95-62 against what appeared to be a "junior varsity" version of the Greek pro team. While the franchise won the Greek League and Greek Cup titles last season, finishing fourth in the EuroLeague, one reporter present for the game noted that Olympiacos did not use "any of their first team players" on Monday.

Michigan jumped out to a 31-18 lead after the first 10-minute quarter, led 54-38 at half, and pushed its advantage to 29 points entering the fourth. Fourteen Wolverines, including three walk-ons, saw the court -- every scholarship player except Joey Baker and Youssef Khayat. Baker is still recovering from offseason surgery. Khayat, a freshman, still needs to pass a physical according to a reporter who attended the first game.

Graduate transfer point guard Jaelin Llewellyn led the Wolverines with 18 points on Monday, per a box score provided by a local reporter. Olympiacos reported the final score. (Michigan, meanwhile, has only released a few photos and short video clips, declining to reveal even the scores of the games.)

Jett Howard added 16 points and made 4-of-8 3-pointers. Michigan shot 10-for-23 as a team from deep and committed just eight turnovers, a major improvement from the first game. Hunter Dickinson just missed a second double-double, scoring nine points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Dug McDaniel and Isaiah Barnes scored 10 each. Barnes is 4-for-5 from 3 on the trip.

Michigan's first game of the trip, played last week in Paris against Provence, wasn't so easy. The Wolverines lost 86-68.

In the Provence game, 11 Wolverines saw the court -- every scholarship player except Joey Baker and Youssef Khayat. (Provence provided a full box score.)

The reporter also noted that Michigan looked like a team with a lot of new faces playing against a team of 30-year-old professionals. He remarked at Michigan's length as well as Hunter Dickinson's scoring prowess.

Dickinson led Michigan with 15 points and 10 rebounds while Llewellyn scored 15 and added seven assists. Both started along with Howard, Kobe Bufkin, and Terrance Williams II.

As head coach Juwan Howard said before the trip, the reserves would get plenty of playing time. All who saw action played at least 8:40, and nine played at least 15 minutes. When the games count, Howard will surely shorten his bench.

Provence's roster features several productive former college players, including point guard Stephen Brown Jr. (Bucknell, class of 2018), guard Gabe DeVoe (Clemson, 2018), and forwards Garlon Green (TCU, 2013) and Tre Scott (Cincinnati, 2020).

The Wolverines were down five points at half and 11 entering the fourth. They committed 23 turnovers.

The Olympiacos senior team roster is littered with former college stars, but apparently none of them suited up on Monday. It does not appear Baker nor Khayat played for Michigan.

Michigan will play its final game of the trip on Aug. 24 in Mykonos, Greece.