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thewolverines24
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This weekend of college basketball isn’t short on high-profile matchups — Wisconsin-Purdue, Duke-North Carolina, Houston-Kansas, and Tennessee-Kentucky are among the headliners — but above all others, there will also be what can only be described as the equivalent of Tyson vs Ali in their prime!
The Wolverines host the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (Saturday, 4:00 p.m., BTN) in a battle to get out of last place between two teams that don’t have many better chances to win games left on the schedule. Can you feel the untethered excitement coursing through every nerve in your body?!
KEYS
Bad offense vs. bad defense: Michigan’s defense and Rutgers’ offense push the limits of ineptitude. Something has to give, but I don’t have any clue what that will be. I’ve written a few times that it feels like Michigan’s defense provides a similar level of resistance to what an opponent would see in a walkthrough. I’m not convinced that Rutgers makes shots in its walkthroughs.
Don’t turn it over (LOL): Rutgers forces turnovers more than once every five possessions and leads the country in non-steal turnover rate. Michigan hasn’t been great at valuing the basketball and will have to adjust to running offense against length and athleticism at multiple spots.
Hit residual action: Rutgers has always had a defense that isn’t afraid to over-help against ball screens or trap the post. That means the offensive key is having the patience to make the correct read and then hitting the open shots that result from those passes.
BOTTOM LINE
This one is for all the glory!
The Wolverines host the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (Saturday, 4:00 p.m., BTN) in a battle to get out of last place between two teams that don’t have many better chances to win games left on the schedule. Can you feel the untethered excitement coursing through every nerve in your body?!
KEYS
Bad offense vs. bad defense: Michigan’s defense and Rutgers’ offense push the limits of ineptitude. Something has to give, but I don’t have any clue what that will be. I’ve written a few times that it feels like Michigan’s defense provides a similar level of resistance to what an opponent would see in a walkthrough. I’m not convinced that Rutgers makes shots in its walkthroughs.
Don’t turn it over (LOL): Rutgers forces turnovers more than once every five possessions and leads the country in non-steal turnover rate. Michigan hasn’t been great at valuing the basketball and will have to adjust to running offense against length and athleticism at multiple spots.
Hit residual action: Rutgers has always had a defense that isn’t afraid to over-help against ball screens or trap the post. That means the offensive key is having the patience to make the correct read and then hitting the open shots that result from those passes.
BOTTOM LINE
This one is for all the glory!