What an introduction. For Dusty May and his army of transfers, there was no better way to start the new era of Michigan Wolverines basketball, demolishing Cleveland State in the most fun way possible. It wasn’t a flawless performance, but it almost felt that way given the slog of the past few years, as May sprinted his troops around the field and scored with ease.

With all due respect to Cleveland State, the schedule is about to ramp up sharply. Michigan travels to North Carolina to take on a quality Wake Forest Demon Deacons team that is already 2-0 on the year. Wake enters the season with NCAA Tournament aspirations, sitting 63rd in the early Kenpom rankings. A win on Sunday, even at a “neutral” venue, would be a strong addition to the early CV and an even greater symbolic achievement for this revised programme.

Michigan Wolverines (1-0) vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (2-0)

Date and time: Sunday, November 10, 1:00 PM ET
Location: First Horizon Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
TV/streaming: ESPN2

The Deacs have fallen just short of the tournament in two of the last three years, ending up in the NIT. Steve Forbes has done a good job revamping this program, using the portal to bring in transfers like Preseason All-ACC Team First Teamer Hunter Salas and big man Efton Reid (remember him?) from Gonzaga last season . Wake also brings back senior Cameron Hildreth, who leads the team in scoring after the first two games and is a relatively experienced bunch.

It’s hard to make too many assumptions after just a week of play, but it’s notable that Michigan crushed its overmatched opener, while Wake wasn’t entirely dominant against much worse competition. Yes, both games ended in double-digit wins, but neither win was anything spectacular, especially against a team like Coppin State that has a case for being the worst in the entire country. It may not affect this weekend, but it is something to note.

One big question: will someone be the main character?

So many Wolverines had great debuts against Cleveland State, none bigger than Danny Wolf’s stat-stuffing performance. Tre Donaldson, Roddy Gayle, LJ Cason and Sam Walters also reached double figures, and May’s system allowed them all to succeed. I’m very curious to see how Game 2 turns out, especially against a defense that should be a much better matchup athletically. There will be periods of struggle, and how this team responds will be telling.

North Carolina A&T hit 35 threes against the Deacs on Thursday, and that could be a recurring theme as Michigan heads to the Tar Heel State. May preaches smart shot selection, and in the opener his team either drove the lane or kicked it out from behind the arc, optimizing the attack. I think this is a game where some wings stand out, especially when Reid is guarding the paint. The beauty of this system is that any player can be the star on any given night, although we’ll have to see if a few players emerge as focal points.

One thing to watch out for: sprinters sprint

Watching Michigan on Monday was a complete shock after teams of the recent past, as the average possession lasted just 12.8 seconds. This obviously won’t hold (last year’s fastest team was Kennesaw State at 14.1 sec; Michigan was ranked 222nd), but Sunday could be another race on the track, as Wake has also played relatively quickly to get the year to start. This wasn’t the norm for Forbes’ group last season, but they likely won’t have a chance to slow down against the Wolverines.

Besides being objectively more fun to watch, the benefits of this pace are clear. Michigan found (or created) a lot of good looks for itself, missing both misses and mistakes, and taking the easy looks against a troubled defense. This did lead to a few too many turnovers, but 1) it’s worth the trade-off if it means the shooting remains hyper-efficient, and 2) some of this sloppiness will fade as chemistry and familiarity increase throughout the season.

This approach also has consequences on the other side. The defense forced 16 turnovers in the opener, and Wake has started the year with a below-average turnover rate of 20.4 percent, so expect the Wolverines to remain active and aggressive. This did result in Cleveland State grabbing some offensive rebounds, but the Deacs were not a team that thrived in the offensive class. Reid and friends will likely take a few, but as long as the turnovers and associated fast breaks continue, May will be fine taking the risk.