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thewolverines24
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Michigan returns to league action tonight against Minnesota (9:00 p.m., Peacock) at the Crisler Center for a needed fresh start.
The Golden Gophers are 10-3 and have climbed 134 spots from last year?s KenPom finish but are benefitting from a schedule constructed by a head coach on the hot seat. Minnesota has only played two games outside Minneapolis (both losses), nine games against sub-200 ranked teams (all wins) and has faced the worst non-conference schedule in the country, per KenPom.
The Gophers have taken a major step toward competency this year despite losing two of their top three scorers to the portal. They?ve added a few of the best newcomers in the league around one of the most productive bigs in the conference, but time will tell how effectively that growth holds up in the rigors of Big Ten play.
KEYS
The mirror: On paper and playing at home, Michigan should be a clear favorite in this game. In reality, after a long two months, who knows? This game will come down to what version of Michigan shows up tonight. The execution wasn?t up to the necessary levels against McNeese State, which was apparent early. That level of performance isn?t going to cut it in the Big Ten this year.
Force Elijah Hawkins into tough shots: This is one of those classic ?something has to give? matchups. Michigan has generally succeeded in forcing opposing guards to score rather than distribute, but they have scored far too easily. Elijah Hawkins has been fantastic as a distributor but woefully inefficient as a scorer. Either Michigan?s defense is ideally suited for the matchup, or Hawkins will have a career scoring night.
Get Dug McDaniel going: Minnesota?s defensive scheme forces opposing guards to make scoring plays. That means that Michigan will need McDaniel to get hot in a hurry and carry the offense while matching up against another DMV native (Hawkins? DeMatha team with Hunter Dickinson beat McDaniel?s Paul VI team in the WCAC title in 2020).
Power forward matchup: Nkamhoua and Garcia aren?t the same players, but both of their teams ask them to carry the offense in key spots when things break down. Nkamhoua has had some high-profile head-to-head battles this year (IU, St. John?s, Florida) but hasn?t had one that he controlled outright. I expect both players to go right at the opposition in this one, and whoever comes out ahead in those individual battles should have a leg up on the opposition.
BOTTOM LINE
Who knows? Last Friday's effort against McNeese State was the worst of the season. They need to bounce back, but at this point how can anyone expect that? No one on the team can defend the ball, so there's little to no hope for defensive improvement. There is no bench outside of Tschetter and he gets overwhelmed against bigger and more athletic frontlines. Admissions not letting Caleb Love in pretty much destroyed the season before it began. The only thing left to root for is the fun of Dug and being proud of how much T-Will really improved his shot in the offseason.
KenPom pegs Michigan as 79-74 favorites, with a 69% chance at the home win, which means nothing since we lose plenty of games where we are favored.
GO BLUE!
The Golden Gophers are 10-3 and have climbed 134 spots from last year?s KenPom finish but are benefitting from a schedule constructed by a head coach on the hot seat. Minnesota has only played two games outside Minneapolis (both losses), nine games against sub-200 ranked teams (all wins) and has faced the worst non-conference schedule in the country, per KenPom.
The Gophers have taken a major step toward competency this year despite losing two of their top three scorers to the portal. They?ve added a few of the best newcomers in the league around one of the most productive bigs in the conference, but time will tell how effectively that growth holds up in the rigors of Big Ten play.
KEYS
The mirror: On paper and playing at home, Michigan should be a clear favorite in this game. In reality, after a long two months, who knows? This game will come down to what version of Michigan shows up tonight. The execution wasn?t up to the necessary levels against McNeese State, which was apparent early. That level of performance isn?t going to cut it in the Big Ten this year.
Force Elijah Hawkins into tough shots: This is one of those classic ?something has to give? matchups. Michigan has generally succeeded in forcing opposing guards to score rather than distribute, but they have scored far too easily. Elijah Hawkins has been fantastic as a distributor but woefully inefficient as a scorer. Either Michigan?s defense is ideally suited for the matchup, or Hawkins will have a career scoring night.
Get Dug McDaniel going: Minnesota?s defensive scheme forces opposing guards to make scoring plays. That means that Michigan will need McDaniel to get hot in a hurry and carry the offense while matching up against another DMV native (Hawkins? DeMatha team with Hunter Dickinson beat McDaniel?s Paul VI team in the WCAC title in 2020).
Power forward matchup: Nkamhoua and Garcia aren?t the same players, but both of their teams ask them to carry the offense in key spots when things break down. Nkamhoua has had some high-profile head-to-head battles this year (IU, St. John?s, Florida) but hasn?t had one that he controlled outright. I expect both players to go right at the opposition in this one, and whoever comes out ahead in those individual battles should have a leg up on the opposition.
BOTTOM LINE
Who knows? Last Friday's effort against McNeese State was the worst of the season. They need to bounce back, but at this point how can anyone expect that? No one on the team can defend the ball, so there's little to no hope for defensive improvement. There is no bench outside of Tschetter and he gets overwhelmed against bigger and more athletic frontlines. Admissions not letting Caleb Love in pretty much destroyed the season before it began. The only thing left to root for is the fun of Dug and being proud of how much T-Will really improved his shot in the offseason.
KenPom pegs Michigan as 79-74 favorites, with a 69% chance at the home win, which means nothing since we lose plenty of games where we are favored.
GO BLUE!
