Michigan Wolverines basketball (3-0) is set to host the 1-0 Central Florida Knights Sunday afternoon at Crisler Center. Michigan is fresh off three-straight wins over mid-major competition, while UCF saw its first game against Oklahoma canceled, before knocking off Auburn, 63-55, while never trailing.
Head coach Johnny Dawkins will bring an aggressive style of defense to Ann Arbor this afternoon, after forcing 22 Auburn turnovers in game one while running a full-court press at times. On the offensive end, all three starting guards scored in double figures, with redshirt sophomore Dre Fuller Jr. putting up 13, senior Brandon Mahan pouring in 12 and sophomore Darin Green contributing 10.
This offseason, the Wolverines were delighted to have senior forward Isaiah Livers announce his return and forgo the NBA Draft; the decision has paid dividends so far, with Livers leading the team with 20 points per game, while adding five rebounds per contest and getting after it on the defensive end. The pleasant surprise of the early going has been how up to speed freshman center Hunter Dickinson is. Off the bench, he's averaging the most minutes down low (22), and has contributed 14 points and 7.7 rebounds per contest.
Below is everything you need to know ahead of this afternoon's matchup, including a breakdown of each team's projected lineup and a Q&A with Brandon Helwig of UCFSports.com.
Michigan Wolverines Basketball vs. Central Florida Knights: What Time Is The Game? What Is The Betting Line? How To Watch / Stream, More
Date: Sunday, Dec. 2
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Crisler Center (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
Channel: Big Ten Network
On The Call: Chris Vosters (play-by-play) & Christy Winters Scott (analyst)
Radio: Detroit: WWJ-Radio (950 AM) | Ann Arbor: WWWW (102.9 FM)
On The Call: Brian Boesch (p-by-p) & Terry Mills (analyst)
Line: Michigan -12.5
Over/Under: 141.5
KenPom Prediction: Michigan 76, UCF 65 (86 percent chance of a Wolverine victory)
Clayton Sayfie Prediction: Michigan 71, UCF 63
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Michigan Wolverines Projected Lineup
#12 - Fifth-year senior guard Mike Smith (5-11, 185) — Columbia grad transfer is averaging 9.3 points and five assists per game, while shooting 55.6 percent from the floor.
#55 - Senior guard Eli Brooks (6-1, 185) — Averaging 9.3 points, 4.0 assists and 2.3 rebounds per contest ... Is shooting 45.0 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from long range.
#21 - Sophomore guard Franz Wagner (6-9, 220) — Averaging 9.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game ... Scored 14 points, including seven in the first three minutes, in the last game against Ball State.
#2 - Senior forward Isaiah Livers (6-7, 230) — The team's leading scorer is averaging 19.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per tilt, while shooting 66.7 percent from the field and 53.3 percent from long range.
#51 - Fifth-year senior forward Austin Davis (6-10, 250) — Davis is starting games down low but averaging only 12.5 minutes ... Posting 4.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
Key Bench Players
#15 - Senior guard Chaundee Brown (6-5, 215) — Averaging 11 points and four rebounds per game off the bench in 21.3 minutes ... Scored 19 points in the opener against Bowling Green.
#1 - Freshman center Hunter Dickinson (7-1, 255) — The freshman is playing the most minutes at the center spot (22.0 per game) and is contributing 14 points and 7.7 boards per contest.
#23 - Junior forward Brandon Johns Jr. (6-8, 240) — Plays the four and five spot ... Averages five points and 3.7 rebounds per contest.
#5 - Freshman forward Terrance Williams (6-7, 240) — Putting up 3.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in just over 10 minutes.
Central Florida Knights Projected Lineup
#24 - Redshirt Sophomore guard Dre Fuller Jr. (6-5, 215) — Was integral in the Knights' win over Auburn, scoring 13 points, and adding seven rebounds five assists and three steals.
#13 Senior guard Brandon Mahan (6-5, 205) — Notched 12 points, two rebounds, one assist and three steals.
#22 Sophomore guard Darin Green Jr. (6-4, 185) — Was one of three players to score in double figures (10) and added three rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal ... Shot 2-of-6 from long range.
#20 - Redshirt junior forward Sean Mobley (6-8, 235) — The VCU transfer played 24 minutes and did not score, but contributed four rebounds, two assists and one steal.
#4 Freshman forward Jamille Reynolds (6-9, 285) — Started but played only seven minutes, scoring two points and grabbing one board, while also posting two turnovers.
Key Bench Players
#21 - Sophomore forward C.J. Walker (6-8, 205) — The Oregon transfer, who the Wolverines faced last season, played 31 minutes in the opener and posted nine points, eight rebounds and one steal, while turning it over eight times.
#4 - Freshman forward Isaiah Adams (6-6, 210) — Played 14 minutes and scored nine points.
#14 - Redshirt junior forward Ibrahim Famouke Doumbia (6-7, 210) — Notched three rebounds and went 0-for-3 from the field in 12 minutes.
Q&A With Brandon Helwig Of UCFSports.com
The Wolverine: UCF obviously started things off with a big win over Auburn. What impressed you in the Knights' triumph over the Tigers?
Helwig: UCF entered their season opener with a lot of questions. Just prior to the start of preseason, Collin Smith, the team's best player and a returning senior, was forced to retire due to a medical issue, so that really threw things for a loop. It's a mostly younger rotation made up of freshmen, transfers and younger players elevated into bigger roles, so nobody knew what to expect going in especially with limited workouts and practices due to COVID.
What impressed me the most is just how hard every player competed throughout the course of the game, particularly on the defensive end. Strong defensive play has always been Johnny Dawkins' trademark, so it wasn't a huge surprise but you didn't know what to expect for a first game. Offensively, there isn't an established "go-to" type scorer yet, but it seems nearly everybody had a hand in the production.
The Wolverine: What do you believe to be the strength of UCF's team?
Helwig: From a personnel standpoint, UCF has a complement of bigger 2/3 type players who can be difference makers, whether it's a Darin Green Jr. , who led the American Athletic Conference in three-point shooting last season, Brandon Mahan, a senior who stepped up with big buckets down the stretch against Auburn, or Dre Fuller Jr.
The Wolverine: Complete this sentence: UCF wins if _______.
Helwig: They clamp down defensively and find a way to grind out a win. High-level offensive production may continue to be a work in progress, so UCF will likely need to win the games with a smothering defensive effort, though that might be more difficult against teams with a dominant post presence as UCF lacks size and experience in that area.
The Wolverine: What is your prediction for how the game will play out?
Helwig: A key element to watch for UCF is the point guard situation. Basically, they don't have one as both primary point guards are out due to injury: Louisville grad transfer Darius Perry was expected to be an immediate starter, but he's out due to an undisclosed injury. And the remaining point guard, Tony Johnson, who had a solid first half against Auburn, seriously injured himself during warmups just prior to the second half and now requires surgery.
So UCF's other guards will be tasked for bringing the ball up the court, which could be interesting if a defense goes press.I could see UCF doing their best to try and slow things down as I don't think they want a track meet. I think it will be competitive, but Michigan, especially with three games already under their belt, should have the advantage.
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