Next time Michigan basketball if the court comes forward, it will represent a different type of test.
The No. 19 Wolverines travel to Minneapolis for Thursday’s clash at “the barn” against Minnesota, the league’s doormat so far in 2024-25.
While conventional wisdom would suggest that UM (13-3, 5-0 Big Ten) should handle this game just fine, coach Dusty May has been around the block one too many times to more or less think about this match. than any other championship match.
Instead, he implored his team to approach the game the same way they had in the first five league matches; all against teams with winning records, many of which, like UCLA and Wisconsin, were intent on competing for league supremacy.
“I hope they keep their heads and are as excited about playing this game as they would be if Minnesota was 6-0,” May said of expectations for his team. “Just starting a game, (Minnesota) had some tough breaks…they played well enough to win several games, but the margin is small for all of us.”
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It’s even smaller for Ben Johnson (no, not the Lions’ offensive coordinator) and his Gophers, who, after starting the year 5-1, have lost eight of their last 11 games to fall below .500.
Frankly, there’s not much that Minnesota (8-9, 0-6 Big Ten) does well. As a team, the Gophers are #97 in turnover rate (16.2%), #170 in 2-point shooting (51.0%), #233 from long range (32.2%) , No. 201 in effective overall investment. (50.2) and are particularly bad from the free throw line (63.3%), No. 350 nationally.
Fifth-year forward Dawson Garcia is back for a third season in Minneapolis and is putting up big numbers with 18.6 points and 7.3 rebounds on 49.0% field goals and 36.9% from long range, but the Minnesota has only two other players averaging over eight points per game. game.
They are senior Mike Mitchell, who scores 11.3 points per game on impressive long-range shooting (41.0%), and fifth-year Charlotte transfer Lu’Cye Patterson; although his 10.6 points per game were rather inefficient while shooting just 33.2% from the floor and 25.3% from long range.
On the other side of the ball, Minnesota is #82 in 2-point defense (47.9%), #95 in defensive efficiency (102.0), #112 in effective field goals against (48.9) ; numbers that should probably be better given that this is the ninth most experienced roster by age (average D-1 experience of 3.04 years).
As for Michigan, May wants her team to focus on itself and not get too far ahead as it begins to climb in the polls or as its winning streak stretches to nearly a half-dozen of matches. Additionally, UM has its own minor concerns, such as the health of Danny Wolf who appeared to twist his ankle during the Wolverines’ 91-75 win over Washington over the weekend.
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He is expected to play, although it is too early to say one way or the other.
“Right now, just day to day,” May said of his status Monday. “He came back and made a three, so he looked good a few minutes later.”
While the Wolverines have been impressive in away games, going a perfect 3-0 as a away team against Wisconsin, USC and UCLA, UM’s three losses have took place outside the Crisler Center, all on neutral sites: against Arkansas in NYC, against Wake Forest in Greensboro, North Carolina or against Oklahoma in Charlotte.
May said teams need defense and rebounding to travel on the road, two things UM has done well, ranked No. 30 in offensive rebounding (35.8%) and No. 18 in defensive efficiency ( 94.8).
This time, Michigan will also have to show the right mentality and not overlook a team that took Purdue and Maryland on the road in the second half and pushed Ohio State to double overtime before losing by 1.
“(Minnesota is) a good basketball team that just hasn’t found a way to win,” May said. “If we don’t go in there thinking that it’s going to be 40 minutes of fight, of intensity and that we have to play really, really well, then we’re going to come away from there with a loss.”
Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on @RealTonyGarcia.
This article was originally published on Detroit Free Press: Michigan Basketball vs. Minnesota Prediction: A New Type of Test
