ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- While Derrick Walton sat out with a toe injury, Spike Albrecht helped ease some of coach John Beilein's concerns.
Point guard is one spot where Michigan definitely has a capable backup.
Albrecht had 10 points, seven assists, three steals and no turnovers, and the 19th-ranked Wolverines bounced back from their first loss of the season with a 91-62 victory over Nicholls State on Saturday. Caris LeVert scored 19 of his 24 points in the first half for Michigan.
Walton, the starting point guard, did not suit up for the game.
"We had some anxieties going into this game," Beilein said. "Should have known better when you give Spike Albrecht the ball, and you have Caris LeVert in that backcourt."
Walton was with his team on the sideline, wearing what appeared to be a boot on his left foot.
"It's some type of sprained toe. We don't know enough about it -- we're waiting for some more information on it," Beilein said. "One of his toes is bothering him. ... He couldn't practice the last two days."
Michigan lost 60-55 to No. 12 Villanova on Tuesday in New York.
Albrecht has been a dependable backup since 2012, when he gave the Wolverines a huge lift at the Final Four as a freshman. Michigan allowed the first four points Saturday before scoring 13 straight and never trailing again. It was 53-20 at halftime.
"We pride ourselves on not losing two games in a row," LeVert said. "So coming out early today, focused like we did, was really important for us."
Ricky Doyle added 15 points for Michigan, and Zak Irvin scored 14.
Nicholls State (0-4) was led by Ja'Dante' Frye, who scored 15 points. T.J. Carpenter added 12.
It was Michigan's most lopsided win since an 84-53 victory at Illinois on March 4. Freshman Austin Hatch, who was in a plane crash in 2011 that killed his father and stepmother and left him in a coma for about eight weeks, played the last 1:47 for the Wolverines on Saturday.
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TIP-INS
Nicholls State: The Colonels have played a tough schedule already, having lost at UCLA by 33 and at Wake Forest by 27. They also play at Wisconsin on Dec. 13.
Michigan: After shooting only 41 percent from the field against Villanova, the Wolverines improved to 55 percent Saturday. They also went 14 of 24 from 3-point range, the second time this season they have shot over 50 percent from beyond the arc.
Michigan came into the game shooting 41 percent from long distance.
UP NEXT
Nicholls State: Hosts Loyola of Louisiana on Dec. 6.
Michigan: Hosts Syracuse on Tuesday night as part of the ACC-Big Ten challenge.
DEPTH
Although Albrecht looked fine in place of Walton, Beilein was still a little unsure of the rest of his options at point guard. Freshman Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman played 12 scoreless minutes.
"We're going to try to redshirt Andrew Dakich so that he'd have a fifth year somewhere else," Beilein said. "We may have burned that today if it was a close game, and we've got, obviously, to work Muhammad into being more of a primary ball handler."
SETTLING IN
Doyle, a freshman, has emerged as a potential answer inside for the Wolverines, who lost Mitch McGary, Jordan Morgan and Jon Horford from last season's frontcourt. Doyle had 10 points in a win over Oregon on Monday, and he shot 6 of 8 from the field with six rebounds Saturday.
"Coming in, the big difference was just the knowledge of the game, the speed of the game," Doyle said. "It's kind of slowing down, the more that I learn the offense."
