The Indiana University men’s basketball team travels to Ann Arbor, Michigan to face the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday. The tipoff is at 12:30 and the game will be broadcast on CBS. This is a rare Big Ten game being played in December to accommodate the Big Ten tournament in March, which is being played a week earlier than normal in New York City at Madison Square Garden. Michigan is 6-2 on the season while Indiana stands at 4-3. Michigan is currently ranked 44th in the KenPom rankings while Indiana is 80th.
THE SERIES
The Hoosiers own a decisive 107-59 lead in the series which began in 1918. Michigan has a three-game winning streak in the series. Last year the Wolverines won both games, 90-60 at Michigan, and 75-63 in Bloomington.
THE HEAD COACH
Michigan is led by head coach John Beilein who is in his 11th year as the Wolverines head coach. He has a career record of 697-412, and is 221-137 at Michigan.
NOTEWORTHY WINS AND LOSSES
The Wolverines have played three teams thus far in the KenPom top 150:
- A 77-75 LOSS vs. LSU at Maui
- A 68-60 WIN vs. VCU at Maui
- A 86-71 LOSS @ North Carolina
KEY PLAYER DEPARTURES FROM 2016-17
- Zak Irvin
- Derrick Walton
- D.J. Wilson
- Mark Donnal
STATISTICAL LEADERS
- Leading Scorers
- Charles Matthews (6-6 junior guard) – 16.1 ppg (transfer from Kentucky)
- Moritz Wagner (6-11 junior forward) – 15.9 ppg
- Duncan Robinson (6-8 senior guard) – 11.8 ppg
- Muhammed-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (6-4 senior guard) – 9.9 ppg
- Leading Rebounders
- Wagner – 8.6 rpg
- Matthews – 4.9 rpg
- Assist Leaders
- Matthews – 4.0 apg
- Abdur-Rahkman – 3.8 apg
TEAM STATISTICS (RANKINGS) – OUTLIERS IN BOLD
- Scoring offense 77.8 (146)
- Scoring defense 63.4 (43)
- Scoring margin 14.4 (63)
- Rebounding margin 1.1 (189)
- Assists per game 16.5 (65)
- Blocked shots per game 4 (104)
- Steals per game 7.6 (82)
- Turnover margin 4.8 (30)
- Assist turnover ratio 1.78 (5)
- Field goal percentage 49.1 (51)
- Field goal percentage defense 43.9 (202)
- Three point field goals per game 9.5 (57)
- Three point field goal percentage 35.3 (170)
- Free throw percentage 66.7 (261)
Photo credit – AFP