The Detroit Pistons have been rolling lately, as former Michigan Wolverine Tim Hardaway Jr. and company are on a huge seven-game winning streak heading down the stretch of the NBA regular season:
In one of the more eventful weeks of professional basketball action, several former Michigan Wolverines were highlighted for various different reasons. Two former stars joined new teams overseas, another had a career-night for his national team, and another holds an obscure record that could last for a while.
Tim Hardaway Jr. and the Detroit Pistons catch fire
The Detroit Pistons can’t stop winning. Winners of seven straight, they now sit handily in the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference with the playoffs looking all but assured at this point. Tim Hardaway Jr. is certainly not the catalyst of the team, as that distinction belongs to Cade Cunningham, but he’s played his role to a T.
On Sunday in Atlanta, Hardaway amassed 18 points, two assists, a rebound and a steal in 28 minutes. All his points came from deep, as he shot 6-of-10 from three. Hardaway, along with Malik Beasley, have been preeminent floor spacers, which has allowed Cunningham to go to work in the paint.
Caleb Houstan is the tallest active NBA player to not have dunked
Caleb Houstan was unexpectedly highlighted in an article by The Athletic earlier this week. As of today, he is the tallest qualified active NBA player (i.e. 500+ minutes played) with zero career dunks. Standing at 6-foot-8, Houstan has always had the ability to dunk quite easily. However, anyone who has ever watched him play basketball knows he is a three-point specialist. Even at Michigan, he rarely went inside the three-point line.
Now in his third year with the Orlando Magic, he has gotten a surprisingly large amount of playing time but has never once thrown down a dunk. He has tried a few times to no avail. This might be the oddest stat you see today, but it’s fun to see Houstan highlighted on a national stage.
Olivier Nkamhoua impresses for Team Finland
FIBA’s EuroBasket tournament may not be incredibly well-known in the United States, but it is pivotal in European basketball. Olivier Nkahmoua and Team Finland are automatic qualifiers for the tournament, as Finland is hosting the tournament. However, they still must take place in the qualifiers.
On Friday in a 105-95 loss to Serbia, Nkamhoua stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, five assists, four rebounds, three blocks and two steals. He backed that up with a 26-point, eight-rebound explosion on Monday in an 83-77 win over Denmark. Of all players in the tournament, Nkamhoua is the 12th-highest scorer behind the likes of Mario Hezonja, Cedi Osman and Dzanan Musa.
Trey Burke and Zak Irvin find new homes overseas
Michigan legend Trey Buke has had ups and downs in his professional career. He had been putting together a solid season with the Mexico City Capitanes of the NBA G-League, but he recently signed with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the CBA (China). Other notable names currently playing in the CBA include Jared Sullinger, Edmond Sumner, Eric Bledsoe and Quinndary Weatherspoon.
Like Burke, Zak Irvin has been all around the world in his post-Michigan playing days. Heading into 2025, Irvin was playing for the Cañeros del Este of the Dominican Liga Nacional de Baloncesto. However, a few weeks ago, Irvin decided to take his talents across the pond by signing a deal with Manchester Basketball of the Super League Basketball (SLB). The SLB is a brand new league that was formed in 2024 in the UK.