Michigan Wolverines went 2-1 in the Maui Invitational to nab third place. Michigan beat Memphis before losing to eventual champion Duke, 82-75. The Wolverines rebounded in the third place game, disposing of UCLA by 16 to make the trip at least somewhat successful.

The most important takeaway from the week was not necessarily how Michigan played, but how they played against certain opponents.

What we learned from Memphis: Freshman point guard Trey Burke is going to be the real deal, almost a lock for All-Big Ten if he decides to stick around. ESPN draft analyst Chad Ford told Daniel Wasserman, a Michigan basketball beat writer, that Burke could be a potential first round pick in next year's draft, for what that's worth.

Burke was a key against Memphis. His driving ability sets up the Wolverines offense much in the same way that Darius Morris did last year. The majority of Michigan's roster is guys who love to spot up and shoot, which fits Burke's style of play perfectly. Against Memphis, he scored 14 points, the second most on the team, along with four assist. He wasn't perfect by any stretch, but he played 35 minutes as a true freshman on a national stage and impressed.

Burke is only 5-foot-11, so his ability to drive is oftentimes directly related to how physical and big the opposing defense is. The Tigers biggest starting player is Wesley Witherspoon, who is 6-foot-9 but weighs just 207 pounds. Memphis has size that is perfectly suited to Burke's style of play, and the freshman was able to capitalize.

Burke also had a mindset--almost a swagger, if you will--that can't be taught. He plays with a confidence that convinces you he has been in college for years. Michigan saw another freshman come into Ann Arbor last year with that kind of mindset, and he turned out pretty well. That player is sophomore forward Tim Hardaway Jr., who was another key to the game against Memphis.

This will not be an uncommon theme. Hardaway Jr. is going to be the heart of the Wolverines, and when he is on like he was against Memphis, they will be able to compete with very team in the Big Ten, if not every team in the country.

Hardaway Jr. had a game-high 21 points and five assists, and grabbed seven rebounds. Primarily known as a shooter last season, Hardaway Jr. made his presence known near the rim, drawing 10 free throw attempts and converting nine of them. He started off strong, scoring nine of the team's first 18 points, and was absolutely relentless throughout.

For Michigan to contend, Hardaway Jr. will need to have these types of games almost every night. Having another scoring presence like Burke helps, but the load is going to lie on Hardaway Jr.'s shoulders.

What we learned from Duke: Michigan is going to struggle against bigger, physical teams. The Blue Devils start two players over 6-foot-10, and their starting point guard is 6-foot-4. The aspects that propelled Michigan against Memphis were exposed against a bigger, more physical Duke team.

Burke did not have a bad game by any stretch, scoring a career-high 17 points and nine assists, but the offense was limited near the rim. Michigan had two players shoot free throws on the night for just nine total free throws, with six of those coming from Hardaway Jr.

Burke wasn't able to do his thing near the basket, which limited the spot up opportunities on the outside. He played well, but Michigan was never able to really get things going offensively the way they did against Memphis. Drives to the basket were really limited, which messed with the flow of the offense and didn't leave as many open shots from the outside. 

In Big Ten play, teams like Ohio State, Michigan State and Minnesota are going to play the Wolverines really well. Burke is going to be a player, no doubt, but his height will make things difficult around the net against teams with a big post presence. Duke exploited this, but the play of Hardaway Jr. also threw things out of whack for the Wolverines.

Nineteen points in a game is a good game for most players in college basketball, but not for Hardaway Jr. He was scoreless in the first half, which helped put Michigan in a hole it couldn't climb out of. He also did not have an assist and grabbed only three rebounds.

You can't have your best player and floor general be noticeably absent in the first half against one of the best teams in the country and expect to be successful. The Wolverines got scoring from other players, but Hardaway Jr. can't disappear for halves at a time if Michigan is going to compete.

Other thoughts: The big theme from Michigan's offense is the transition from Darius Morris to Trey Burke, and the role that Hardaway Jr. was going to play. So far, Burke has impressed, to say the least. He won the starting point guard job from senior captain Stu Douglass, and has looked the part so far this season.

But Morris played such a big role in Michigan's offense last year that its impossible not to expect a drop off for the offense. His usage percentage was a little over 27, but his passing ability was what separated him from the rest of the team. His assist percentage easily lead the team at 44-percent, as the next closet Wolverine was Hardaway Jr. at 12-percent.

The most telling stat is Morris' Hands on Buckets (HOB) percentage, which was an absurd 52-percent. Again, the next closet Wolverines was nowhere close to Morris, as Hardaway Jr. finished at 26-percent.

How Michigan is going to replace Morris's production will be paramount throughout the season.

Obviously, no one has fully picked up Morris's HOB this season, but many have shown great improvements. Hardaway Jr. leads the team at 35-percent, and Burke is right behind him at 33-percent. The rest of the Wolverines stay hovered around the teens, but that won't be an issue if Hardaway Jr. and Burke keep it up. Neither of them will come close to the numbers Morris put up last year, but combined, they are sitting pretty.

The statistic that should be a concern fir Michigan is assist percentage. Morris blew everyone else out of the water last year, but unlike HOB, the Wolverines aren't picking up the slack. Burke leads the team at 27-percent, but besides him, just three Wolverines are in double-digits. 

Those numbers are going to have to go up if Michigan wants to sustain production from its entire lineup. Replacing Morris completely is never going to happen, but Hardaway Jr. and Burke also can't be the only guys stepping it up in those categories. Look for players like Douglass, senior Zack Novak and sophomore forward Evan Smotrycz to add to the HOB and assist percentage totals as the season goes on.

Michigan can't rely on just two guys to spread the ball around, because replacing Morris will continue to be a task for the entire roster.