The No. 16 Michigan Wolverines are set to host the No. 19 Northwestern Wildcats in a Sunday night showdown at Crisler Center.

The Wildcats got off to a hot start to the Big Ten season, knocking off Michigan State, Indiana and Ohio State, before falling this past week to Iowa.

Led by four starters averaging in double-figures scoring, Northwestern has an efficient offensive attack that ranks at a respectable No. 51 nationally in Kenpom, with the squad shooting threes at a 42.4 percent clip (sixth in the country) and only turning the ball over 10.6 times per game (17th). Junior forward Miller Kopp, who will likely be guarded by Michigan sophomore guard Franz Wagner, leads the scoring attack with 14 points per game and shoots threes at an elite percentage of 57.6 percent. All the while, sophomore guard Boo Buie, who tallies 12.9 points and 5.6 assists per outing on average, is the floor general and makes the offense go.

Michigan is undefeated at 8-0 and most recently took down Maryland in College Park on New Year's Eve, a game in which the Wolverines were dominant offensively for the entire game, scoring 1.31 points per possession, while the defense picked up in the second half and allowed the Terps to score only 29 points in the stanza.

The Maize and Blue offense is run through freshman center Hunter Dickinson, who is currently in Kenpom's top-10 players list in all of college basketball, the only freshman named. He is coming off a career-high 26-point performance at Maryland, and leads the team in scoring and rebounding with 16.6 points and 8.8 boards per night. The freshman phenom will once again go head-to-head against another pick-and-pop big man in Northwestern junior forward Pete Nance, who will test Dickinson's mobility and ability to defend on the perimeter, shooting 40 percent from deep this year.

A welcomed sign has been the recent reemergence of the aforementioned Wagner, who has put up 19 and 20 points his last two times out, respectively, after a slow start to the year on the offensive end.

Michigan's offense has been humming early on in the season, and ranks at No. 8 in the country in adjusted efficiency, per Kenpom, while shooting 52.3 percent from the field as a club (eighth nationally). However, the Wolverines, who attempt 21.5 looks from beyond the arc per game, may have a tough time against a Wildcats' defense that allows opponents to shoot just 29.5 percent from long range so far this season.

Below is everything you need to know ahead of tonight's game, including a breakdown of key players on both sides, statistics and more.

Date: Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

Venue: Crisler Center (Ann Arbor, Mich.)

Channel: Big Ten Network (Stream: Fox Sports App)

On The Call: Dave Revsine (play-by-play) & Robbie Hummel (analyst)

Radio: Detroit: WWJ-Radio (950 AM) | Ann Arbor: WWWW (102.9 FM)

On The Call: Brian Boesch (play-by-play) & Terry Mills (analyst)

Line: Michigan -8.5

Over/Under: 145

KenPom Prediction: Michigan 76, Northwestern 69

Clayton Sayfie Prediction: Michigan 70, Northwestern 62

RELATED: Five Thoughts On Michigan's Win Over Maryland

RELATED: Hunter Dickinson Gets The Last Laugh In Homecoming Trip To Maryland

#12 - Fifth-year senior guard Mike Smith (5-11, 185) — The Columbia grad transfer is averaging 9.1 points and 5.1 assists per game, while shooting 40 percent from deep and 49 percent overall.

#55 - Senior guard Eli Brooks (6-1, 185) — Is the team's best perimeter defender ... Averaging 9.4 points, 3.8 assists and 2.1 rebounds per contest ... Shoots 41.3 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from long range.

#21 - Sophomore guard Franz Wagner (6-9, 220) — Averaging 12 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game, while shooting 52.9 percent from the floor ... Shooting the three at 30.8 percent for the season.

#2 - Senior forward Isaiah Livers (6-7, 230) — Is second on the team in scoring with 14.4 points per game.. Also adds 5.3 rebounds and two assists per contest, while shooting 49.2 percent overall and 41.5 percent from three.

#1 - Freshman center Hunter Dickinson (7-1, 255) — The first-year star is averaging a team-high 16.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 72.6 percent from the field ... Per T-Rank, Dickinson is 41-of-46 from near the rim.

Key Bench Players

#15 - Senior guard Chaundee Brown (6-5, 215) — Averaging 9.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game off the bench in 20.1 minutes ... Is connecting on 48.3 percent of his overall looks and 39.4 percent of his attempts from deep.

#23 - Junior forward Brandon Johns Jr. (6-8, 240) — Plays the four and five spot off the bench ... Averages 4.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per contest and is shooting 65 percent from the field and is 2-for-4 from deep on the year.

#5 - Freshman forward Terrance Williams (6-7, 240) — Plays 9.4 minutes per game off the bench, averaging three points and 2.9 boards per game, while shooting 40 percent from the floor and 16.7 percent from long range ... Did not appear last game.

#0 - Sophomore guard Boo Buie (6-2, 180) — Averages 12.9 points and 5.6 assists per game, while also grabbing 3.1 boards ... Shoots 42.9 percent overall and a very solid 44.7 percent from deep.

#1 - Redshirt sophomore guard Chase Audige (6-4, 200) — The William & Mary transfer is second on the team in scoring with 13 points per game, while also adding four rebounds and 1.6 assists per contest ... Is connecting on just 39.6 percent of his looks from the field and 29.5 percent of his three-point attempts, despite being first on the team in usage rate, per Kenpom.

#10 - Junior forward Miller Kopp (6-7, 215) — Leads the team in scoring with 14.6 points per game ... Adds 2.5 rebounds and 1.9 helpers per tilt, and shoots 56.1 percent from the field ... Shoots threes at an elite 57.6 percent clip, and will be a tough guard for U-M's Wagner and others.

#31 - Sophomore forward Robbie Beran (6-9, 215) — Averages 6.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest, while shooting 47.1 percent form the field and 43.8 percent (7-of-16) from long range ... Sees action in just under 20 minutes per game.

#22 - Junior forward Pete Nance (6-10, 225) — Registers 11.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per outing, while shooting 56.3 percent overall and 40 percent (8-of-20) from beyond the arc ... His threat as a perimeter player and good shooter offensively will pose a challenge for U-M's bigs.

Key Bench Players

#11 - Redshirt junior guard Anthony Gaines (6-4, 210) — Tallies 3.9 points and five boards per tilt, while shooting 44.4 percent overall and just 20 percent from long range in 19.3 minutes.

#15 - Redshirt sophomore center Ryan Young (6-10, 245) — Puts up nine points and 6.1 assists per game, while shooting 61 percent from the field (has not attempted a three-pointer) in 15.4 minutes.

#2 - Junior guard Ryan Greer (6-2, 190) — Averages 2.3 points and 2.6 assists per game in 17.1 minutes, while shooting 38.1 percent from the field and 42.9 percent (3-of-7) from long range.

#3 - Freshman guard Ty Berry (6-3, 190) — Gives the Wildcats offense off the bench, averaging 7.6 points and 2.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 46.4 percent from three.

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