Michigan ventures on the road for their second true road game of the season, and first Big Ten road test. Northwestern has taken the last three home games over Michigan and will hope to run that streak to a fourth one. The two teams will duke it on Tuesday night, the fourth, at 9 P.M. Michigan is now up to the fifth in the AP Poll, and will hope to validate that against the Wildcats.
Northwestern -- An Overview:
The Wildcats have started the season off 6-2, but fell to the Indiana Hoosiers by two points in a heartbreaking loss at Assembly Hall. Chris Collins' team have bounced back nicely from a tough blowout loss against Fresno State with a blowout victory the next day against Utah. They also won their ACC-Big Ten Challenge match-up with Georgia Tech at home. They are 4-0 at home, with Georgia Tech being the marquee victory. The Yellow Jackets were able to press their way back from a thirty-point deficit and only lose by seven, and that in itself exposed a bit of weakness in the Wildcats. Still, with the taste of defeat in their mouths after their game against Indiana, they will hope to keep up their winning ways at home.
Starting Five:
Four of Northwestern's five starters average over thirty minutes per game, and all four average in double figures. Perhaps none, though, are more important than 6'7" senior wing Vic Law. Already a strong defensive player, and named to the All-Big Ten Defensive Team in 2016-17, Law has gained a bigger chunk of the important shots with the graduation of Scottie Lindsey and Bryant McIntosh. Law is averaging 17.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game this season. His field-goal percentage is up from last year's 41.8% to 46.5%, this is largely due to his increased efforts from three as his percentage has gone from 38.3% last season to 44.7% over these eight games. That 17.8 point average is 5.6 more per game than last season as well. It's been all about maintaining consistency for Law, the leading shot-taker, who is yet to score under thirteen points this season, capping out with 26 points against American in the second game of the season. He is a tough mix of a good driver, good shooter, and excellent defender. I expect him to give Michigan headaches, and Charles Matthews to draw his number on defense.
When it comes to secondary scorers, number two has to be senior Ryan Taylor. Taylor is a 6'5" grad transfer who joins Northwestern from Evansville, where he led the conference (the Missouri Valley) in scoring with 21.4 points per game. He was Evansville's number one last season, but Taylor is averaging 13.4 points per game so far, good for third on the team. He's been tabbed as an "elite shot-maker" by his coach, but his three-point shooting has been off the mark this season. He's shooting just 31% over the first eight games (18-for-58) but has a two-point mark that is 10.2 points higher than last season. Additionally, when it comes to his threes, six have come in the opener against New Orleans, another four came in the blowout victory over winless La Salle, and another four came in the win over Georgia Tech. In the rest of the games, he is a combined 4-for-26. When on, he is on, but if he's cold, there's only been one of those five games that he scored in double figures. Controlling his outside shooting has to be key for the Michigan defense on Taylor.
In the paint, 6'8" senior Dererk Pardon is the man in charge. His 61.9% field-goal percentage set the single-season record at Northwestern, and he is hoping to follow it up with an even bigger year. His percentage is, thus far, even higher, at 63.5%. Pardon is averaging 13.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game and has yet to drop out of double figure points this season. He had an eighteen rebound game against American and has four double-doubles so far this season. He's even stepped outside a bit, taking four threes, and making one. Pardon is a player that Northwestern have been pleased with all throughout his career and his rise has corresponding with the building-up of the Wildcats under Collins. This looks to be the most physical battle that Jon Teske will face up to this point of the season, and he will need to respond with strength against the high-percentage smaller man.
The fourth of the key starters for the Wildcats is A.J. Turner. A native of Mt. Clemens, Turner spent two years at Boston College before transferring to the Wildcats after sitting out last season. He's a 6'7" redshirt junior that adds more smarts to this side. Turner came off the bench the first two games of the season, but eventually Collins decided to simply start his transfer swingman. Turner is averaging an even ten points per game, but his turnover numbers have taken a leap while his assists have dropped just a touch. Turner is trusted by Collins and is leading the Wildcats in minutes per game with 32. He's been cold from deep, at 18.5% he's just 5-for-27 from deep.
The final starter is freshman Miller Kopp. Kopp is a 6'7" freshman who is averaging exactly thirteen minutes per game. He's an inside-and-out winger who is shooting better from deep (46.7%) than from inside the arc (32%). Much of this, I would imagine, is a result of trying to adjust himself as a freshman into the college game. He's averaging just over five points per game and just under two rebounds. His release from deep is smooth and he certainly would figure to threaten more from outside rather than on the interior. For that reason, I think you could see a player like Jordan Poole more likely to cover him than Ignas Brazdeikis, though between those two and Kopp and Turner on Northwestern, it is a bit of a toss-up in terms of who guards who.
Bench Rundown:
Anthony Gaines is the main man off the bench and fifth leading minute-getter. Standing 6'4", Gaines, a sophomore, is seeing just over 23 minutes per game. Gaines is more of a driving guard than a shooter, highlighted by just three takes from deep. He played a substantial amount when Law and McIntosh were injured last season, and that has allowed him to gain more confidence and come into this season ready to contribute. He figures to be one of the main pieces for the Wildcats next season, but right now he is a strong bench presence averaging 4.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He could be a handful with his tough and quick moves to the rim.
The next key man off the bench is another of Northwestern's heralded freshmen, Pete Nance. Ranked four spots ahead of Kopp in the RSCI Top 100 of 2018, Nance is 6'10" and was even recruited heavily by Michigan. His size, three-point stroke, and athleticism, combined with his pedigree of a professional playing father and brother, make him a fantastic project. He's seeing just under thirteen minutes per game and averages almost four points per game. He's 31.3% from long range (five-for-sixteen) but should be able to improve with experience over the season. He is definitely one to keep a watch for in the future.
There are three more players to keep an eye on for the Wildcats off the bench: Ryan Greer, Jordan Ash, and Barret Benson. Starting with Greer, he has missed the last two games and figures to be questionable for the game tomorrow. He's a 6'2" freshman point guard still doing his best to carve out a role within the side. Ash, a 6'3" senior, was the starter in the first two games in place of Taylor. Ash needed knee surgery last season and does not figure to be scoring too frequently, but he offers good energy coming off the bench. Benson, a 6'10" junior, can spell Pardon (or Nance) at the center position with a bit more power than Nance, but more technique than Pardon. He is seeing similar minutes this season as his first two with the Wildcats, but is up in both points (2.6) and rebounds (3.6) per game.
Pre-Game Thoughts:
This seems to be the definition of a trap game for this Wolverines side. A late weekday game against a side that has beaten Michigan the past three times on the road with lots of length and wing players. We've seen them handle that sort of length against Providence, and North Carolina presented some similar issues, all with a bit more athleticism than the Wildcats. Still, Billy Donlon is a former Michigan assistant and may still have a bit of added insight. Additionally, teams like Northwestern with multiple scorers should be able to find a bit more joy against Michigan than a team like Purdue, with only one true scorer. This worries me a bit more, but Michigan has the talent to stick with them. Last year, Michigan went unbelievably cold in both games against the Wildcats. The offense seems to be clicking right now for the Wolverines, the hope will be that Northwestern is unable to stop it.
In terms of impact players, I think Charles Matthews needs to come up big for Michigan. He will be tasked with shutting down Vic Law and also need (likely) to score while defended by him. If they battle to a wash, then it is up to the rest of the side to cover for that. If Matthews, however, can win his match-up on both offense and defense, then that's a huge advantage for Michigan. For the Wildcats, the key player for me will be Dererk Pardon. Pardon has been very good all season, but Jon Teske's level of play on both offense and defense has been massively stepped up. It will be Pardon's high field goal percentage up against Teske's phenomenal defensive ability.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well!
Northwestern -- An Overview:
The Wildcats have started the season off 6-2, but fell to the Indiana Hoosiers by two points in a heartbreaking loss at Assembly Hall. Chris Collins' team have bounced back nicely from a tough blowout loss against Fresno State with a blowout victory the next day against Utah. They also won their ACC-Big Ten Challenge match-up with Georgia Tech at home. They are 4-0 at home, with Georgia Tech being the marquee victory. The Yellow Jackets were able to press their way back from a thirty-point deficit and only lose by seven, and that in itself exposed a bit of weakness in the Wildcats. Still, with the taste of defeat in their mouths after their game against Indiana, they will hope to keep up their winning ways at home.
Starting Five:
Four of Northwestern's five starters average over thirty minutes per game, and all four average in double figures. Perhaps none, though, are more important than 6'7" senior wing Vic Law. Already a strong defensive player, and named to the All-Big Ten Defensive Team in 2016-17, Law has gained a bigger chunk of the important shots with the graduation of Scottie Lindsey and Bryant McIntosh. Law is averaging 17.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game this season. His field-goal percentage is up from last year's 41.8% to 46.5%, this is largely due to his increased efforts from three as his percentage has gone from 38.3% last season to 44.7% over these eight games. That 17.8 point average is 5.6 more per game than last season as well. It's been all about maintaining consistency for Law, the leading shot-taker, who is yet to score under thirteen points this season, capping out with 26 points against American in the second game of the season. He is a tough mix of a good driver, good shooter, and excellent defender. I expect him to give Michigan headaches, and Charles Matthews to draw his number on defense.
When it comes to secondary scorers, number two has to be senior Ryan Taylor. Taylor is a 6'5" grad transfer who joins Northwestern from Evansville, where he led the conference (the Missouri Valley) in scoring with 21.4 points per game. He was Evansville's number one last season, but Taylor is averaging 13.4 points per game so far, good for third on the team. He's been tabbed as an "elite shot-maker" by his coach, but his three-point shooting has been off the mark this season. He's shooting just 31% over the first eight games (18-for-58) but has a two-point mark that is 10.2 points higher than last season. Additionally, when it comes to his threes, six have come in the opener against New Orleans, another four came in the blowout victory over winless La Salle, and another four came in the win over Georgia Tech. In the rest of the games, he is a combined 4-for-26. When on, he is on, but if he's cold, there's only been one of those five games that he scored in double figures. Controlling his outside shooting has to be key for the Michigan defense on Taylor.
In the paint, 6'8" senior Dererk Pardon is the man in charge. His 61.9% field-goal percentage set the single-season record at Northwestern, and he is hoping to follow it up with an even bigger year. His percentage is, thus far, even higher, at 63.5%. Pardon is averaging 13.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game and has yet to drop out of double figure points this season. He had an eighteen rebound game against American and has four double-doubles so far this season. He's even stepped outside a bit, taking four threes, and making one. Pardon is a player that Northwestern have been pleased with all throughout his career and his rise has corresponding with the building-up of the Wildcats under Collins. This looks to be the most physical battle that Jon Teske will face up to this point of the season, and he will need to respond with strength against the high-percentage smaller man.
The fourth of the key starters for the Wildcats is A.J. Turner. A native of Mt. Clemens, Turner spent two years at Boston College before transferring to the Wildcats after sitting out last season. He's a 6'7" redshirt junior that adds more smarts to this side. Turner came off the bench the first two games of the season, but eventually Collins decided to simply start his transfer swingman. Turner is averaging an even ten points per game, but his turnover numbers have taken a leap while his assists have dropped just a touch. Turner is trusted by Collins and is leading the Wildcats in minutes per game with 32. He's been cold from deep, at 18.5% he's just 5-for-27 from deep.
The final starter is freshman Miller Kopp. Kopp is a 6'7" freshman who is averaging exactly thirteen minutes per game. He's an inside-and-out winger who is shooting better from deep (46.7%) than from inside the arc (32%). Much of this, I would imagine, is a result of trying to adjust himself as a freshman into the college game. He's averaging just over five points per game and just under two rebounds. His release from deep is smooth and he certainly would figure to threaten more from outside rather than on the interior. For that reason, I think you could see a player like Jordan Poole more likely to cover him than Ignas Brazdeikis, though between those two and Kopp and Turner on Northwestern, it is a bit of a toss-up in terms of who guards who.
Bench Rundown:
Anthony Gaines is the main man off the bench and fifth leading minute-getter. Standing 6'4", Gaines, a sophomore, is seeing just over 23 minutes per game. Gaines is more of a driving guard than a shooter, highlighted by just three takes from deep. He played a substantial amount when Law and McIntosh were injured last season, and that has allowed him to gain more confidence and come into this season ready to contribute. He figures to be one of the main pieces for the Wildcats next season, but right now he is a strong bench presence averaging 4.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He could be a handful with his tough and quick moves to the rim.
The next key man off the bench is another of Northwestern's heralded freshmen, Pete Nance. Ranked four spots ahead of Kopp in the RSCI Top 100 of 2018, Nance is 6'10" and was even recruited heavily by Michigan. His size, three-point stroke, and athleticism, combined with his pedigree of a professional playing father and brother, make him a fantastic project. He's seeing just under thirteen minutes per game and averages almost four points per game. He's 31.3% from long range (five-for-sixteen) but should be able to improve with experience over the season. He is definitely one to keep a watch for in the future.
There are three more players to keep an eye on for the Wildcats off the bench: Ryan Greer, Jordan Ash, and Barret Benson. Starting with Greer, he has missed the last two games and figures to be questionable for the game tomorrow. He's a 6'2" freshman point guard still doing his best to carve out a role within the side. Ash, a 6'3" senior, was the starter in the first two games in place of Taylor. Ash needed knee surgery last season and does not figure to be scoring too frequently, but he offers good energy coming off the bench. Benson, a 6'10" junior, can spell Pardon (or Nance) at the center position with a bit more power than Nance, but more technique than Pardon. He is seeing similar minutes this season as his first two with the Wildcats, but is up in both points (2.6) and rebounds (3.6) per game.
Pre-Game Thoughts:
This seems to be the definition of a trap game for this Wolverines side. A late weekday game against a side that has beaten Michigan the past three times on the road with lots of length and wing players. We've seen them handle that sort of length against Providence, and North Carolina presented some similar issues, all with a bit more athleticism than the Wildcats. Still, Billy Donlon is a former Michigan assistant and may still have a bit of added insight. Additionally, teams like Northwestern with multiple scorers should be able to find a bit more joy against Michigan than a team like Purdue, with only one true scorer. This worries me a bit more, but Michigan has the talent to stick with them. Last year, Michigan went unbelievably cold in both games against the Wildcats. The offense seems to be clicking right now for the Wolverines, the hope will be that Northwestern is unable to stop it.
In terms of impact players, I think Charles Matthews needs to come up big for Michigan. He will be tasked with shutting down Vic Law and also need (likely) to score while defended by him. If they battle to a wash, then it is up to the rest of the side to cover for that. If Matthews, however, can win his match-up on both offense and defense, then that's a huge advantage for Michigan. For the Wildcats, the key player for me will be Dererk Pardon. Pardon has been very good all season, but Jon Teske's level of play on both offense and defense has been massively stepped up. It will be Pardon's high field goal percentage up against Teske's phenomenal defensive ability.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well!
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