Dusty May has a well-earned reputation as an offensive wizard, but his first Michigan team wins with his defense. On Wednesday night, the Wolverines gave Xavier a hard time, suffocating a high-powered offense full of experience, shooting and depth.

Every Xavier possession was tiring and arduous. Even some of the shots the Musketeers took felt worthy of ending up on a Wolverine defensive highlight reel. Xavier made 20 shots, missed 38 and turned the ball over 19 times.

College basketball fans love Feast Week for the memorable back-and-forth matchups full of brilliant shots and masterful play. This was anything but. It was absolute defensive dominance in a 78-53 win that was supposed to be a pick-em.

I wrote in the game preview that this is the type of game where it comes down to which team can play their style against higher tier competitors. Michigan left no doubt which team this was.

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