Wolverines Set for Road Trip to Austin for Texas Matchup

» Michigan will face Texas for the first time on the Longhorns' campus and at the Frank Erwin Center.
» After a dramatic 15-point comeback and win in OT vs. UCLA, the Wolverines hit the road one last time in the non-conference.
» Moritz Wagner continues to lead U-M in scoring (16.1) and rebounding (8.0).
» Zavier Simpson scored a career-best 15 points, while adding four steals in U-M's win over UCLA.

THIS WEEK
Tuesday, Dec. 12 -- at Texas, 8 p.m. CST (ESPN2)
Saturday, Dec. 16 -- vs. Detroit-Mercy, Noon (ESPNU)

The University of Michigan men's basketball team (8-3; 1-1 B1G) hits the road one last time in the non-conference taking on Texas (6-2) in Austin for the first time at the Frank Erwin Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. CST with the game broadcast on ESPN2.

A LITTLE ABOUT THE LONGHORNS
• Michigan will play Texas on its campus site -- the Frank Erwin Center -- for the first time in series history. Overall, U-M leads the series, 4-2.
• The game closes out a home-and-home series between the two schools.
• Last season, U-M was able to hold off the Longhorns after Moritz Wagner jumper with 16 seconds left in the game gave U-M a 51-50 lead. A missed attempt by the Longhorns allowed U-M to seal the game with late free throws, winning 53-50 victory at Crisler Center.
• This will be the third straight season U-M and Texas will met on the hardwood after the Wolverines defeated the Longhorns, 78-72, in the fifth-place game of the 2015 Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.
• Texas will become the fourth team U-M faces that played in the PK80 in Portland. U-M has faced North Carolina (L, 86-71), Ohio State (L, 71-62) and will face Michigan State.
• Texas is 6-2 on the season with its two losses to No. 1 Duke (85-78 OT) and No. 17 Gonzaga (76-71 OT).
• The Longhorns have not played since Dec. 5th, which was a 71-67 victory at VCU -- the former team of Texas head coach Shaka Smart.
• Texas is led by sophomore Andrew Jones' 15.3 points per game, while freshman sensation Mohamed Bamba averages a double-double with 10.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. He adds 4.0 blocks per game.
• Overall, Texas has four players averaging in double figures.
• Texas averages 6.1 blocks and 6.8 steals per game.

THE CHALLENGE COMING TO AN END
• Following U-M's dramatic 78-69 OT win over UCLA, the Wolverines open the week heading to Austin, Texas, for a return game with Texas on Tuesday, Dec. 12 at 9 p.m. (ESPN2).
• U-M's six-game test closes when U-M faces Detroit-Mercy -- and former assistant coach Bacari Alexander -- in the first ever 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 plays Oakland at LCA at 2:30 p.m., then the Detroit Lions host the Chicago Bears at 4 p.m. at Ford Field.

ICYMI ...
• Michigan is third nationally for assist-to-turnover ratio (1.71)
• Michigan is fifth nationally for turnovers per game (9.4)
• Michigan is sixth nationally for personal fouls per game (14.0)
• Michigan is 38th nationally for scoring defense (63.8)
• Moritz Wagner is the only Wolverine to score in double figures in every game this season
• Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman is a perfect 16-for-16 from the free throw line
• Abdur-Rahkman has recorded at least three-plus assists in the last 10 straight games
• Abdur-Rahkman ranks second nationally with a 6.5 assist-to-turnover ratio
• Abdur-Rahkman and Charles Matthews are tied for the team lead with 39 total assists (3.5 apg)
• Jordan Poole has made 18 field goals, 11 of which have come from long range

MICHIGAN'S TWO-MAN GAME
• Michigan's offense has featured a potent two-man game between Charles Matthews and Moritz Wagner.
• Together the Maize & Blue duo has:
- Started all 11 games
- Accounted for 31.1 points per game and 40 percent of U-M's offense production
- Accounted for 12.8 rebounds per game and 38 percent of U-M's glass work
- Scored 18 double figure games out of a possible 22
- Each has recorded four 20-plus point games this season
- Shoot 55.6 percent from the field (70-for-125 Wagner; 64-for-116 Matthews)
- Combined for five double-doubles (3 Wagner, 2 Matthews)
- Made 28 three-pointers (16 Wagner, 12 Matthews)

CLOSING OUT THE NON-CONFERENCE
• After opening with 13 games in the first 36 days of the season, Michigan closes out its non-conference season playing its final two non-conference games over the final 14 days of 2017.
• Right at the tail end of U-M's finals schedule, the Wolverines host Alabama A&M on Thursday, Dec. 21, at 9 p.m. (ESPNU). The Maize & Blue will close out 2017 with a Saturday, Dec. 30, game with Jacksonville at 6 p.m. (BTN).
• For the second straight season, U-M will start the new year playing at Iowa. This season, the Wolverines head to Iowa City for a Tuesday, Jan. 2, game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Last season, the Hawkeyes used an 86-83 OT win to ring in 2017.