Michigan to Head to West Lafayette for Battle With No. 4 Purdue

» Michigan closes the week heading to Mackey Arena to take on No. 4 Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind.
» The game will be the first of two against Purdue ni 10 days, as U-M hosts the Boilermakers on Feb. 10, which is the makeup date for their Jan. 11 contest which was postponed due to U-M COVID protocols.
» Hunter Dickinson has scored 20+ points in five of his last six games and leads U-M in scoring (17.5) and rebounding (8.2).

• Complete Game Notes (PDF)

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The University of Michigan men's basketball team (11-8, 5-4 Big Ten) closes the week heading to West Lafayette, Ind, to square off with No. 4 Purdue at Mackey Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Fox with Tim Brando (play-by-play) and Nick Bahe (analyst) on the call.

The Scene Setter

• Michigan and Purdue will play the first of two meetings over a 10-day span. Originally, U-M was set to host the Boilermakers on Jan. 11, but the game was postponed following COVID protocols within the Wolverine program. That game has been rescheduled for Feb. 10.

• Already road warriors (10 games), U-M plays four of its next six Big Ten games away from Ann Arbor. So far, the Wolverines have a 4-6 record in road contests.

• Caleb Houstan and Purdue's Zach Edey were teammates on Team Canada, which earned the bronze medal in the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup (Latvia); just the second medal in its World Cup history.

• Hunter Dickinson has scored 20 points or more in five of his last six games (21.8 ppg, 60.7 percent shooting). He leads the Wolverines with 17.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.

• Over his last six games, Dickinson is 25-for-30 (83.3 percent) on free throws. In his prior 12 games, he went 17-for-26 (65.4 percent).

• DeVante' Jones scored a season-best 18 points in his last game, giving him seven of his nine double-digit scoring games over a 10-game span.

The No. 4 Purdue Boilermakers

• Purdue's offense is one of the more dominant in the country as the Boilermakers are fourth nationally in scoring (84.6 points per game), second in three-point percentage (41.62 percent), third in field-goal percentage (50.7), sixth in assists (18.3), eighth in scoring margin (+16.3) and 10th in free-throw attempts (472; 21.4 per game). With 40.1 rebounds per game, Purdue holds an +11.7 advantage on its opponents, which is second in the nation.

• The Boilermakers have five different players with 20 or more three-pointers as well as five different Boilermakers with 40+ assists.

• Purdue is led by Jaden Ivey's team-best 17.0 points per game. He has 18 double-figure games with seven with 20 points or more, including three of his last four. He adds 5.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and a team-best 24 steals.

• Down low, Purdue is led by 7-foor-4 center Zach Edey and 6-foot-10 forward Trevion Williams. Leading the nation shooting 70.2 percent, Edey averages 15.0 points and 7.5 rebounds. Williams adds 12.1 points and a team-best 8.2 rebounds. Both average nearly 3.0 offensive boards and combine for 42 of 79 blocked shots.

• In addition to his play down low, Williams is second with 68 assists (3.1 apg). He has 12 games of 3+ assists, with a season-best nine vs. N.C. State (Dec. 12).

• Recently making his 200th career three-pointer, Sasha Stefanovic has a team-best 61 long-range buckets helping him to 12.3 points per game. He is shooting 42.1 percent from deep. For the season, 88 percent of his shots (145-for-165) have come from beyond the arc. He leads Purdue with 83 assists (3.8 apg).

Breaking Down Hunter Dickinson

• For a second straight season, Hunter Dickinson leads U-M in scoring (17.5) and rebounding (8.2). Last season as a consensus All-America second teamer, he led U-M with 14.1 points (first frosh since 2018-19; Ignas Brazdeikis) and 7.4 rebounds (first frosh since 2012-13; Mitch McGary).

• Dickinson has 15 double-figure games with a team-best eight 20+ point games, including a season-best 27 against Buffalo (Nov. 10) in the season opener. He has had 20+ points in six of his last eight games. The last Wolverine to average more than 17 points in a season was Nik Stauskas (17.5 ppg) during 2013-14, when he guided U-M to the Big Ten title and was named the Big Ten Player of the Year.

• Dickinson has a team-best six games of 10+ rebounds, which has led to his team-best five double-doubles. The last Wolverine to average more than 8+ rebounds in a season was LaVell Blanchard (8.4 rpg) during the 2000-01 season.

• Dickinson had 25 assists (0.9 apg) in 28 games last season. This season (18 games), he has 40 (2.2 apg), including a career-best six against Maryland (Jan. 18). He has eight games of 3+ dimes.

• Dickinson has a team-best six games with 10+ field goals and is shooting 59.5 percent from the field, which is fourth in the Big Ten and 20th nationally. Purdue's Zach Edey (70.4%) leads the nation and Big Ten.

U-M's Rookie International Duo

• Not only did Caleb Houstan (Canada) and Moussa Diabate (France) battle during their prep days in Florida and become roommates in Ann Arbor, but they have continued their impact in the first year with the Wolverines.

• Starting all 19 games, Houstan leads U-M with 32 three-pointers and is averaging 10.5 points per game, third on the team.

• Houstan has made 3+ three-pointers in six games, including three of his last five games with a career-best five at Indiana (Jan. 23). He has tallied 10 double-figure games with a career-best 19 at Indiana.

• Moussa Diabate has continued to clean the glass as he is second on the team with 6.3 per game. He has had 5+ boards in his last 10 games, including a career-best 13 against Minnesota (Dec. 11). Overall, he has 15 games of 5+ boards.

• In addition to his board work, Diabate has slowly improved his scoring with his 9.0 points per game. He has posted five double-figure games in his last eight games, with a career-best 15 points at Rutgers (Jan. 4).

Breaking Down the Elder Statesman

• Behind Hunter Dickinson's team-leading 17.5 points per game, Eli Brooks is second with an 11.8 points-per-game average and has posted 14 games in double figures, which sets a new single-season career best. He had 13 double-figure games in each of his last two seasons.

• Brooks has started his last 76 games. However, they are not technically consecutive as he has missed two games -- one (Wisconsin, Feb. 27, 2020) due to after effects of a broken nose and another (at Minnesota, Jan. 16, 2021) due to a foot injury. For his career, he has made 88 starts.

• This season, Brooks has gone 36-for-41 (87.8 percent) from the free-throw line. He is 76-for-85 (89.4 percent) over his last two seasons and for his career is shooting 81.3 percent (122-for-150).

Brooks is second on the team with 55 assists (2.9 per game), behind DeVante' Jones' 73(4.3 apg).

Up Next

Tuesday, Feb. 8 -- at Penn State (State College, Pa.), 9 p.m.