Michigan basketball preps for yet another ranked matchup: ‘It’s why we did this schedule’

[ad_1]

The plan for Michigan basketball coach Dusty May entering the season was to have his team play a non-conference schedule so difficult it prepared them for (ideally) a lengthy NCAA Tournament run come March.

Mission accomplished, at least in terms of the difficulty part.

Michigan Wolverines center Danny Wolf drives past Arkansas Razorbacks forward Trevon Brazile in the second half at Madison Square Garden in New York on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024.

The Wolverines wrap up a stretch of five-of-six games away from Crisler Center on Wednesday in the Jumpman Invitational against still undefeated Oklahoma (10-0) at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte. Michigan women’s team (9-1) is also in the event against No. 11 Oklahoma and gets things started at 9 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN2).

“Extremely well coached basketball team,” May said of Porter Moser’s group last week. “They’re tough, they have very good system on both sides of the ball, play aggressive, play with physicality. … play to their strengths.

“It’s another great test for us and it’s why we did this schedule.”

This is the last big name test of the non-conference for the men’s team, which got its money’s worth the whole way.

After splitting a pair with TCU and Wake Forest, U-M started rolling with a Power Four win against Virginia Tech (75-63), then a victory against perennial March Madness participant Xavier (78-53) in winning the Fort Myers Tip-Off. Michigan brought that momentum into the early stretch of league play when it got a critical road win at then top-15 Wisconsin (67-64) and followed it with a hard-fought home win over a feisty Iowa team (85-83).

LATEST RANKINGS: Michigan tumbles in top 25 college basketball rankings, Michigan State holds

Though the balloon was somewhat deflated after Michigan failed to hold onto a 15-point, first-half lead in what ended as a 89-87 loss to Arkansas at Madison Square Garden, U-M remains in the Top 25 − the Wolverines came in at No. 21 in the latest USA Today Coaches Poll on Monday − and will try to…

[ad_2]
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-basketball-preps-yet-another-111123503.html

Author : Detroit Free Press

Publish date : 2024-12-18 11:11:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.