Wolverines to Host Air Force, Santa at Crisler Center

» With two non-conference games left on the schedule, Michigan hosts Air Force in a Saturday game at Crisler Center before the holiday break.
» U-M has begun the season 11-0 for the fourth time in program history. The Wolverines remain one of eight teams undefeated in the nation.
» The Wolverines, winners of 25 of their last 26 games, coincidentally hold an impressive 25-1 record in their last 26 games at Crisler.
» Jordan Poole has scored in double figures in six straight games, with a pair of 20-plus point games.
» Saturday's game will feature a visit from Santa on the upper concourse; fans can take a photo with Santa from 2:30-4 p.m.

THIS WEEK
Saturday, Dec. 22 -- Air Force, 4 p.m.

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The No. 4-ranked University of Michigan men's basketball team has two non-conference games remaining on its schedule. First up, the Wolverines will host Air Force on Saturday (Dec. 22) at Crisler Center, with a 4 p.m. tipoff. The game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network with Cory Provus and Shon Morris on the call.

A Little Bit About Air Force

• Air Force comes to Ann Arbor with a 4-6 overall record and will play its first game in two weeks. The Falcons' last game was a 66-61 home setback against Army on Dec. 8.
• Junior forward Ryan Swan leads Air Force with his 12.0 points-per-game average, as he is shooting 58.9 percent from the field and adding 5.6 rebounds. Fellow junior forward Lavelle Scottie adds 11.5 points per game and a team-high 5.7 rebounds per game.
• Air Force has made 73 three-pointers on the season; the Falcons have six players with nine three-pointers or more.
• Dave Pilipovich is in his seventh season as head coach at Air Force, and his 12th season overall at the Academy after serving as an assistant for five seasons. No stranger to Ann Arbor, Pilipovich served as U-M's administrative assistant during the 2005-06 season before getting elevated to an assistant coach the following season. After his two seasons with the Wolverines, he headed to Colorado Springs.
• Air Force assistant coaches Andrew Moore and Nate Zandt have U-M ties as well. Moore spent four years as an assistant from 2004-07, while Zandt was a team manager from 2003-07. Both were part of the Maize and Blue's run to the 2004 NIT championship.
• Air Force posted a 12-19 overall record in 2017-18, including a 6-12 mark in Mountain West play. This season, the Falcons were picked to finish 11th in this year's preseason poll.

Tidbits From U-M's Notebook

• Saturday's game marks the fifth straight sellout for Michigan. U-M's closing non-conference game against Binghamton (Dec. 30) is also sold out, giving the Maize and Blue six so far this season -- the most since the 2013-14 season, when U-M closed with 14 total sellouts.
• Michigan is in the middle of a six-game homestand to close 2018 and open 2019. The Wolverines will finish their non-conference schedule against Binghamton (Dec. 30) before returning to the Big Ten regular-season schedule with a pair of home games vs. Penn State (Jan. 3) and Indiana (Jan. 6).
• With finals and university break, the Wolverines close non-conference play with four games over the final 22 days of 2018.
• Since U-M's 61-52 loss at Northwestern (Feb. 6, 2018), the Maize and Blue has won 25 of its past 26 contests, with the loss coming in the 2018 national championship game against Villanova. Of the 25 victories, 17 have come by double figures.
• The Wolverines add an impressive 25-1 record in their last 26 games at Crisler Center. The lone home setback was a 70-69 win by No. 5/7 Purdue (Jan. 9, 2018) after the Boilermakers' Isaac Haas made a free throw with four seconds left.
• U-M, which is fourth nationally for defensive efficiency, is holding opponents to 55.8 points per game -- the third lowest in the country (Dec. 8). Virginia and Texas Tech are tied for the nation's top spot at 51.2 ppg.
• Michigan is led by a trio of Wolverines -- Ignas Brazdeikis (15.8 ppg), Charles Matthews (14.3 ppg) and Jordan Poole (13.4). The trio has combined for 23 of U-M's 34 double-figure scoring games and all 11 20-plus point games -- Brazdeikis (four), Matthews (four), Poole (three).
• After averaging 7.8 points per game in his opening five games, going 6-for-21 (28.5 percent) from long range, Jordan Poole has found a rhythm scoring in double figures in six straight games, with a pair of 20-plus point games, including a career-best 26 against South Carolina (Dec. 8). In these six games, Poole has averaged 18 ppg and gone 19-for-31 (61.2 percent) from long distance.

From The Stat Sheet

• In 41 games last season, U-M totaled 24 games with a Wolverine scoring 20 points or more. So far through 11 games, the Maize and Blue has 11 -- Ignas Brazdeikis (four), Charles Matthews (four) and Jordan Poole (three).
• Using his fourth career double-digit rebounding game, Charles Matthews recorded his fifth career double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds against Western Michigan (Dec. 15).
• Jordan Poole made six three-pointers in his first five games this season. In the five that followed, he has 19 and leads U-M with 25. He has tied a career best of five, three times -- vs. George Washington, No. 11/13 North Carolina and No. 19/18 Purdue.
• Ignas Brazdeikis (62) and Charles Matthews (59) combine for more than half (121) of U-M's total free-throw attempts on the season (228). The next closest Wolverine is Jon Teske (33).
• Jon Teske leads U-M in rebounding (6.7 rpg) and blocks (2.1 bpg). He adds 8.3 points per game and has posted a career-best-tying 17 points, twice -- vs. Providence and No. 19/18 Purdue.
• Jon Teske has recorded at least one block in 10 of 11 games. This season, he has twice swatted a career-best five shots -- Holy Cross (Nov. 11) and No. 11/13 North Carolina (Nov. 28).
• Scoring 15 points in a win over South Carolina (Dec. 8), Jon Teske posted his fourth double-figure game of the season. Combining his first two seasons, he has had three total double-digit games.
• Zavier Simpson has five assists or more in nine games and leads U-M with 5.8 apg. He adds 7.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest. With his 64 assists, he ranks second in the Big Ten and 36th nationally.
• After grabbing a career-best 11 rebounds vs. George Washington, Simpson posted his first career double-double (14 points, 11 rebounds). He just missed U-M's sixth triple-double as he had eight assists. Overall, he is tied for third on the Wolverines with 4.8 boards per game.
• Eli Brooks has made nine three-pointers this season. He had 10 total his freshman season.