Wolverines to Open Regular Season Against Norfolk State

» Michigan takes on Norfolk State to open the 2018-19 regular season. The game is a campus site matchup as part of the 2018 Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament.
» U-M will hold a pregame ceremony to raise the banners for the 2018 Big Ten Tournament championship and its Final Four appearance.
» U-M head coach John Beilein begins his 12th season at the helm of the Wolverines. If the Maize and Blue come away with a victory it will be the 800th of his career.
» Lone senior Charles Matthews returns after testing the NBA Draft waters. He averaged 13.0 points and 5.5 rebounds last season.

• Complete Game Notes (PDF)

• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

The No. 19-ranked University of Michigan men's basketball team opens its regular season schedule Norfolk State on Tuesday (Nov. 6) at Crisler Center. The matchup is part of the Basketball Hall of Fame's Tip-Off Tournament. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:40 p.m. with the game broadcast on Big Ten Network.

A Little Bit About Norfolk State

• Norfolk State went 14-19 a season ago, including an 11-5 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) to finish tied for fourth in the league.
• The Spartans were picked to finish third in the MEAC Preseason Poll, behind preseason favorite Bethune-Cookman and North Carolina Central. Alex Long (10.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg in 2017-18) and Steven Whitley (12.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg in 2017-18) were named to the Preseason All-MEAC Second Team.
• Norfolk State will hosted Virginia State in its lone exhibition on Friday (Nov. 2) before it traveled to Michigan for the season opener.
• Robert Jones begins his sixth season as head coach of the Spartans in 2018-19. Jones was an assistant at Norfolk State for six seasons before being elevated to head coach for the 2013-14 season.
• Michigan leads, 1-0, in the all-time series against Norfolk State. U-M defeated Norfolk State, 83-49, on Nov. 25, 2008, in Ann Arbor; Manny Harris led the Wolverines with 16 points and 15 rebounds.

Naismith Hall of Fame Tip-Off

• Michigan is part of the 2018 Naismith Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament, which begins with two campus-site games -- Norfolk State (Nov. 6) and Holy Cross (Nov. 10). Both campus-site opponents are part of the Springfield Bracket, while U-M is in the Naismith Bracket.
• After the pair of campus matchups, U-M will head to Uncasville, Connecticut, and the Mohegan Sun Casino and Arena for the championship bracket matchup with George Washington (Nov. 17).
• The Wolverines will then play either Providence or South Carolina on Nov. 18 in the consolation or championship game.

Raising Some More Banners
• In Tuesday's game vs. Norfolk State, U-M will have a pregame celebration and banner raising for the Wolverines' 2018 Big Ten Tournament championship as well as their appearance in the 2018 Final Four. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:40 p.m., with the ceremony starting during the 8:15 p.m. hour.

Another Milestone

• Already the Wolverines all-time winningest coach with 248 victories, U-M's next victory will etch the 800th win of John Beilein's 41-year career patrolling the sidelines.
• Beilein currently has 799 victories, with 541 on the Division I level. If you add the 40 wins he earned during his three years at Newfane High School, Beilein has 839 total in his complete career.
• Did you know Beilein has never been an assistant coach? His entire career has been as a head coach at all levels.

Opening Exhibition

• Michigan played one exhibition game against Northwood on Friday (Nov. 2), cruising to a 90-58 victory at Crisler Center.
• U-M had six players scoring in double figures, including all five starters. Charles Matthews led U-M with 15 points, while Ignas Brazdeikis had 13. Zavier Simpson and Jordan Poole each had 12 points -- along with eight assists -- and Jon Teske closed with 11. Isaiah Livers came off the bench to score 10 points showcased by four highlight reel dunks.
• The Maize and Blue shot 59.7 percent (37-of-60) for the game, finishing with 13 dunks in the game.