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thewolverines24
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1 PM Eastern on ABC. This game is being played in London at the same time as England's World Cup game. I'm assuming the crowd is going to be sparse. Very sparse. No idea why this is London in the first place. No one there cares about college basketball.
KEYS
Transition defense: Kentucky?s offense is great in a run-and-gun transition game but hasn?t figured things out in the half court. Michigan would be best served to control this game, take away easy transition opportunities and force the Wildcats to execute in a half-court game. Michigan has been okay at limiting transition opportunities this season but hasn?t faced a test of this level.
Defensive rebounding: Michigan State and Gonzaga held UK to under a 30% offensive rebounding rate in their wins against the Wildcats. Michigan should shoot to hold Kentucky under 33% to feel like it has a shot at the upset but that feels like a difficult task given some of this U-M team?s vulnerability on the defensive glass.
Interior scoring: For Michigan?s offense to have a chance, Hunter Dickinson needs to score often and efficiently inside against a terrific UK defense. He?s capable of it but Michigan needs it for forty minutes on Sunday. Dickinson?s ability to score is so crucial because it is hard to figure out where else U-M?s 2-point scoring will come from if he struggles.
MATCHUPS
Wheeler ? Llewellyn
Wallace ? Bufkin
Reeves ? Howard
Toppin ? Williams
Tshiebwe ? Dickinson
It really does feel like this game comes down to the two big men and how they can impact the game. Michigan needs Hunter Dickinson to score efficiently for its offense to kick into gear, and Tshiebwe?s rebounding should be a huge problem for Michigan?s defense. It?s not hard to draw up a path to a successful night for either player, but they also haven?t faced this sort of matchup very often.
BOTTOM LINE
This is an entirely different test than Michigan saw against Virginia, but that doesn?t mean it is an easier one. KenPom pegs the Wolverines as 9-point underdogs, giving U-M a 22% chance of the neutral court upset. The fact that the game is taking place in a different timezone and country certainly adds an element that is tough to predict, although both teams are accustomed to playing games in unique venues
GO BLUE!
KEYS
Transition defense: Kentucky?s offense is great in a run-and-gun transition game but hasn?t figured things out in the half court. Michigan would be best served to control this game, take away easy transition opportunities and force the Wildcats to execute in a half-court game. Michigan has been okay at limiting transition opportunities this season but hasn?t faced a test of this level.
Defensive rebounding: Michigan State and Gonzaga held UK to under a 30% offensive rebounding rate in their wins against the Wildcats. Michigan should shoot to hold Kentucky under 33% to feel like it has a shot at the upset but that feels like a difficult task given some of this U-M team?s vulnerability on the defensive glass.
Interior scoring: For Michigan?s offense to have a chance, Hunter Dickinson needs to score often and efficiently inside against a terrific UK defense. He?s capable of it but Michigan needs it for forty minutes on Sunday. Dickinson?s ability to score is so crucial because it is hard to figure out where else U-M?s 2-point scoring will come from if he struggles.
MATCHUPS
Wheeler ? Llewellyn
Wallace ? Bufkin
Reeves ? Howard
Toppin ? Williams
Tshiebwe ? Dickinson
It really does feel like this game comes down to the two big men and how they can impact the game. Michigan needs Hunter Dickinson to score efficiently for its offense to kick into gear, and Tshiebwe?s rebounding should be a huge problem for Michigan?s defense. It?s not hard to draw up a path to a successful night for either player, but they also haven?t faced this sort of matchup very often.
BOTTOM LINE
This is an entirely different test than Michigan saw against Virginia, but that doesn?t mean it is an easier one. KenPom pegs the Wolverines as 9-point underdogs, giving U-M a 22% chance of the neutral court upset. The fact that the game is taking place in a different timezone and country certainly adds an element that is tough to predict, although both teams are accustomed to playing games in unique venues
GO BLUE!
