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University of North Carolina Athletics
Know Your Opponent: Michigan
November 29, 2017 | Men's Basketball
By Bobby Hundley
Michigan (MGoBlue.com)
Location: Ann Arbor, Mich.
Rankings: Michigan - No. 41 KenPom, NR AP; UNC - No. 13 KenPom, No. 13 AP
Records: Michigan - 6-1; UNC - 5-1
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): UNC leads 3-2 (Carolina 77, Michigan 71, April 5, 1993, New Orleans Superdome)
Wednesday's contest pits Carolina against one of the most unique offenses in college basketball. Under John Beilein, Michigan (and West Virginia and Richmond and Canisius and LeMoyne before that) has attacked from beyond the 3-point arc as consistently as any high-major team in the country. The Wolverines have attempted at least 40 percent of their field goals from the outside in 10 of Beilein's 11 seasons at the helm, including this year's squad which has launched 43.5 percent of its shots from deep so far.
Beilein's offense is not just about shooting 3s, however (this 2012 Michigan Daily feature is recommended reading). It's about constant movement and creating advantages for the offense based on what the defense concedes. So while defending the outside shot is critical, so is not being victimized by screens and backdoor passes leading to open layups.Â
Michigan went 2-1 at the Maui Invitational, but the Wolverines lost a 9-point lead with 5:11 left in the quarterfinal game against LSU, preventing possible matchups with Notre Dame and Wichita State in the winner's bracket. Instead, U-M scored wins over Chaminade and a quality VCU team before returning home to rout UC Riverside by 45. Carolina will be Michigan's first ranked opponent of the year and possibly its last until January.
Sophomore Charles Matthews leads four Wolverines in double figures, and he has been U-M's top inside scorer (33 of his 38 makes are 2s). Moritz Wagner is Michigan's best rebounder and second-leading scorer, but the 6-11 German is also comfortable stepping outside to shoot it. Seniors Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Duncan Robinson have attempted the most 3s on the team, and the 6-8 Robinson can be a matchup problem on the wing. Eli Brooks and Zavier Simpson share point guard duties, with the freshman Brooks recently moving to the starting lineup, pushing Simpson to a sixth man role.
The Big Ten conference tournament is a week earlier in 2018, meaning that there are no "open" dates in the schedule. The result is a league slate that begins on Dec. 2 (and you thought ACC play started early) with a Saturday-Monday home double against Indiana and Ohio State. Separating from the middle of the B1G pack will go a long way toward a third straight NCAA bid for the Wolverines.
Michigan (MGoBlue.com)
Location: Ann Arbor, Mich.
Rankings: Michigan - No. 41 KenPom, NR AP; UNC - No. 13 KenPom, No. 13 AP
Records: Michigan - 6-1; UNC - 5-1
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): UNC leads 3-2 (Carolina 77, Michigan 71, April 5, 1993, New Orleans Superdome)
Wednesday's contest pits Carolina against one of the most unique offenses in college basketball. Under John Beilein, Michigan (and West Virginia and Richmond and Canisius and LeMoyne before that) has attacked from beyond the 3-point arc as consistently as any high-major team in the country. The Wolverines have attempted at least 40 percent of their field goals from the outside in 10 of Beilein's 11 seasons at the helm, including this year's squad which has launched 43.5 percent of its shots from deep so far.
Beilein's offense is not just about shooting 3s, however (this 2012 Michigan Daily feature is recommended reading). It's about constant movement and creating advantages for the offense based on what the defense concedes. So while defending the outside shot is critical, so is not being victimized by screens and backdoor passes leading to open layups.Â
Michigan went 2-1 at the Maui Invitational, but the Wolverines lost a 9-point lead with 5:11 left in the quarterfinal game against LSU, preventing possible matchups with Notre Dame and Wichita State in the winner's bracket. Instead, U-M scored wins over Chaminade and a quality VCU team before returning home to rout UC Riverside by 45. Carolina will be Michigan's first ranked opponent of the year and possibly its last until January.
Sophomore Charles Matthews leads four Wolverines in double figures, and he has been U-M's top inside scorer (33 of his 38 makes are 2s). Moritz Wagner is Michigan's best rebounder and second-leading scorer, but the 6-11 German is also comfortable stepping outside to shoot it. Seniors Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Duncan Robinson have attempted the most 3s on the team, and the 6-8 Robinson can be a matchup problem on the wing. Eli Brooks and Zavier Simpson share point guard duties, with the freshman Brooks recently moving to the starting lineup, pushing Simpson to a sixth man role.
The Big Ten conference tournament is a week earlier in 2018, meaning that there are no "open" dates in the schedule. The result is a league slate that begins on Dec. 2 (and you thought ACC play started early) with a Saturday-Monday home double against Indiana and Ohio State. Separating from the middle of the B1G pack will go a long way toward a third straight NCAA bid for the Wolverines.
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