Michigan basketball preview as they hit the road to take on Penn State

Michigan (13-0) will hit the road to continue Big Ten conference play as they travel to State College to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions (9-5). So far in conference play, Michigan is 3-0 with wins against Rutgers, Maryland, and USC. Penn State on the other hand is 0-3 in Big Ten games with losses to Illinois, Michigan State, and Indiana. Michigan will once again be the heavy favorites even though this is a road game in the Big Ten. Let's dive into more of the matchup stats on this game below.

Penn State

As a team, Penn State is averaging 78.1 points per game so far this year. They're also surrendering a very high 74.2 points per game on average. They shoot 47% from the field, including 33% from the 3-point line. They do take pretty good care of the basketball though, with only 9 turnovers per game on average.

Kayden Mingo lead their team in scoring with 14.9 points per game. He also contributes in other areas of the court, with 3.9 rebounds per game, 4.5 assists per game, and a very good 2.5 steals per game. He shoots it well overall at 47% from the field, but is not very good from 3-point range, converting just over 23% of his looks from behind the arc so far this year. After Mingo, Penn State is led in scoring by Freddie Dilione V at 14.1 points per game, and Melih Tunca at 10.6. All three of their top scorers are perimeter players so it will be up to Michigan's guards to keep them in check if the Wolverines want to come out with another win.

Michigan

So far this year, Michigan is scoring at a ridiculous 96.7 points per game. They're also only giving up 66.5 points per game on average. They're simply elite at both ends of the floor, at least so far this year. They also shoot it at a 53% clip from the field, and 36% from 3-point range. They are a little high in the turnover rate, with averaging over 12 turnovers per game. But when you're elite at scoring the basketball, and elite at defending the basket, the turnovers might not matter all the much. It is something to watch out for though as they get further into Big Ten conference play.

As far as individual stats go, Michigan is led in scoring by Yaxel Lendeborg at 15.1, and he also averages 7 rebounds per game, and 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game. He's truly one of the best players in the country in this early season, and he's playing like an All-American if he can keep it up. Morez Johnson Jr. is close behind hin in scoring for the Wolverines at 14.8. There's also 6 more wolverines averaging between 8-11 points per game as they are one of the deepest and most balanced rosters in the whole country.

As Michigan hits the road to take on what so far this year has not been a very good Penn State team, they really just need to keep doing what they've been doing. They've been blowing out just about everyone they've played in the last two months and this Penn State team isn't very good. They just need to take care of the basketball and make sure they keep playing hard as a team. Their biggest enemy right now appears to be over-confidence because on the court, there really isn't much to pick apart, but that doesn't mean they can just walk into every matchup of the season expecting to win easily. At some point they will be played in closer games and they'll need to stay sharp because those closer games could come at any moment. This Penn State basketball team though isn't very good so I'm fully expecting another Michigan win here if they play good basketball.

— Sign up for the Michigan Daily Digest newsletter for more free coverage fromMichigan Wolverines on SI —

Three takeaways from Michigan basketball’s 30-point victory over USC

Dusty May gives injury update on two key Michigan basketball starters

How analytics confirm Michigan basketball’s historic dominance