That was Dusty May’s takeaway after Michigan fell 100–98 to Cincinnati on Friday night. The head coach admitted he wished the Crisler Center crowd had seen a stronger showing, but emphasized that his focus remains on long-term growth rather than early results.

“We know a lot more about our team than we did two and a half hours ago,” May said afterward. “Cincinnati exposed areas we weren’t sure would be weaknesses. I’m glad they came up to play us because we learned far more about our group than expected.”

Michigan played without Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr., both projected starters once healthy. Mara, a 7-foot-3 transfer from UCLA, and Johnson, a 6-foot-9 forward from Illinois, are nursing minor injuries. Mara took part in pregame warmups, while Johnson sat out entirely.

“I don’t want to speak for them, but Aday’s been working out and doing some practice drills,” May said. “He’s close. Morez is trending well too, so we’re optimistic both will be back soon.”

The Wolverines will play one more exhibition on Oct. 25 against St. John’s in New York before hosting Oakland on Nov. 3 to begin the regular season.

Michigan clearly missed Mara and Johnson’s presence, though May refused to use it as an excuse. “I thought we’d recognize we were up against a big, strong team and set the tone early — but the opposite happened,” he said. “Our veterans must do a better job establishing that mindset from the start: take hits, fight for rebounds, and push the pace.”

Turnovers proved the biggest issue. Michigan committed 20, including 14 before halftime, leading to an eight-minute scoring drought and a 52–34 deficit at the break.

“We were sloppy with our dribble handoffs and play setups,” forward Yaxel Lendeborg said. “What we practice didn’t translate, and they made us look bad.”

May reiterated that turnovers haven’t been a problem during practice, though they were last season. With many new players, he believes the mistakes are part of growing pains.

Lendeborg, a UAB transfer, dominated the second half with 26 of his 31 points and 12 rebounds. He said his trainer’s halftime message — to stop playing soft and start imposing his will — fueled his breakout.

“Yaxel was eager to perform in front of our fans,” May said. “We saw flashes of his potential — he’s a special talent.”

The teams combined for 83 free throws, unusually high for a 40-minute contest. Michigan made 41 of 48, and May praised both the accuracy and officiating, saying most calls were fair.

It’s another lesson to build on before the season starts. Senior guard Roddy Gayle Jr. summed it up: “It’s a great chance to study film against a team that really showed us where we need to improve.”