Michigan
Central Florida
Wolverines to Close Non-Conference Slate with Road Game at Central Florida
12/27/2021 8:49:00 PM | Men's Basketball
» Michigan heads to Orlando to face Central Florida in U-M's non-conference finale.
» The Wolverines will play for the first time in 12 days after the Purdue Fort Wayne game (Dec. 21) was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols within the Mastodons program.
» Thursday's game closes a home-and-home series between U-M and UCF.
» Hunter Dickinson, who leads U-M in scoring and rebounding, has four straight double-doubles.
NEXT GAME
Thursday, Dec. 30 -- at Central Florida, 7 p.m.
• TV: ESPN2 | Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio
• Satellite Radio: Sirius: n/a | XM: 3875 | SXM App: 977
• Yearbook | Record Book | Game Card
• Complete Game Notes (PDF)
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The University of Michigan men's basketball team closes its non-conference and the 2021 calendar year heading to Orlando, Florida for the sixth road game of the preseason at Central Florida (8-2; 1-1 American). Tip off at Addition Financial Arena is scheduled for 7:01 p.m. on ESPN2 with Rich Hollenberg (play-by-play) and Jon Crispin (analyst) on the call.
The Central Florida Knights
• Thursday's game is the second of a home-&-home series. U-M won the first match-up in Ann Arbor with an 80-58 decision last season at Crisler Center.
• Central Florida is 8-2 overall. After winning its first four games, the Knights suffered back-to-back losses to Oklahoma (65-62) and at Auburn (85-68) before rattling off four more wins. UCF is 5-1 at home with the lone loss to the Sooners.
• U-M will face another senior-laden squad as UCF's roster features six seniors and three juniors. The elder group has accounted for 36 percent of the scoring, 37 percent of the rebounding and 53 percent of the assists.
• Like the Wolverines, UCF has had a game canceled due to COVID-19. The Knights' game against in-state rival Florida State on Dec. 18 was called off due to protocols within the Seminole program.
• Central Florida is led by junior guard Darin Green, Jr., who leads with 14.8 points per game and eight games in double figures. He paces the Knights with a team-best 29 three-pointers (40.8 percent) as 60 percent of his offensive attempts are from long range (71 of 119).
• Super senior guard Darius Perry (Louisville transfer) gives UCF two in double figures with his 11.7 per game average. With nearly a third of the team's assists (52), he leads with 5.2 per game, while adding 3.8 rebounds per game.
• Junior forward C.J. Walker (Oregon transfer) posts 9.6 points with a team-best 5.9 rebounds per game. Super senior big man Cheikh Mbacke Diong (UNLV transfer) averages 5.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and leads the team with 18 blocks -- 54 percent of the team's total blocks (33).
• As a team, Central Florida is shooting 79.4 percent from the free throw line, which is good for ninth in the nation. Super senior guard Brandon Mahan (Texas A&M transfer) aids the cause as he is a perfect 24-for-24 on the season. He adds 8.8 points and 3.4 rebounds.
Last Year: U-M Bench Rallies to Beat UCF
• After trailing Central Florida by as much as 12 (28-16) in the first half, Michigan reserves -- Chaundee Brown Jr., Brandon Johns Jr., Hunter Dickinson and Terrance Williams II -- entered and went on a 15-0 run over a five minute stretch to help U-M reclaim the lead and go on to win, 80-58.
• After the 15-0 first-half run, U-M had a second half 20-0 run as the Maize and Blue saw its lead extended to as much as 32. Overall, U-M shot 49.2 percent from the field and hit for 40+ (44) rebounds for a fourth straight game.
• Brown Jr., paced the Wolverines as he had 11 of his team-high 18 points in the first half, draining four three-pointers and grabbing four rebounds and two assists. Dickinson posted a fourth straight double-figure game with 14 points and seven boards. Williams II posted his first career double-figure game with 10 points to go with six boards.
COVID-19 Protocols Adjust Schedule
• Michigan's game with Purdue Fort Wayne -- scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 21 -- was canceled due to internal COVID-19 protocols within the Mastodons program. There are no plans to make the game up.
• With the elimination of the Purdue Fort Wayne game, U-M has had seven games affected by the coronavirus pandemic over the last two seasons.
• Last season, Michigan followed a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) recommendation to pause athletic activities in all sports, including games, team and training sessions due to a positive test for a COVID-19 variant. The 14-day stoppage caused U-M to postpone four regular season Big Ten games.
• Breakdown of COVID-19 affected games:
- Dec. 9, 2020: N.C. State (canceled due to protocols within Wolfpack program; replaced with Toledo)
- Jan. 27, 2021: at Penn State (PSU pause rescheduled from Jan. 9; canceled due to U-M Athletics shutdown)
- Jan. 30, 2021: Indiana (canceled due to U-M Athletics shutdown)
- Feb. 3, 2021: at Northwestern (canceled due to U-M Athletics shutdown)
- Feb. 6, 2021: Michigan State (rescheduled for March 4 due to U-M Athletics shutdown)
- Feb. 11, 2021: Illinois (rescheduled for March 2 due to U-M Athletics shutdown)
- Dec. 21, 2021: Purdue Fort Wayne (canceled due to protocols within Mastodons program)
What You Should Know
• Hunter Dickinson has started 34 straight games and played in all 39 games of his two-year career.
• DeVante' Jones has started his last 68 straight games, while Brandon Johns Jr. has 60 consecutive games played.
• For a second season, Dickinson leads U-M in scoring (15.6) and rebounding (9.1). Eli Brooks is second with 12.6 points per game and Caleb Houstan is third at 10.1.
• Jones has posted back-to-back double figure scoring games with a season-best 14 against Minnesota and then 13 against Southern Utah. He has gone 11-for-18 from the field and 3-for-7 from deep with nine assists (4.5 apg).
• Over his last five games, Houstan has shot 50.0% (13-for-26) from long range.
• Houstan (19) and Brooks (19) have 38 of U-M's 73 three-pointers -- 52.0 percent.
• Houstan (4.3 rpg) has nabbed 32 of his 47 rebounds over his last six games -- 68.1 percent.
• This season, Brooks has gone 24-for-27 (88.9%) from the free throw line. In fact, he is 64-for-71 over (90.1%) over the last two seasons. For his career, Brooks is an 80 percent free throw shooter (80.8%; 110-for-136).
• Right behind Brooks is Houstan, who is 20-for-24 (83.3%) from the free throw line.
• Jones leads U-M in assists with 39 (3.9 apg). Recently, he tied his season-best with eight assists at Nebraska (Dec. 7) -- his first eight dime game was vs. UNLV (Nov. 19) at the Roman Main Event in Las Vegas.
• In 28 games last season, Dickinson had 25 total assists. This season (11 games), he already has 22, including a career-best-tying four against Seton Hall (Nov. 16). He has six games of 3+ assists.
• Dickinson has grabbed 10+ rebounds in his last four games, leading to four straight double-doubles. In fact, he has 10+ boards in five of his last sixgames, with a season-best 14 against San Diego State (Dec. 4)
• Moussa Diabate, who is second on U-M with 5.8 rpg, has nearly evenly split his rebounding (22 offensive, 36 defensive). He posted his first career 10+ board game with 13 against Minnesota (Dec. 11).
• Dickinson (12) and Diabate (10) have 22 of 36 blocks -- 61.1 percent.
A Michigan win would...
• Help Juwan Howard win his 50th career game at U-M; the fastest coach to 50 wins (71 games).
• Help U-M closes its non-conference season with a 7-3 record.
• Help U-M improve to 2-1 in true road games; 4-2 with neutral games added.
• Give Eli Brooks his 113th career win -- most at U-M and best among Big Ten players.
