Michigan’s early-season loss showed us a lot about this team and what they can do to improve. Michigan has so much talent and it's still such an early point in the season that I am not particularly concerned with the loss. The team has a lot to improve upon as the non-conference games continue, and this weekend will be a good test of Michigan’s weaknesses that were shown in the game against Seton Hall.

UNLV Preview

UNLV out of the Mountain West is 3-0 to start the year with wins against Gardner-Webb, California, and North Dakota State. This team has experience in close games since none of their wins have been by more than six points. UNLV as a team has an up-tempo pace, one particularly strong offensive rebounder, and a primarily switching team that could take Michigan out of its sets.

Bryce Hamilton #13, 6’4” Guard

Senior guard Bryce Hamilton provides a unique attacking ability as a left-handed big guard. Hamilton provides a shift primarily driving scoring option for the Runnin’ Rebels. UNLV puts him in a lot of ball screen and isolation situations to try and score. Hamilton has a very low shooting percentage to start the season with a total of 37.5% FG and 16.7% from three-point range. Hamilton will be a drive-first guard who is looking to score when he touches the ball. He averages 17 ppg. Hamilton’s drives often result in him coming back to his strong left hand with a floater or layup at the rim.

UNLV runs a few sets that get Hamilton the ball where he can come off the screen to his left hand. I have detailed an example below with a few pictures.

Hamilton does not bring the ball up often, but he does receive the ball after a few short passes within UNLV’s offense. UNLV runs a lot of dribble handoff plays to keep the defense moving and allow for better screening angles for their guards to use the ball screen. Hamilton gets this play to go to his left hand and eventually hits a left-handed floater to score. UNLV will let Hamilton isolate on multiple possessions if he finds a matchup to be advantageous. Look for UNLV to run these dribble weave sets to get their scorers in position.

Royce Hamm Jr. #14, 6’9” Forward

Hamm Jr. may not be the number one scorer for the Runnin’ Rebels but he can fill up the stat sheet with his unique ability to grab rebounds at his height. He uses his body incredibly well to find offensive and defensive rebounds to help his team find multiple opportunities for easier shots. Hamm Jr. averages a ridiculous 13.7 rebounds per game with 17 rebounds in his last game against North Dakota State.

His positioning on the offensive glass against North Dakota State was evident in multiple plays. In the images I have below, he reads the defense to get himself in an advantageous position for the rebound.

Hamm Jr. is under the rim on this play and he recognizes where the driver is headed. His teammate jumped up for the layup and appears to be going up to score. Hamm Jr. actually boxes out the defense to get the rebound amongst three North Dakota State defenders.

He leaps up and grabs a strong rebound and draws the foul as soon as the miss occurs. His rebounding prowess will challenge Michigan in a variety of ways. It may take multiple Michigan players to box him out because of his awareness. Hunter Dickinson, Brandon Johns, and Moussa Diabate will need to keep him off the glass and prevent UNLV from getting easy chances at the rim.

Jordan McCabe #5, 6’0” Guard

Jordan McCabe, a West Virginia transfer, has come into UNLV as the lead guard and point of attack for their offense. McCabe has a high IQ and very strong shooting ability. He keeps UNLV organized on offense by slowing down and waiting for ball screens. McCabe is most dangerous as a three-point threat. He has strong ball-handling ability, but most of his shots come off of assists from other players. When defenses collapse on the strong drivers on UNLV like Hamilton, and Donovan Williams, he relocates for open looks. Michigan’s guards have to stay with him at all times and make it difficult for McCabe to control the tempo by pressuring him in the backcourt and preventing easy passes to him on the three-point line.

Below I have detailed a situation where he relocated very well to create a better shot for himself.

As his teammate drives, McCabe starts off in the corner with his hands out ready to shoot. McCabe spaced the floor well to give more room for his teammate’s drive to the basket.

His teammate holds on to the ball in the paint a bit longer than he should have. McCabe decides to move out of the corner up to the wing to help create an easier pass for his teammate. McCabe’s defender loses track of him and McCabe gets an easy jump shot by simply moving a little bit on the court. Jordan McCabe will be a threat with his off-ball movement and will put pressure on Michigan’s communication and help defense skills.

Summary

Michigan’s game against Seton Hall helped the team learn more about themselves and will be beneficial down the line as they look to improve. This game could be a trap for a variety of reasons. UNLV runs long plays late into the shot clock which challenges defenses to guard for a whole 30 seconds. While that seems like a short amount of time, the communication and awareness required to guard for 30 seconds is immense. Michigan cannot get lulled to sleep with the long plays. They must stay locked in the entire possession and force UNLV to take tough shots.

The ridiculously late start time could also play a factor in this game. A 12:30 AM ET start can be difficult for a college basketball player that is used to Eastern time zones. Michigan needs to come out strong and establish itself early. Their start will be dependent on the pre-game preparation of the team and how they handle staying focused for the whole day on the game. Coach Howard and his staff always have a good plan to keep the guys focused, but it's important to make sure the team doesn’t come out flat.

Looking forward to a bounce-back game for the Wolverines.