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thewolverines24
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Michigan and Eastern Michigan will square off for the second year in a row after last year?s Emoni Bates Showcase at Little Caesars Arena. This year?s game will have less fanfare and is scheduled for a mid-Saturday afternoon after final exams in Ann Arbor (Sat., 2:30 p.m., BTN), with most of the noise focused on off-the-court drama this week. It'll be nice to get back to talking actual basketball instead of overblown rumors about, what has been made to sound like, two coaches getting heated with each other for the first time in human history.
KEYS
Defend the ball (Tyson Acuff): Michigan?s perimeter defense will be tested in this one because Tyson Acuff can excel at getting in the paint. He had 10 points and four assists in last year?s meeting, but that was with Noah Farrakhan and Emoni Bates taking every shot and, for all intents and purposes, having their way with Michigan?s defense. It will be interesting to see how U-M divvies up defensive assignments because Acuff is a bigger guard at 6-foot-4 but EMU surrounds him with players who are mostly 6-foot-6 or taller. Does that leave Dug McDaniel or Nimari Burnett to slow down Acuff? If it isn?t McDaniel, who does he guard?
Under a point-per-possession defense: Michigan has held its opposition under a point-per-possession once in ten games this year. That?s not good enough against any competition, and this is an opportunity to try to start a new trend defensively.
Back of rotation progress: This is the last chance to make some strides with the back half of the rotation, whether it is starters who have been up and down like Tarris Reed Jr., rotation guys who have struggled like Tray Jackson, or outside of the rotation guys who haven?t got on the floor (George Washington III and Youssef Khayat). There could be at least some opportunities in this one for some on-the-job progress.
Back of rotation progress: This is the last chance to make some strides with the back half of the rotation, whether it is starters who have been up and down like Tarris Reed Jr., rotation guys who have struggled like Tray Jackson, or outside of the rotation guys who haven?t got on the floor (George Washington III and Youssef Khayat). There could be at least some opportunities in this one for some on-the-job progress.
BOTTOM LINE
The only reason this isn?t an open-and-shut game preview is that Michigan lost the last time it played a team this bad (Central Michigan, a year ago), Michigan lost the last buy game it played (Long Beach State, a month ago), and Michigan almost lost the last time it played Eastern Michigan.
The Wolverines will be favored by at least 20 points when the line drops and KenPom pegs it at 83-63 with a 97% chance of victory.
GO BLUE!
KEYS
Defend the ball (Tyson Acuff): Michigan?s perimeter defense will be tested in this one because Tyson Acuff can excel at getting in the paint. He had 10 points and four assists in last year?s meeting, but that was with Noah Farrakhan and Emoni Bates taking every shot and, for all intents and purposes, having their way with Michigan?s defense. It will be interesting to see how U-M divvies up defensive assignments because Acuff is a bigger guard at 6-foot-4 but EMU surrounds him with players who are mostly 6-foot-6 or taller. Does that leave Dug McDaniel or Nimari Burnett to slow down Acuff? If it isn?t McDaniel, who does he guard?
Under a point-per-possession defense: Michigan has held its opposition under a point-per-possession once in ten games this year. That?s not good enough against any competition, and this is an opportunity to try to start a new trend defensively.
Back of rotation progress: This is the last chance to make some strides with the back half of the rotation, whether it is starters who have been up and down like Tarris Reed Jr., rotation guys who have struggled like Tray Jackson, or outside of the rotation guys who haven?t got on the floor (George Washington III and Youssef Khayat). There could be at least some opportunities in this one for some on-the-job progress.
Back of rotation progress: This is the last chance to make some strides with the back half of the rotation, whether it is starters who have been up and down like Tarris Reed Jr., rotation guys who have struggled like Tray Jackson, or outside of the rotation guys who haven?t got on the floor (George Washington III and Youssef Khayat). There could be at least some opportunities in this one for some on-the-job progress.
BOTTOM LINE
The only reason this isn?t an open-and-shut game preview is that Michigan lost the last time it played a team this bad (Central Michigan, a year ago), Michigan lost the last buy game it played (Long Beach State, a month ago), and Michigan almost lost the last time it played Eastern Michigan.
The Wolverines will be favored by at least 20 points when the line drops and KenPom pegs it at 83-63 with a 97% chance of victory.
GO BLUE!
