Michigan Wolverines Basketball: Western Michigan Preview
Click HERE to sign up for a subscription to TheWolverine.com and get your FREE gift code for $99 in Michigan apparel and gear!
Michigan’s final stretch of nonconference games continues Saturday at home against Western Michigan.
The Wolverines game against the in-state foe tips off at 2 p.m. and can be seen on the Big Ten Network.
Western Michigan will not provide much of a challenge for the Wolverines. The Broncos have struggled so far this season and come into the Crisler Center with a record of 5-4. In their last game, Western Michigan went to Youngstown State and won 88-77.
In games against above average competition, the Broncos have gotten blown out. Western Michigan lost at Ole Miss 90-64 and at Cincinnati 78-52.
Michigan’s defense will likely completely stifle the Broncos’ offense. Western Michigan has an adjusted offensive efficiency of 100.9, which is 225th in the country. The Broncos struggle mightily to shoot from three as they shoot 31.7 percent from beyond the arc. The only area where Western Michigan has had success this season is getting to the free throw line.
While Michigan’s defense doesn’t turn over teams at a high rate, the Broncos are very carless with the basketball with a turnover percentage of 22.3, which is the 319th in the country.
Senior center Seth Dugan is Western Michigan’s leading scorer at 17.7 points per game with most of his points coming from two-point range. He has only made two threes all season, while he is shooting just below 60-percent from two. His other offensive weapon is his ability to draw fouls as his rate of fouls drawn per 40 minutes is 6.8, which is 54th in the nation.
Not only is he the Broncos best scorer, he is crashing the offensive glass at a high rate. His offensive rebounding rate of 13.6 is the 66th best in the country.
The Broncos have two more scorers who are averaging double digits with senior forward scoring 13.7 points per game and sophomore guard Michael Flowers scoring 13.6 points per game. Flowers is also one of Western Michigan’s best passers with an assist rate of 29.2, which is 110th in the nation. He has 34 assists so far this season.
Junior guard Jared Printy is Western Michigan’s best shooter from deep with a three-point percentage of 40 percent. His effective field goal percentage of 60 percent is the highest on the team.
---
• Talk about this article inside The Fort
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @BSB_Wolverine, @JB_ Wolverine, @AustinFox42, @Balas_Wolverine, @DrewCHallett and @Qb9Adam.
• Like us on Facebook