Michigan overcame a major hurdle on Tuesday night by beating Northwestern in overtime on the road. It was a trap game following an emotional victory over rival Ohio State and against a team fighting for its first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. Tonight, Michigan returns home for the last time this season looking to complete a perfect home record for the first time since the 1976-77 season. It’s Senior Night, but it won’t be easy.

#13 Michigan v. Purdue
	Saturday, Feb. 25 6 p.m. ET Big Ten Network Ann Arbor, Mich.
21-7 (11-4)	Record	18-10 (8-7)
Ferris State 59-33 Towson 64-47 W. Illinois 59-55 #8 Memphis 73-61 UCLA 79-63 Iowa State 79-66 Oakland 90-80 Ark. Pine-Bluff 63-50 Alabama A&M 87-57 Bradley 77-66 Penn State 71-53 Minnesota 61-56 #16 Wisconsin 59-41 Northwestern 66-64 OT #9 Michigan St. 60-59 Purdue 66-64 #20 Indiana 68-56 Nebraska 62-46 Illinois 70-61 #6 Ohio State 56-51 Northwestern 67-55 OT	Wins	N. Illinois 96-34 High Point 67-65 Iona 91-90 Temple 85-77 W. Michigan 80-37 Coppin State 78-57 Miami 76-65 W. Carolina 65-60 E. Michigan 61-36 IPFW 81-56 Iowa 79-76 Illinois 75-60 Minnesota 79-66 Iowa 75-68 Northwestern 58-56 Northwestern 87-77 Illinois 67-62 Nebraska 83-65
#6 Duke 75-82 Virginia 58-70 #11 Indiana 71-73 Iowa 59-75 Arkansas 64-66 #3 Ohio State 49-64 #10 Michigan St. 54-64	Losses	#15 Alabama 56-65 #11 Xavier 63-66 Butler 65-67 Penn State 45-65 Wisconsin 62-67 #9 Michigan State 58-83 #22 Michigan 64-66 #20 Indiana 61-78 #3 Ohio State 84-87 #8 Michigan State 62-76
66.5	Points Per Game	71.5
59.9	Scoring Defense	65.2
674-for-1,472 (45.8%)	Field Goal %	708-for-1,634 (43.3%)
609-for-1,446 (42.1%)	Def. Field Goal %	644-for-1,469 (43.8%)
229-for-654 (35.0%)	3-point %	222-for-610 (36.4%)
166-for-492 (33.7%)	Def. 3-point %	171-for-468 (36.5%)
286-for-403 (71.0%)	Free Throw %	365-for-569 (64.1%)
10.2	Free Throws Made/Game	13.0
31.1	Rebounds Per Game	33.4
31.7	Opp. Rebounds Per Game	34.3
13.3	Assists Per Game	13.5
10.6	Turnovers Per Game	8.7
5.0	Steals Per Game	6.9
2.1	Blocks Per Game	3.6
G – Tim Hardaway (14.3) G – Trey Burke (14.3)	Leading Scorer	F – Robbie Hummel (16.5) G – Lewis Jackson (10.3)
F – Evan Smotrycz (5.6) F – Jordan Morgan (5.0)	Leading Rebounder	F – Robbie Hummel (6.9) G – Kelsey Barlow (3.7)

Similar to Northwestern, Purdue enters looking to secure a spot in the Big Dance. The Boilermakers hold a 18-10 record, 8-7 in the Big Ten. More than likely, they’re in, but they can’t afford to falter down the stretch. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has the Boilers a current 9-seed, while CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm has them an 8-seed. With wins over Michigan, Penn State, and Indiana to close the regular season, the Boilers could cement a spot and avoid the waiting game on Selection Sunday that Michigan has found itself playing the past few years.

Purdue enters having won three of four, most recently an 83-65 win over Nebraska. The only loss during that span was a 76-62 home loss to 8th-ranked Michigan State. In that one, Purdue held a 38-35 halftime lead before going ice cold, missing 22 of their first 23 shots in the second half. Star forward Robbie Hummel was held to just six point in the second half (he had 18 in the first) and the Boilers had no answer for Draymond Green who recorded 20 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists.

Purdue isn’t a great team, but by no means are the Boilers a bad or even below average team either. Of their 10 losses, eight were to teams either ranked at the time or currently ranked. Only Butler and Penn State stand out as bad losses. They played Michigan tough in the January 24 meeting, but Michigan pulled it out 66-64. In that game, Michigan rebounded from a road loss to Arkansas, getting 19 points out of Tim Hardaway Jr on 8-of-15 shooting and 12 points apiece from Jordan Morgan and Stu Douglass. Michigan was hot from the field, hitting 54 percent and also outrebounded Purdue 30-24.

Even so, it went down to the wire. Michigan held a 65-64 lead in the closing seconds and Purdue got off a pair of threes that would have won the game, but neither would fall. Hummel scored 16 on 6-of-14 shooting while guard Lewis Jackson led the Boilers with 17.

Purdue guard Kelsey Barlow was dismissed from the team a week ago following a bar fight, but he didn’t play much of a factor in the first meeting. In nine minutes of action, he went 0-for-2 from the field and didn’t score a point, though he averaged eight points a game on the season.

The Boilers average five more points than Michigan does, but also give up five more. They shoot slightly worse at 43.3 percent, but are slightly better from three. The main area of weakness is from the free throw line where Purdue shoots just 64 percent. If it comes down to the wire, Michigan has the advantage.

A win would keep Michigan in contention for the Big Ten title. The Wolverines currently stand a game back of Michigan State, which hosts Nebraska tonight at 8pm. Michigan is also tied with Ohio State, which hosts #15 Wisconsin tomorrow at 4pm. A Michigan win would also secure its first unbeaten home record in 35 years.

Tonight’s game is also Senior Night and Zack Novack, Stu Douglass, and Corey Person will each be honored for their contributions to the program over the last four years. Novack and Douglass were among John Beilein’s first recruits when he took over the Wolverines in 2008 and despite not being highly recruiting, the pair have been crucial to Michigan’s resurgence.

Despite Jordan Morgan's foul trouble, Michigan pulled out the overtime victory (photo by Paul Beaty, AP)

Michigan survived a classic trap game tonight at Northwestern, needing overtime to beat the Wildcats for the second time this season. Following an emotional win over Ohio State on Saturday, a trip to Evanston to face a Northwestern team giddy about the possibility of a first ever trip to the Big Dance was a recipe for disaster, especially for a team that was just 3-6 on the road this season. But Michigan overcame a seven point halftime deficit and early foul trouble to pull out a 67-55 overtime victory.

It was apparent from the beginning that Michigan was in for a tough one when Jordan Morgan and Evan Smotrycz each picked up two fouls early. John Beilein was forced to use Blake McLimans for the majority of the first half, giving the Wolverines no inside presence. Northwestern countered with a 1-3-1 that forced Michigan to chuck up a season high 38 three-pointers.

Michigan held Northwestern without a point for the first 4:23 but could only build up a 6-0 lead. The Wolverines then built a 11-3 lead on a Jordan Morgan layup and Stu Douglass three. The teams went back and forth until Matt Vogrich hit back-to-back threes to give Michigan a 20-13 lead with 9:25 remaining in the half. However, Northwestern closed the half on a 18-4 run as Michigan went just 2-of-10 in the final nine minutes.

Tim Hardaway Jr started the second half off with a layup and Burke hit a three to pull Michigan within two. Northwestern finally got on the board nearly five minutes into the half, and for the next five minutes, points were hard to come by. With 9:51 remaining, Douglass hit a three to cut the lead to one and after a NW free throw, Vogrich nailed a three to give Michigan its first lead of the second half.

Burke followed up with a layup, but five straight Northwestern points put the Wildcats back on top. John Shurna finally got into the second half action to give NW a four-point lead with 2:44 to play, but Burke answered with a three. After another Shurna basket, Hardaway hit a three to tie the game at 49 with 1:46 remaining.

Northwestern had a chance to take the lead in the final minute, but missed a pair of shots, giving Michigan the last possession, but a Burke three at the buzzer fell short, sending the game into overtime just like the previous meeting.

In the overtime stanza, it was all Michigan. Burke, Novak, and Douglass hit back-to-back-to-back threes to blow the game open before Northwestern could get on the board. From there, it became a free throw contest and Michigan hit enough of them to seal the win.

Burke led all scorers with 19 points to go along with five assists and just one turnover while playing all 45 minutes. Hardaway added 14 points despite hitting just 4-of-10 from the free throw line and Douglass scored 12, all on threes (4-of-7). Vogrich hit 3-of-6 from three-point range to score nine points.

The Michigan defense held Shurna to 14 points, six below his season average, and his third lowest total of the season. The Wolverines also held Drew Crawford to just six points, 10 below his season average, and his second lowest total of the season.

Michigan returns home for its final game in the friendly confines of the Crisler Center on Saturday at 6pm against Purdue (17-10, 7-7). Seniors Zack Novak, Stu Douglass, and Corey Person will be honored.

Hardaway led the way for Michigan with 19 points (photo by Michael Conroy, AP)

Michigan visited West Lafayette on Tuesday night looking for its first true road win of the season and first win in Mackey Arena since 2003. And win it did, reversing the score from Saturday’s loss to Arkansas, and beating the Boilermakers 66-64.

Michigan broke out to a 14-7 lead thanks to seven points from Stu Douglass. The lead then widened to 20-12 with eight minutes remaining in the first half. Purdue fought back, scoring the next seven points to pull within one, but Michigan answered with jumpers from Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway and a pair of free throws by Jordan Morgan. Purdue closed out the half on a 7-2 run to pull within two at 30-28.

The second half began much the same way as the first went: Michigan scoring a few baskets to pull ahead, but never enough to pull away. Each time it looked as if Michigan were poised to put the game away, Purdue would go on a run to get right back in the game.

In the first five minutes of the second half, Michigan built a 10-point lead at 41-31. However, Purdue went on a 20-6 run to grab its first lead since the beginning of the game. A Morgan layup and a Douglass three put Michigan back on top 52-51 with just under seven minutes to play. From there on, the teams battled neck-and-neck, neither leading by more than four points, and trading leads six times.

Trailing by one with a minute and a half left, Zack Novak found Morgan open under the basket and Morgan slammed it home to put Michigan ahead 65-64. Purdue was unable to score and Evan Smotrycz hit the front end of two free throws to give Michigan a two-point lead. A last-gasp attempt by Purdue’s Lewis Jackson missed and Michigan earned its first win at Purdue in its last seven trips. The defense held the Boilers without a field goal for the final 3:54.

Michigan was led by Hardaway’s 19-point effort on 8-of-15 shooting. Morgan and Douglass each added 12, while Smotrycz scored 10. Burke was held to six points, his third lowest output of the season, and lowest in Big Ten play. He shot just 3-of-10 from the field, but dished out six assists.

The Wolverines shot 54 percent from the field and hit 6-of-14 three-pointers while holding Purdue to 44.2 percent overall and 9-of-26 from downtown. Purdue’s stars, Robbie Hummel and Jackson got their points, 16 and 17 respectively, but no one else stepped up for the Boilers.

The win keeps Michigan atop the Big Ten standings and sets up an important road game at Ohio State on Sunday.

Head Coach John Beilein had plenty of reason to celebrate Michigan's third straight victory over Michigan State, becoming the first Michigan coach to do so since Steve Fisher (photo by MGoBlue.com)

It had been 16 years since Michigan last beat rival Michigan State three straight times, but with Denard Robinson and Roy Roundtree jumping around among the Maize Rage and a host of Michigan NFLers in the stands, the Wolverines did just that on Tuesday night. Michigan squandered an 11 point second half lead but held the Spartans without a field goal for the final 4:23 to win 60-59.

Zack Novak got the scoring started with a three on Michigan’s first trip down the court and the Wolverines jumped out to a 10-2 lead. Another Novak three put Michigan ahead 13-4 before State got its offense going. Michigan maintained a five-to-seven point lead throughout the first half, taking a 36-29 lead into the locker room.

The second half began much the same with Tim Hardaway Jr getting his first bucket of the game on a dunk and Michigan opening up an 11-point lead. But with 12 minutes remaining, Michigan State’s offense got going and its defense clamped down.

A basket by Keith Appling sandwiched between threes by Austin Thornton and Brandon Wood brought MSU within three. Novak answered with a jumper of his own, but State reeled off six more to grab its first lead of the game at 50-49 with just under seven minutes to play.

An Appling jumper widened State’s lead to three before Trey Burke and Thornton traded threes. With just over four minutes left, center Derrick Nix gave the Spartans their biggest lead of the game at 57-53, but it was the last basket the Michigan defense would allow. Burke hit one of two free throws and Hardaway followed with a jumper to pull Michigan within one. A pair of free throws by Thornton took it back to a three point game but Hardaway answered again, this time with a layup.

With under a minute remaining, Burke grabbed a defensive rebound, pushed it up the court, and found Stu Douglass wide open under the basket for a transition layup to put Michigan on top by one. State ran the clock down to 11 seconds before attempting a shot, which Jordan Morgan blocked. However, it went right back into Spartan hands and Draymond Green got of a good but unbalanced look from the free throw line. It clanked off the left iron and a follow-up tip came up short as time expired.

Burke led the way with 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-6 from downtown. Hardaway and Novak each added 10. Michigan held Green to just seven points, nine below his season average, and Appling to 10, three below his average. Michigan was outrebounded 31-18, but committed just eight turnover to State’s 14 and shot 51.1 percent form the field, 13 percent higher than MSU’s defense typically allows.

The win keeps Michigan near the top of the Big Ten standings and preserves the Wolverines’ unbeaten home record this season. Michigan now trails Illinois by one game with a lot of basketball left to play. The Wolverines return to action on Saturday with an out-of-conference game at Arkansas (13-5) before visiting Purdue (14-5) next Tuesday.

Trey Burke hit clutch free throws down the stretch to carry Michigan over Northwestern (photo by MGoBlue.com)

Michigan took to the court in the Crisler Center on a Wednesday night in which the Sugar Bowl winning football team was honored and held off a pesky Northwestern squad that it has had trouble with the last few years. The Wildcats led most of the game, but Michigan fought back with the resolve of Team 132 and picked up its 14th win of the season.

Northwestern started the game with an 8-0 lead before Michigan finally got on the board four minutes into the game. Michigan battled back to a 15-15 tie before Northwestern pulled away again and the Wolverines trailed 34-27 at the half.

In the second half, trailing 44-36, Michigan went on a 10-0 run to grab its first lead of the game. For the final 10 minutes, the two teams went back and forth, neither team leading by more than four.

With 2:44 remaining, Tim Hardaway Jr hit a three to tie the game at 54 and neither team would score again in regulation.

In overtime, Northwestern star John Shurna got scoring started with his first basket since the 9:15 mark of the second half, but Stu Douglass answered with a layup of his own. A pair of Evan Smotrycz free throws put Michigan ahead by two, but NW center Luka Mirkovic tied it up. On Michigan’s next possession, Trey Burke grabbed a pair of offensive boards and finally finished a short jumper to put Michigan back ahead.

Following Burke’s jumper, Jordan Morgan was called for a technical foul, giving Northwestern guard Drew Crawford two free throws. He made one and the Wildcats were unable to take advantage of the extra possession. Burke went to the line and hit a par of free throws to put Michigan ahead by three. Two free throws by each team later, Crawford dunked it to pull NW within one. Burke went back to the line and made both, giving Michigan a three point lead with six seconds remaining.

Northwestern guard Alex Marcotullio put up a desperation three with one second left and Hardaway inexplicably fouled him, sending him to the line for three shots. However, he missed the first, NW was unable to tip in a buzzer-beater, and Michigan escaped.

Hardaway and Burke led the way with 19 for Michigan and Douglass added 10. Hardaway finally broke out of his three-point shooting slump, hitting 5-of-9 attempts, while Burke hit all eight attempted free throws.

As a team, Michigan took 18 more shots than Northwestern and fired up 30 threes to NW’s 13. The biggest key to Michigan’s success was its second chances, aided by 17 offensive rebounds. Northwestern also turned the ball over an uncharacteristic 16 times.

For Northwestern, Shurna got his 21 points, but most importantly, he disappeared for the final nine minutes of the game and overtime. Michigan’s defense did a good job of forcing tough shots and limiting the Wildcats to one shot possessions down the stretch.

Next, Michigan visits Iowa (10-8, 2-3) on Saturday at 1pm Eastern time before the first of two meetings with rival Michigan State on Tuesday.

Michigan had trouble stopping Cody Zeller, who scored 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting (photo by Andy Lyons, Getty Images)

Michigan took to the road Thursday night to face an Indiana team that had already upset first-ranked Kentucky and second-ranked Ohio State. It was Michigan’s second true road game of the year, but it wasn’t meant to be as the Wolverines put up a valiant effort, but fell 73-71.

Michigan had to battle back time and time again, but every time the Wolverines looked poised to take the lead, Indiana would do what it has done all season: hit a timely three. The Hoosiers, who came in second in the nation in three-point percentage, connected on 7-of-11 from downtown in this one.

Michigan also had no answer for Indiana’s big men as Christian Watford led the way with 25 points and Cody Zeller added 18. The pair combined to go 16-for-21 from the field and 8-for-10 from the free throw line.

For Michigan, Tim Hardaway Jr. led the way with 19 points, but struggled from long range, missing all seven attempts, including a couple in the last couple of minutes that would have given Michigan the lead.

Indiana jumped out to a 17-6 lead in the first nine minutes of the game and widened the lead to 33-18 with five minutes left in the first half. Michigan ended the half with a 14-6 run to go into the locker room down seven.

In the second, Indiana kept the lead around five throughout as Michigan kept battling back. Michigan pulled within two a number of times before IU took a 65-55 lead with seven minutes remaining. But Michigan wasn’t done yet. With three minutes left, a Hardaway dunk tied the game at 68, but the Hoosiers answered with a pair of free throws. After two missed threes by Hardaway and a missed jumper by Burke, IU went ahead by four with just 14 seconds remaining. Stu Douglass hit a three to pull within one with just three seconds left and IU hit the front end of two free throws. Zack Novak’s half-courter at the buzzer missed and Michigan dropped its third game of the year.

Michigan returns home to face 19th-ranked Wisconsin on Sunday at 1:30pm in the Crisler Center.

Jon Horford slams home two of his six points (AP photo)

Michigan kicked off the EA Sports Maui Invitational in style with a 73-61 victory over the Memphis Tigers. Memphis was obviously the most athletic of the teams, but Michigan played much smarter and more disciplined, inviting the ball pressure and picking it apart with back cuts and solid guard play.

Tim Hardaway Jr. led the way for Michigan with 21 points and got the Wolverines off to a fast start. The sophomore scored nine of Michigan’s first 18 points as Michigan jumped out to a 18-9 lead.

Memphis battled back with a 10-2 run of its own and even took a four point lead with three minutes left in the first half. But just before the half, Michigan used a 10-0 run – a three by Stu Douglass, five points by Trey Burke, and a Hardaway jumper – to take a 37-31 halftime lead.

Throughout the second half, Michigan kept the lead at a comfortable margin, refusing to let the Tigers close the gap. The closest Memphis got was nine but Michigan answered every time it seemed as if Memphis was poised for a run.

Michigan got a three-pointer off the bench from Eso Akunne, his only points of the night, and another big three by Evan Smotrycz at just the right times. Smotrycz didn’t get much done on the offensive end, but led all players in rebounds with eight.

Burke handled Memphis’ athletic guards like a seasoned veteran, matching a career high with 14 points. He also contributed four assists and came up with a key blocked shot to end the first half and give Michigan a healthy dose of momentum heading into the break.

Michigan didn’t get a lot of scoring on the inside, but Jordan Morgan and Jon Horford did a great job of making the most of the opportunities they got. When Hardaway and Burke found them open, they converted every time.

Michigan did a good job of hitting free throws after struggling from the line in the first three games. Hardaway hit 9-of-10, the only miss coming on his first attempt. Burke hit just 2-of-6.

Duke won the day’s second game to set up a rematch of the NCAA Tournament second round matchup back in March. In that one, Michigan nearly pulled off the upset, falling 73-71 when Darius Morris’ runner hit the back iron at the buzzer.

Senior Stu Douglass led Michigan with 14 points (photo by MGoBlue.com)

For the first 30 minutes of Michigan’s season opener on Friday night, it looked like Michigan was in for a dog fight against Div. II Ferris State. But the final 10 minutes of the game showed why Michigan is ranked in the Top 25 as the Wolverines used a 24-3 run to blow the doors open.

Stu Douglass got the starting nod in place of freshman Trey Burke and made the most of it, scoring 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-7 from three-point range.

Michigan jumped out to a 17-8 lead early on before Ferris State cut the lead to three. Michigan went into the locker room holding a 22-16 lead, despite shooting just 28 percent and getting out-rebounded 25-21.

The Bulldogs scored the first five points of the second half to pull within one, but Tim Hardaway Jr. and Evan Smotrycz hit back-to-back three-pointers, and then Douglass converted a three-point play to widen the lead. Ferris State wouldn’t back down, however, cutting the lead to 38-32. But Michigan went on a 19-0 run, ignited by another Smotrycz three-pointer, to put the game away.

Smotrycz matched Douglass’ 14 ponts and Hardaway added 12 of his own, while Jordan Morgan led the way with six rebounds.

Michigan shot 39.3 percent from the field and 32.1 percent from three-point range.

Burke was slated to start the game, but showed up late for the team walkthrough, forcing Head Coach John Beilein to bench him for the start. It will provide a good learning experience for the freshman star.

Michigan returns to action on Monday to face Towson in the Maui on the Mainland in Crisler Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30pm and will be preceded by a Michigan women’s basketball game against Florida Atlantic.

Early November is always the weirdest time of the year sports-wise as baseball comes to an end, football is in full-swing, and basketball is just beginning. Every year, it’s hard to switch gears and think about basketball when Michigan football is in the thick of the Big Ten title hunt, but this year feels different. There’s a lot of excitement swirling around the Michigan basketball program right now, and for good measure.

Tim Hardaway Jr leads Michigan into battle this season (photo by the Ann Arbor News)

Last year’s team fell just two points short of an upset of Duke and a berth in the Sweet 16. Everybody except point guard Darius Morris returns and this year’s team features a highly-touted freshman point guard to replace him, along with a veteran unit. Add to all of that last week’s commitment from the nation’s second-rated player in the class of 2012, and coach John Beilein is building himself quite the program in Ann Arbor.

The 2009 season was supposed to be a big one for the Wolverines and I optimistically predicted 21-9. But Michigan stumbled to a 15-17 record, missing the NCAA tournament. Last year, Michigan had to replace Manny Harris and prospects looked bleak, at least as far as I was concerned. I took the pessimistic approach, predicting 15-16, but the Maize and Blue proved me wrong, turning a 1-6 conference start into a 9-9 Big Ten finish and a near-Sweet 16 run.

With everybody but Morris returning, Michigan figures to be right in the thick of a powerful Big Ten race. The Wolverines enter the season ranked 18th in the Preseason AP poll and predicted to finish in the top three or four in the conference. Let’s take a look at the team, the schedule, and the outlook.

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The Team:

There’s no question that the offense will revolve around Tim Hardaway Jr. The sophomore from Miami, Fla. – and yes, if you didn’t follow Michigan basketball last season, he’s the son of the NBA great – is the leading returning scorer, averaging 13.9 points per game last season (Morris led the team with 15). He started every game, was Michigan’s second-best free throw shooter, shot 37 percent from 3-point land, and led the Wolverines in scoring in Big Ten play, averaging 14.9 points per game.

In the offseason, Hardaway played for Team USA at the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championships. While he didn’t start, he averaged 9.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, and sharpened his game against the world’s best at his age.

While Hardaway is Michigan’s best player, the unquestioned leader of the team is senior guard Zack Novak. The 6’4″ 210-pound lefty from Chesterton, Ind. has started 88 of 100 career games and ranks fifth in Michigan history in three-pointers made and attempted. Last season, Novak averaged 8.9 points per game and led Michigan in rebounding with 5.8 rebounds per game.

Defense is what will earn playing time for freshman point guard Trey Burke (photo by the Ann Arbor News)

He’s been a model of consistency and hard work since arriving in Beilein’s first full recruiting class. He’s always the first to chase down a loose ball, to dive head first, to scrap for every rebound, and to take on the opponent’s best guard.

His classmate Stu Douglass is a 6’3″ 200-pound sharp-shooter, also from Indiana. While he mostly lost his starting spot last year (12 starts after starting 23 games in each of his freshman and sophomore seasons), he served as Michigan’s captain, averaged 7.1 points and three rebounds per game, while playing 30 minutes a game. He’ll play a key role for the Wolverines this season in both leadership and outside shooting. He’ll likely share the point guard responsibilities with freshman Trey Burke.

Speaking of Burke, he’ll fill the void Morris left as Michigan’s ball-handler. He’s a confident, 5’11″ 180-pound point guard from Columbus, Ohio. He played with Ohio State star Jared Sullinger, and for Sullinger’s dad, at Northland High School, leading the Vikings to a state runner-up finish last season. He was named the Associated Press Ohio Mr. Basketball and was a Parade Magazine All-America second-team selection.

Another backcourt contributor is junior Matt Vogrich. He played in all but one game last season, averaging 3.2 points per game, while shooting 39 percent from three-point range. In Michigan’s opening round NCAA Tournament win over Tennessee, Vogrich hit 5-of-5 shots from the field, scoring 11 points in 16 minutes. Though not a starter, he’ll continue to give Michigan a spark off the bench with his shooting prowess.

In the frontcourt, Evan Smotrycz is a bit of a ‘tweener and figures to play a key role for the Wolverines this season He’s 6’9″ and 235 pounds, and averaged 6.3 points and 2.3 rebounds per game last season as a freshman. In Michigan’s ACC/Big Ten Challenge win over Clemson last season, Smotrycz led the Wolverines with 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting.

What he did best was stretch the floor for Michigan’s post players. He was a tough matchup, with athleticism to go to the basket, but 38 percent accuracy from three-point range. His weakness, however, was on the defensive side of the ball. That will need to improve this season.

Jordan Morgan is the main man on the post. The 6’8″ redshirt sophomore is up to 250 pounds, 10 heavier than he was a year ago. It should help him with defending some of the Big Ten’s big men in the grueling conference play. Last year, he was the team’s most improved player, averaging 9.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest. His best game was a 27-point performance against Northwestern, and he led the Big Ten in field goal percentage. Along with Novak and Hardaway, he started all 35 games.

The Newcomers
Trey Burke	Carlton Brundidge	Max Bielfeldt	Sai Tummala
3	2	34	24
G	G	F	F
6’1″	6’2″	6’8″	6’7″
175 lbs.	200 lbs.	240 lbs.	200 lbs.
Columbus, Ohio	Southfield, Mich.	Peoria, Ill.	Phoenix, Ariz.
Northland H.S.	Southfield H.S.	Notre Dame Prep	Brophy College Prep

Helping him out down low is sophomore Jon Horford. He averaged just two points and two rebounds a game last season, but has beefed up from 220 to 250 pounds since then, which like Morgan, will help him in the rough and rugged Big Ten. He played in 29 of the 35 games a year ago, averaging just under seven minutes per game, but should see his role vastly increase this season. In Michigan’s exhibition win over Wayne State last Friday, he was one of just four Wolverines to score, netting six points in 17 minutes of action, although he missed all five free throws attempted.

Blake McLimans struggled with his shot last year, hitting just 1-of-19 three-point attempts. The 6’10″ junior forward from Hamburg, N.Y. played five minutes a game and was supposed to be a big man that could shoot. Unfortunately, they didn’t fall. How much his stroke has improved this season could determine how much his role increases.

One candidate to take some of his minutes is freshman Max Bielfeldt. A bit undersized at 6’7″ and 240 pounds, the freshman from Peoria, Ill. is a bruiser. He averaged 20 points and 11.2 rebounds a game in his career at Notre Dame Prep and was named to the AP Class 3A All-State first team.

Colton Christian is an interesting big man for the Wolverines. As a freshman last year, he played in 27 of the 35 games, averaging just under five minutes a game, but scored just four points. His specialty was rebounding and was often brought in just for that purpose. If he can improve his offensive production, he will likely see his role increase.

Another freshman and candidate for a bit of playing time here and there is Carlton Brundidge. A 6’1″ 190-pound guard from Southfield, Mich., Brundidge figures to add a slasher to Michigan’s backcourt. He averaged 20.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists at Southfield High School and was named to the AP Class A All-State first team last season. How much he will see the court this season is up in the air – he played just two minutes last Friday – but he should be a solid contributor as his career progresses.

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The Schedule:

Michigan begins with three cakewalks to shake off the rust that was evident in last week’s exhibition. Ferris State was the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season champion a year ago, but that’s Div. II. Towson and Western Illinois combined to go 11-49.

After those three, things get interesting. On Nov. 21, Michigan travels to Hawaii to participate in the EA Sports Maui Invitational. The first game is against #9 Memphis, which went 25-9 last season. Depending on the result, the next game would pit Michigan against one of the two teams it faced in last springs NCAA Tournament – Duke or Tennessee. Duke is ranked 6th in the preseason polls, while Tennessee looks to have dropped off considerably from the Bruce Pearl years.

The third game of the Maui could be anywhere from Kansas or UCLA (ranked 13th and 17th nationally, respectively) to Chaminade, depending on how Michigan fares in the first two.

After returning back to the mainland, Michigan has to travel to Charlottesville, Va. to battle the Virginia Cavaliers in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Virginia was 16-15 a year ago, but returns nearly everybody and is picked to finish in the top third of the ACC.

Following that gauntlet, Michigan gets a bit of a breather before beginning Big Ten play, with four of the remaining five out-of-conference games at home, and the fifth – against Oakland – at the Palace at Auburn Hills. Oakland and Iowa State won’t be pushovers, but are should-wins. Arkansas Pine-Bluff, Alabama A&M, and Bradley should help improve Michigan’s record.

Big Ten play begins with two home games, against Penn State and Minnesota, then a road trip to Indiana before returning home for the first big test against #14 Wisconsin.

After doing battle with Northwestern and Iowa, Michigan returns home on Jan. 17 to face Michigan State, which it swept last season, and then travels out of conference to face Arkansas. The Razorbacks finished 18-13 a year ago, but have a lot of holes to fill this season.

Michigan returns to Big Ten play for what should be the key stretch of the conference slate. A home battle with Indiana is sandwiched between road trips to Purdue, #3 Ohio State, Michigan State, and Nebraska. How Michigan fares during that five-game stretch could determine its post-season fate, but it doesn’t get any easier from there. Illinois comes to town and then the Buckeyes come calling.

At this point, Michigan will either be jockeying for a Big Ten title or fighting for its life on the NCAA Tournament bubble. The last four games should help, as Michigan visits Northwestern, returns home for Purdue, and then travels to Illinois and Penn State to close the season.

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The Outlook:

While not the toughest schedule in the nation, it’s certainly not an easy one either. The Big Ten is never an easy conference to play in, and with the Maui Invitational, the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, and the mid-conference trip to Fayetteville, Michigan hasn’t done itself any favors with the schedule. If the Wolverines take care of business, that will be an advantage come tournament time. If not, it could come back to bite them.

Even with a pair of experienced seniors – Novak and Douglass – Michigan is still a fairly young team. That shouldn’t make much of a difference, however, since the experience Michigan has fits together nicely. Hardaway shouldn’t have much trouble getting his points and assuming the playmaker role he took on during Big Ten play last year.

Morgan and Horford down low should be more of a presence than a year ago, which should help open up Novak, Douglass, and Vogrich from the outside.

It really falls on the shoulders of freshman point guard Burke. He will undoubtedly struggle at times, but how he goes should go Michigan. If he’s able to take care of the ball, distribute effectively, and play solid defense, all of which he is certainly capable of, Michigan should be a Big Ten title contendor. But that’s a lot to ask of a true freshman.

Michigan will need Novak and Douglass’ shots to fall and one of the two big men to become consistent offensive weapons.

The Wolverines should hold serve at home with a revamped and reenergized Maize Rage student section, as well as an updated Crisler Arena, so don’t expect many home losses.

Look for a 10-3 non-conference record with a loss in the Maui, a loss to Virginia, and a surprising let-down loss to either Oakland or Arkansas. I also predict a 12-6 Big Ten record with splits against Ohio State, Michigan State, Indiana, and Purdue, a loss to Wisconsin, and one upset at the hands of Northwestern, Iowa, or Minnesota.

That would put Michigan’s final regular season record at 22-9 (12-6) and near the top of the Big Ten, but squarely in the NCAA Tournament with a couple of wins in the Big Ten Tournament. As always, the disclaimer applies that I hope I’m wrong and the Wolverines do much better, but with Morris still at the helm, I would be a lot more confident.

It wasn’t pretty, but it was a win, whether it counts or not. Michigan shook off the rust of the offseason, scoring just 47 points (19.5 points below last year’s average), but gave up just 39, beating NCAA Div. II Wayne State in Crisler Arena on Friday night.

It was the much anticipated debut of point guard Trey Burke and he didn’t disappoint. The freshman from Columbus, Ohio split time at point with Stu Douglass and looked comfortable. He made his entrance about five minutes into the game and was the only freshman to play more than just a few minutes.

Tim Hardaway Jr. led all scorers with 20 points and also added nine rebounds. Zack Novak scored 14 points and Burke added seven points and four assits. Jon Horford was the only other Wolverine to score with six points and six rebounds.

Defensively, Michigan showed good intensity, holding the Warriors 37 points below last season’s average. Wayne State shot just 33 percent (13 percent from three-point range) and attempted just four free throws.

The main point of improvement needed is the post defense. Wayne State center Ike Udanoh recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

“Our bigs have a lot of work to do,” Head Coach John Beilein said after the game. “We’ve got to work with them to realize where they are on the court.”

Michigan now has a week off before the season opener against Ferris State next Friday. Many times, a team wouldn’t want a week off between games, but Beilein insists it’s a good thing in this situation.

“We need to practice right now,” Beilein said. “We weren’t sharp with some things. Give Wayne State credit. They’re a veteran team. But we’ve got some rhythm-type issues that we have to take care of.”

Five-of-24 from downtown, 4-of-12 from the free throw line, and 14 turnovers are not good stats for the Wolverines, but that’s why they play exhibition games.