Published Dec 21, 2019
Michigan - Presbyterian Game Preview
Clayton Sayfie  •  Maize&BlueReview
Staff Writer
Twitter
@CSayf23

No. 14 ranked Michigan Wolverines basketball (8-3, 1-1 Big Ten) hosts Presbyterian (2-9, 0-0 Big South) today at 12 PM on BTN. The Wolverines are coming off a tough loss to Oregon at home last Saturday, and will look to bounce back from the set-back.

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Presbyterian Blue Hose (2-9, 0-0 Big South) — Results

vs. Johnson & Wales (W, 95-64)

@ Clemson (L, 79-45)

@ VMI (W, 80-77 in OT)

vs. Morehead State (L, 77-55)

@ Notre Dame (L, 63-53)

vs. Sacred Heart (L, 83-57)

vs. Quinnipiac (L, 73-64)

vs. UAlbany (L, 65-60)

vs. Toccoa Falls (W, 87-59)

@ South Carolina State (L, 80-68)

@ St. Francis Brooklyn (L, 64-63)

vs. Jacksonville (L, 81-58)

Presbyterian Blue Hose — Starting Five

Sophomore guard Chris Martin (6-0, 181 pounds) — Martin is the squad's second leading scorer at 10.4 points per game. He adds 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. He shoots 39.4 percent from the field and has made just one of his 20 attempts from three this season.

Sophomore guard Kody Shubert (5-11, 160 pounds) — He averages 5.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, shooting 29.7 percent from the field and 37 percent on threes.

Freshman guard Michael Isler (6-4, 185 pounds) — He averages 7.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. Isler shoots 54.5 percent on field goals.

Sophomore forward Cory Hightower (6-7, 215 pounds) — Paces the team with 12.3 points per game. He also adds 5.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. Hightower shoots 40.9 percent from the field and 22.6 percent on three-pointers.

Senior forward Ben Drake (6-8, 225 pounds) —He averages 9.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. He shoots 58.3 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three.

Off The Bench

Freshman forward Owen McCormack (6-9, 212 pounds) — Averages 11.5 minutes, 2.9 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.

Senior guard J.C. Younger (6-4, 200 pounds) — Plays 26.1 minutes per game off the bench. He is averaging 7.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. He is a 40 percent three-point shooter.

Freshman guard Sean Jenkins (6-4, 180 pounds) — Averages 3.9 points and 1.1 rebounds in 13.5 minutes per game.

Matchup To Watch

Presbyterian sophomore forward Cory Hightower against U-M junior forward Isaiah Livers. Both are the leading scorers for their respective teams, and matchup similarly in height. Livers paces the Wolverines with 14.6 points per game, while adding 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. Both players lead their teams in field goal attempts and minutes per game, and are prominent figures in their team's offenses.


Notes

• Sophomore forward Brandon Johns will not play due to illness.

• The Wolverines have lost three out of the last four games. Their home win over Iowa (101-93) was the only win during the stretch. U-M's last game was a 71-70 overtime loss to No. 10 Oregon at Crisler Center.

• This will be the first meeting between U-M and Presbyterian.

• Presbyterian is led by first-year head coach Quinton Ferrell, who spent the last five seasons as an assistant at College of Charleston.

• 703 miles separate Clinton, SC (home of Presbyterian) and Ann Arbor, MI.

• U-M freshman guard Franz Wagner is coming off a career-high 21 points in the loss to Oregon.

• U-M will play Presbyterian today, UMass-Lowell next Sunday, and then will re-enter Big Ten play when the Wolverines travel to East Lansing to take on Michigan State on January 5.

Kenpom Prediction

Kenpom gives Michigan a 99.5 percent chance to win the game, projecting a final score of 82-53.

Team Statistics

Team Statistics
StatisticMichiganPresbyterian

Points Per Game

77.7

62.7

Opp. Points Per Game

68.5

72.8

Field Goal Percentage

.487

.424

Opp. FG Percentage

.422

.440

3FG Percentage

.385

.292

Opp. 3FG Percentage

.290

.362

Assist / Turnover Ratio

1.3

0.8

Kenpom Ratings

Kenpom Ratings — National Rank
CategoryMichiganPresbyterian

Overall Efficiency

16th

337th

Offensive Efficiency

23rd

308th

Defensive Efficiency

26th

336th

Tempo

178th

303rd

Strength of Schedule

9th

281st

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