Game Day Essentials: Game #21 vs Michigan

[hhcmatt]

Nebraska Cornhuskers (12-8) vs Michigan Wolverines (14-5)

 

Date: Saturday, Jan 23th, 2016
Time: 1:00 p.m. CST

 

Broadcast Information

Television: ESPN2

Online: WatchESPN.com

Announcers: Dave Lamont and Dan Dakich

Satellite Radio: Sirius (Ch. 135); XM (195)
Play-by-play: Kent Pavelka
Expert Analysis: Ben McLaughlin

Michigan Info

 

Head Coach: John Beilein
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Conference: B1G 10
Nickname: Wolverines
Mascots: None
Last time out: Beat Minnesota
Typical Rotation Depth: 8 players
Offense: On pace to break the B1G 3 pt record
Defense: Variety of Zones, man
Tempo: Sadler-esque
Point Spread: Nebraska by 1.5

 

Players to watch: Zak Irvin and Derrick Walton

 

Once again Nebraska is catching Michigan without Caris LeVert and 6'6" F Irvin and 6'1" PG Walton have been picking up the slack, both increasing on their double digit scoring average over the last 5 games. Irvin has been shooting nearly 50% from 3 in conference play and Walton is the one Wolverine who makes it to the FT line.

The Skinny

While the Huskers currently have a 3 game winning streak against Michigan State, they've yet to beat Michigan since joining the B1G. The Wolverines have the look of a classic John Beilein team, scoring at a high efficiency while playing slow, low possession games.

 

Michigan is spamming the 3 ball this year. They have the 11th highest ratio of 3s to FGA in Div 1 and have been deadly, the 9th best 3pt shooting team. Walton along with Duncan Robinson and Aubrey Dawkins have hit over 45% of their 3s on the year. The Huskers are used to playing defense for most of the shot clock and they'll need to as the Wolverines patiently work the ball around to find an open shooter or to set up a pick and roll opportunity. The Huskers have struggled against teams like this, currently 0-3 against teams that shoot more than 40% of their shots from 3. The biggest challenge might be handling Michigan post players who will have a lot of 1 on 1 opportunities. There is a chance that a guy like Mark Donnal or Moritz Wagner goes for 20 if Nebraska isn't careful.

 

Michigan's defense has struggled in league play and will have to figure out how to cover both White and Shields without the length of LeVert to pair with Zak Irvin. We're going to see some zone out of Michigan tomorrow but the Huskers night and day shooting from last year makes this solvable for Nebraska. Against a team that doesn't foul a lot and doesn't block many shots, the Huskers just need to shoot comfortably once they're able to penetrate the lane. Michigan is an excellent defensive rebounding team so don't expect a ton of second chance points in this game.

 

This has all the looks of a clean high scoring game where both teams are trading buckets. Hopefully the momentum of the Huskers along with the home crowd and a #AveryStrong day keeps the winning streak going for the Huskers.

 

Prediction: Nebraska 76 - Michigan 70 with a 98% chance of Runzas

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[Red Don]

Michigan - Likely Starters

No. Name                                        Pos.   Ht.  Wt. Yr.   G/GS  PPG  RPG   Other
10   Derrick Walton Jr.                        G   6-1  190 Jr.   16/16    11.3   5.3   3.7 apg
12   Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman  G   6-4 185 So. 19/8       6.1   2.3   1.2 apg
21   Zak Irvin                                    G/F   6-6 215 Jr.  18/17   10.3   4.1   3.2 apg
22   Duncan Robinson                     G/F   6-8 210 So. 19/10  11.9   2.9   1.8 apg
34   Mark Donnal                                 F   6-9 240 Jr.   17/8      6.6   3.8   0.6 bpg

 

 

Nebraska - Likely Starters

No          Name                        Pos.       Ht.          Wt.        Yr.          GP/GS   MPG      PPG       RPG       APG

 3             Andrew White III         G           6-7         216         Jr.           20/20     28.0        17.0        6.1       0.8

 5             Glynn Watson Jr.        G           6-0         165         Fr.           20/8      22.2        8.1         1.9        2.6

12           Michael Jacobson        F           6-8         222         Fr.           20/11     15.3        4.2         3.7        0.4

31           Shavon Shields         G/F         6-7         225         Sr.           20/20     30.6      16.1        5.3         3.0

32           Benny Parker             G           5-9         175         Sr.           20/20     25.4        4.6         2.4        2.2

     Rotation

 0             Tai Webster              G           6-4         196         Jr.           20/12     26.7         9.9         4.0          1.9

10           Jack McVeigh           G/F         6-8         210         Fr.           20/0       17.0        5.4         3.1          1.0

11           Bakari Evelyn           G            6-2         178         Fr.           10/0         6.5        2.1         0.8          0.3

23           Nick Fuller               G/F         6-7         204         So.          15/0         7.5         2.4         1.5          0.1

24           Jake Hammond        F           6-10        235         So.          17/8       11.9         2.6         3.3          0.2

30           Ed Morrow Jr.           F            6-7         225         Fr.           20/1       14.1        3.7         3.6          0.1

      Bench

 4             Johnny Trueblood   G            6-4         195         Fr.            7/0         3.6         0.7         0.3          0.6

15           Malcolm Laws          G            6-1         190         So.           5/0         3.4         0.2         0.4          0.0

20           Tanner Borchardt     F            6-8         274         Fr.            6/0         4.0         0.7         1.0          0.0

[jimmykc]

While I think Dakich is a good color guy, I don't think it is a good policy to let him announce games involving his own son. No matter how objective one tries to be, there will always be a vested interest.Why not use some other commentator on the roster?

[hhcmatt]

While I think Dakich is a good color guy, I don't think it is a good policy to let him announce games involving his own son. No matter how objective one tries to be, there will always be a vested interest.Why not use some other commentator on the roster?

 

I think Jim Jackson was calling games when his son Traveon was playing so nepotism doesn't seem to be a problem for the B1G. 

[hhcmatt]

Miles Presser

http://www.huskers.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?id=4944099

 

Shields and McVeigh

http://www.huskers.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?id=4944198

[jimmykc]

Won't affect the game one way or the other unless he shouts BANG-A-RANG too loudly if his son scores.

[hhcmatt]

[ShortDust]

Won't affect the game one way or the other unless he shouts BANG-A-RANG too loudly if his son scores.

I have a feeling at least one of those makes it out and maybe even a new one for the Pavelkatron

[HB]

Anyone know why Matt isn't listed on the broadcast?

[twinswingohuskers]

He's on vacation.

[HB]

He's on vacation.

 

Wow.  There's a long off season beginning in April.  And this is a big game.   Well, to each his own, I guess.

[atskooc]

 

He's on vacation.

 

Wow.  There's a long off season beginning in April.  And this is a big game.   Well, to each his own, I guess.

 

I was thinking the same thing.

 

But, whatever.

[hhcmatt]

 

 

He's on vacation.

 

Wow.  There's a long off season beginning in April.  And this is a big game.   Well, to each his own, I guess.

 

I was thinking the same thing.

 

But, whatever.

 

 

I whiffed on it last game but he was off for the Michigan St game as well.

I seem to remember he does a yearly Husker cruise thing every year so that might be it.