Michigan
VCU
Wolverines to Close Maui Trip with Fifth-Place Game Against VCU
11/22/2017 9:38:00 AM | Men's Basketball
» Michigan will close the Maui Jim Maui Invitational by facing VCU for fifth place.
» U-M lost its opening game, 77-75, to LSU in a thrilling, down-to-the-wire game, before cruising to a 102-64 victory against host Chaminade.
» Michigan is playing in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational for the fifth time in program history. The Wolverines won the tournament in 1985 and 1988, which was a precursor to its first national title.
» U-M head coach John Beilein is making his second appearance in Maui after taking the Wolverines in 2011 (third) and holds a 3-2 all-time record.
THIS WEEK
Monday, Nov. 20 -- vs. LSU (L, 77-75) - Recap
Tuesday, Nov. 21 -- vs. Chaminade (W, 102-64) - Recap
Wednesday, Nov. 22 -- vs. VCU (Lahaina, Hawaii), Noon HST
• TV: ESPN2 | Live Stats | Live Audio
• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
• Maui Jim Maui Invitational
• Complete Game Notes (PDF)
The University of Michigan men's basketball team (4-1) will close its 2017 Maui Jim Maui Invitational by playing VCU on Wednesday (Nov. 22) at the Lahaina Civic Center. Tip is scheduled for noon HST (5 p.m. EST) with the game on ESPN2. The battle with the Rams will be for fifth place.
MICHIGAN IN THE MAUI INVITATIONAL
• Michigan is 1-1 in the 2017 Maui Jim Maui Invitational after an opening 77-75 loss to LSU followed by a 102-64 win against host Chaminade.
• Charles Matthews is the second leading scorer of the tournament with 25.0 points per game after scoring a career-best 28 against LSU and adding 22 more against Chaminade. He is third overall in rebounding at 9.0 per game. He recorded his first career double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds against Chaminade.
• Moritz Wagner is averaging 17.0 points and 6.0 rebounds a game, while Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman is producing 14.5 points and 4.5 assists per game.
• Michigan has shot 55.2 percent from the field and averaged 88.5 points in the two games.
LITTLE BIT ABOUT VCU
• VCU heads to the fifth-place game with a 3-2 record after opening the Maui Jim Maui Invitational with a 94-83 setback to Marquette and rallying on the second day with an 83-69 win over Cal.
• Justin Tillman is leading the way for VCU with 13.8 points per contest, shooting 54.7 percent from the field. De'Riante Jenkins is just behind with 13.2 points per game.
• VCU is averaging 84.4 points a game, having scoring at least 83 points in four of its five games, with a season-best 95 in a win over North Florida (95-85).
• Mike Rhoades begins his first season as head coach at VCU. A former assistant with the Rams, Rhoades returned to Richmond following three seasons as head coach at Rice.
• VCU went 26-9 last season, including 14-4 in the Atlantic 10, and reached the NCAA Tournament first round under current LSU head coach Will Wade.
• VCU is one of two programs in the country, along with Kansas, to win 24 games or more in each of the last 11 seasons.
• Michigan won the only previous meeting with VCU, 78-53, in the Round of 32 in the 2013 NCAA Tournament in Auburn Hills, Michigan, on the way to the Final Four.
MAUI JIM MAUI INVITATIONAL: CHAMINADE QUICK HITTERS
• In a blistering night shooting from the field, Michigan cruised to a 102-64 win over Chaminade after going 37-for-57 from the field (64.9 percent), adding a 15-for-28 (53.6 percent) line from long range.
• Charles Matthews led U-M with his first career double-double with 22 points and a career-best 10 rebounds. He added four assists, three blocks and two steals while going a perfect 8-for-8 from the field and 2-for-2 from long range. His only miss on the night was his 3-for-4 at the free throw line.
• Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman added 17 points and a team-best five assists, while Moritz Wagner had 10 points and five rebounds.
• Jordan Poole came off the bench to score 10 points. Austin Davis also came off the bench and finished with a career bests of four points and five rebounds.
• The Wolverines recorded an assist on 22 of 37 made baskets.
MAUI JIM MAUI INVITATIONAL: LSU QUICK HITTERS
• In a back-and-forth affair, U-M rallied to take a nine-point lead after trailing by seven to LSU only to see the Tigers go on a 15-6 closing run to win, 77-75.
• Charles Matthews scored a career-high 28 points against LSU, making a career-best 10 field goals as well as setting career bests for free throws (7), free throw attempts (10) and rebounds (8). The career day was his second 20-plus-point effort in U-M's four games.
• Moritz Wagner's 24 points against LSU was his first 20-plus-point contest of the season and sixth of his career. He was just two points shy of tying his career best -- 26 vs. Louisville in the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
• Matthews and Wagner accounted for 52 of U-M's 75 points as well as 15 of 29 rebounds against LSU.
THIS AND THAT
• So far, U-M is averaging 79.2 points per game early this season, with a season-high 102 against Chaminade at the Maui Invitational.
• Michigan's 102 points marked the first time the Wolverines eclipsed the century mark since 2015. All-time U-M has hit 100-plus points 106 times and carries a 101-5 record in those games.
• U-M has four players averaging in double figures with Charles Matthews leading at 17.8 points per game, with Moritz Wagner just behind at 14.8. Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman is producing 13.0 per game, while Duncan Robinson is averaging 12.0.
• Thanks to its big shooting night against Chaminade, Michigan is shooting 49.8 percent from the field through five games.
• U-M is averaging 8.6 turnovers per game through five games, with four games with 10 or fewer and a season-low six against Central Michigan.
