Michigan
Indiana
Early Big Ten Home Game Against Hoosiers on Tap for Wolverines
12/1/2017 11:39:00 AM | Men's Basketball
» Michigan returns to Crisler Center for its opening Big Ten game with Indiana.
» The match-up between the Wolverines and Hoosiers will be the earliest ever between the two schools.
» Moritz Wagner is averaging 15.9 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. He is the only Wolverine to score in double figures in every game this season.
» The Maize and Blue is once again among the nation's leaders, averaging a country-best 12.3 fouls per game as well as 9.3 turnovers per game (sixth nationally).
NEXT GAME
Saturday, Dec. 2 -- vs. Indiana (Crisler Center), 12:30 p.m.
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• Complete Game Notes (PDF)
The University of Michigan men's basketball team (6-2) will play a pair of Big Ten Conference games to start December, hosting Indiana (4-3) Saturday (Dec. 2) at Crisler Center at 12:30 p.m. (CBS) before heading to Columbus, Ohio, for a match-up with Ohio State (5-3) on Monday night (Dec. 4) at 6:30 p.m. (FS1). With the 2018 Big Ten Tournament moved up a week due to playing in New York City and Madison Square Garden, the conference regular season will have no byes and teams will have to play two league games early in December.
A LITTLE ABOUT THE HOOSIERS
• Indiana has a 4-3 overall record and recently had its three-game winning streak snapped with a 91-81 loss to No. 1 Duke in the B1G/ACC Challenge. Overall, the Hoosiers have played six of their seven games at Assembly Hall. IU's only road game was an 84-68 loss at Seton Hall.
• Archie Miller is in his first season as head coach of the Hoosiers. Miller came to Indiana from Dayton, where he had a 139-63 record in six seasons and led the Flyers to four NCAA Tournaments.
• Robert Johnson is one of three Hoosiers scoring in double figures at 14.1 points per game. Juwan Morgan (12.1 ppg) and De'Ron Davis (12.0 ppg) are also scoring in double figures for Indiana.
• As a team, IU averages 78.3 points per game while allowing 76.0 per game. The Hoosiers are shooting 50.4 percent from the field.
• Indiana finished 18-16 last season, including 7-11 in Big Ten Conference play. The Hoosier fell to Georgia Tech in the first round of the NIT.
• The match-up will mark the 165th meeting between the Michigan and Indiana, with the Hoosiers holding a 106-58 all-time advantage. Indiana has won five of the last seven meetings.
THE CHALLENGE CONTINUES
• After the pair of Big Ten games, U-M will host UCLA on Saturday, Dec. 9, at Crisler Center at noon (CBS). The game will be a Star Wars Day celebration.
• Following the game with the Bruins, the Wolverines will open the following week by heading to Austin, Texas, for a return game with Texas on Tuesday, Dec. 12, at 9 p.m. (ESPN2).
• It does not stop there as that week ends with U-M playing Detroit Mercy in the first college basketball game in the new Little Caesars Arena -- home of the Detroit Red Wings and Pistons -- in downtown Detroit on Saturday, Dec. 16, at noon (ESPNU). The game is part of a tripleheader downtown as Michigan State will play Oakland at LCA at 2:30 p.m. and the Detroit Lions will host the Chicago Bears at 4 p.m. at Ford Field.
THIS AND THAT
• Michigan has three players averaging in double figures with Charles Matthews leading at 16.1 points per game, while Moritz Wagner is just behind at 15.9. Duncan Robinson is the third, averaging 11.8 points per game. Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman just dropped below double digits as he is at 9.9 points per game. The four account for 68 percent on U-M's offensive output.
• Wagner is the only Wolverine to score in double figures every game this season. He has three 20-plus games including a season-high 24 vs. LSU -- just two away from his career-best of 26 (Louisville, 2017 NCAA). In his two prior seasons he totaled five 20-plus-point games.
• In addition to his scoring, Wagner leads U-M with 8.6 rebounds per game. He has doubled his production after his previous season-best of 4.2 per game last season. He has posted three of his five career games with 10-plus boards this season, including a career-high 12 against North Florida.
• The Maize and Blue is once again among the nation's leaders, averaging a country-best 12.3 fouls per game as well as 9.3 turnovers per game (sixth nationally) with six games with 10 or fewer and a season-low six against Central Michigan.
• Michigan's shot distribution has been pretty even as Matthews has 91, Wagner 86 and Robinson and Abdur-Rahkman each with 74.
• Abdur-Rahkman has recorded 30 assists (3.7 apg) with just three turnovers. He was leading the team in assists before Matthews' career-best 12 assists gave him the lead with 32 (4.0 apg). Zavier Simpson ranks third with 21 assists (2.6 apg). Overall, U-M's 1.78 assist-to-turnover ratio is fifth in the nation.
• Eli Brooks (14.6 mpg) has been adjusting to his new role as the starting point guard. Simpson, who started the first four games, now comes off the bench as U-M's sixth man. Brooks has helped balance the Wolverines offensive flow, while Simpson (16.6 mpg) injects defense right away when he comes into the game.
• Jordan Poole has continued to earn more and more playing time as the season continues. He has scored 27 points in 36 minutes with two 10-plus games -- 10 vs. Chaminade and a career-best 11 against UC Riverside.
• Isaiah Livers has increased his time on the floor as he has rotated with Duncan Robinson at the four spot. Livers has played double-figure minutes in four of his last five games -- and has averaged 5.0 ppg and 2.4 rpg during that time.
• Duncan Robinson, who leads Michigan with 20 three-pointers this season, moved into 10th among U-M's career leaders for three-point field goals (179). He needs 10 for ninth, which is held by LaVell Blanchard (2000-03, 189).
