Max Bielfeldt shines, No. 22 Michigan beats Bucknell

When Max Bielfeldt strolled into the Michigan locker room late tonight the chants started.

"Moose, Moose" echoed from the peanut gallery.

The universal antler sign was staring him in the face.

And his teammates enjoyed it as much as he did.

Michigan's lone senior was the star of Monday night's 77-53 win over Bucknell in the regional round of the Legends Classic and everyone was thrilled.

That's how it works when you sit for three years behind more talent, bigger bodies. When your body betrays you, reducing the role to scout-team standout and in-game cheerleader.

But after April hip surgery to repair a torn labrum and months of rehab, Bielfeldt is back and showed it tonight, entering the game before the first media timeout and finishing with a career high 18 points.

As coach John Beilein says to the players: earn your playing time.

"The last couple days of practice, he's been virtually been a man-child playing with our guys," Beilein said. "So, after (Sunday's) practice where the Bucknell scout team beat Michigan and he was the star. I said, 'I don't care (about his usual role.)"

He and Beilein met, they reviewed some plays and Beilein was able to unleash the beast -- or the Moose, in this case for his nickname – on the unsuspecting Bison.

Michigan improved to 2-0 with ease, opening the game on a 10-0 run and pushing the margin to 31 late in the first half but that's not why Bielfeldt stayed in.

He was producing so there was no reason to pull him.

The Max Show may have been appearing as a one-night run and everyone knew it.

Entered as a sub for starting center Mark Donnal 3 minutes in, Bielfeldt quickly hit a three-pointer. Then another one. Then another basket.

In less than 5 minutes, he had eight points and cruised past that previous career high of four.

Though Crisler Center was only half full, the crowd was into their fan favorite. By halftime, Bielfeldt had played 11 minutes, scored 13 points and was 5-of-7 from the field.

The long-rumored three-point specialist showed that skill, hitting all three attempts on the night, as if it was a regular occurrence.

For all we know it may be, in practice. That's how rare his appearances have been through his career.

Though this was a game that counted.

"I got in a rhythm," he said. "That's been one of the keys. I hadn't quite got in a rhythm most of my career. I got out there, they sagged off at the top of key. The opportunity was there, so I took it."

During the postgame, Michigan's ritual of putting the game's star up on the chair continued.

Bielfeldt got up there and led 'The Victors' for the first time that he could recall, basking in the moment and, simply the fact that he could get up there.

"New hip, new man," he said. "After the surgery, my balance and my shot's better. I'm not favoring a side…. Bionic hip? Yeah, cyborg."

He can joke about the injury, but in three years it hasn't let him see the floor much. He has never become the contributor he imagined when he was signed late in the 2011 class, sitting behind Mitch McGary, Jordan Morgan and Jon Horford but they're all gone and now he's healthy.

It wasn't easy hearing from Beilein in the off-season that U-M wouldn't be offering him his fifth year in 2015-16 but he handled it smoothly, like he has every obstacle for the past three years.

"Like a champ," Beilein said. "It's a great opportunity for him because he can go somewhere in his fifth year if he wants to. But he played great today. It was really good to see this. Because he's got another level."

As Bielfeldt said, this was exciting but only the beginning.

U-M's three first-year players in the middle may have size on the 6-foot-7 Bielfeldt, but he's serving as their swami this season. The afterthought in the front court, he's showing the elderly still have some moves.

"It's a long season ahead of us, a lot of games, but if that was the highlight of my senior season, I don't want that," he said. "I've got to capitalize on this and keep doing what I can do."

Bucknell had a scouting report that certainly included U-M's high scorer, Zak Irvin with 23.

But if this keeps happening, the antlers an Moose chants – which Irvin said derive from the prodigious calves and sturdy lower body – will be common in Crisler, outside the locker room.

U-M hosts Detroit Mercy on Thursday as part of the regional rounds of the Legends Classic.

Mark Snyder writes for the Detroit Free Press.