After playing with No. 1 Duke for nearly 35 minutes Wednesday, IU heads to Michigan for its first Big Ten Conference game of the season at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
Here’s what to expect from Michigan:
Offensive rebounding
Michigan’s junior forward Moritz Wagner currently has the fourth-best defensive rebounding percentage in the nation at 33.9-percent. He has done a good job this season at limiting the opposing team on the offensive glass.
On the other hand, IU has the 40th best offensive rebounding percentage in the country. Against Duke, IU had 13 offensive rebounds with senior forward Collin Hartman and junior forward Juwan Morgan both having three offensive rebounds Wednesday.
With IU’s struggles from three-point range this season, the Hoosiers need to have success on the offensive glass and get second chance points. IU will have to find a way to limit Wagner’s rebounding ability
Michigan doesn’t turn the ball over
The Wolverines have the tenth-lowest turnover percentage in the country. That low-number helps with Michigan’s efficient offense as Coach John Beilien consistently has good offenses wherever he goes.
IU doesn’t have a high steal rate defensively, therefore IU will likely have to defend against the Wolverines in the half court for most of the game.
Michigan's duo of senior guard Duncan Robinson and sophomore Charles Matthews lead the Wolverines offense. Matthews, who is a Kentucky transfer, has a high assist rate, while Robinson has a low turnover percentage.
Even without getting to the line, Michigan has an efficient offense
So far this season, Michigan has struggled to get to the free throw line. The Wolverines free throw to field goal attempt rate of 24.4 is the 328nd in the country. Only 12.9 percent of their points come from the free throw line.
After sophomore forward De’Ron Davis struggled with foul trouble in games against Seton Hall and Duke, this isn’t a matchup where the opponent will get any IU player in foul trouble.
Michigan allows a high percentage from three
Currently ranking as nearly the worst team in the country in opponent’s three-point percentage, teams are currently shooting 41.3 percent from three against the Wolverines. However, IU has struggled to shoot from deep this season as the Hoosiers are shooting 33.3 percent from deep, which ranks 214th in country.
Against the Blue Devils, the Hoosiers consistently missed open three-pointers and went five of 21 from three. Going into Big Ten play, this is a crucial area for IU to work on improving and the first chance to is against one of the worst three-point defenses in the conference.
Both teams are great around the rim
While neither team is great shooting for three, from two, both teams have a high two-point percentage. IU has the 15th best in the nation and Michigan has the 21st best in the country. Both teams are effective down low because of their respective big men.
Wagner is shooting 67.3 percent from two-point range, while Davis is shooting 75.6 percent from two, which is 36th in the country. IU senior guard Robert Johnson has struggled from three so far this season, but he’s shooting 61.0 percent from two and Morgan is shooting 63.4 percent from two.
