Opponent Tracker: Battling For Atlantis And Conference Bragging Rights
Michigan’s Next Five Opponents (including Battle for Atlantis potential opponents)
Combined Record: 19-9
Nov. 22: vs Houston Baptist (0-3)
Nov. 27: vs Iowa State (2-1) *Battle for Atlantis
Nov. 28: vs Alabama (1-2) or No. 6 North Carolina (3-0) *Battle for Atlantis
Nov. 29: vs No. 8 Gonzaga (4-0) or No. 14 Oregon (3-0) or No. 12 Seton Hall (2-1) or Southern Miss (1-2) *Battle for Atlantis
Dec. 3: at No. 4 Louisville (3-0) *Big Ten/ACC Challenge
Nov. 22 vs Houston Baptist: Although head Coach Juwan Howard has repeatedly emphasized the dangers of looking ahead of any team during his early-season press conferences, HBU is 0-3 with losses to Tulsa, Oral Roberts and a 29-point dismantling at the hands of No. 11 Texas Tech. The Huskies have struggled mightily on the defensive end of the court this year, yielding 92.7 points per game, and the program has dropped seven of its last 10 games dating back to last season.
Nov. 27-29 - The Battle for Atlantis Tournament: Following what should be a tune-up contest against HBU, Michigan embarks on one of its most strenuous four-game stretches of its entire season. Howard and his team will travel to the Bahamas for the Battle for Atlantis tournament Nov. 27-29, and will play three of eight possible opponents depending both on how the tournament shakes out and how the Wolverines perform.
The ultra-talented field of teams should prove to be a true early-season litmus test for the Maize and Blue. Should U-M defeat a tough, but beatable, Iowa State team, which sits at 2-1 after dropping a 80-74 decision to Oregon State earlier this season, it will face the winner of No. 6 North Carolina and Alabama the following day. UNC, who was picked to finish second in the ACC Preseason Media Poll, will be heavily favored over the Crimson Tide. The Tar Heels have won all three of its games this season by at least 16 points—including a 76-65 win over ACC foe Notre Dame—while Alabama has disappointed early in the first year of head coach Nate Oats’ tenure, currently sitting at 1-2 with losses to Penn and Rhode Island.
Michigan will have a 75% chance of facing another Top 15 team in its third game of the tournament, with one of either No. 8 Gonzaga (4-0), No. 12 Seton Hall (2-1) , No. 14 Oregon (3-0) or Southern Miss (1-2) looming.
Of these four teams, Oregon boasts the best win on the young season with an 82-74 conquest of No. 13 Memphis. Gonzaga is arguably the most dominant of the bunch, decimating foes by an average of 35.5 points per game -- including a 79-49 bludgeoning of Texas A&M on Nov. 15. If there is such thing as a ‘good loss,’ Seton Hall’s heartbreaking 76-73 defeat at the hands of No. 3 Michigan State certainly fits the bill. At 1-2 with losses to South Alabama and North Florida, Southern Miss is simply not in the same league as the other seven teams in the field, and will likely only play Michigan should the Wolverines drop its first two games of the tournament.
Dec. 3 - at No. 4 Louisville *Big Ten/ACC Challenge: U-M will return stateside on Dec. 3 when they visit Louisville in a Big Ten/ACC Challenge matchup. The Cardinals opened its season with 87-74 road conference win over Miami, and continued a path of destruction with blowout victories over Youngstown State and Indiana State. Led by junior forward Jordan Nwora, UL is outscoring opponents by an average of 21.6 points per game this year and is a legitimate national championship contender. Nwora, who was named the ACC Preseason Player of the Year by conference media members, is averaging 21.7 points and 7.7 rebounds a contest this year. The last time Michigan played Louisville, the Maize and Blue prevailed 73-69 in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
Michigan’s Last Three Opponents:
Elon (W, 70-50): Elon is 2-2 following its 70-50 loss to Michigan, and 0-2 against Division 1 teams with 64-49 destruction by Georgia Tech earlier in the season. The Phoenix's two victories on the came in the form of a 80-74 triumph over Division II Mars Hill and a 95-54 thrashing of NAIA Milligan College.
Creighton (W, 79-69): Creighton bounced back from its 79-69 loss to the Wolverines with a 82-72 home win over Louisiana Tech Nov. 16, and are now 2-1 on the year. The Blue Jays are averaging 81.5 points per game in its victories, and boast an average win margin of 18.0 points.
Appalachian State (W, 79-71): The Mountaineers continued to ride the momentum from their strong-second half performance in a 79-71 loss to U-M, blowing out Division III Ferrum College 83-56 and toppling East Carolina 68-62 to improve to 2-1. ASU’s two-game win-streak was halted, however, in a 59-56 loss to Montana State in its opening matchup of the Spartan Invitational in Greensborough, NC. Appalachian State returned to form with a 69-47 conquest of Tennessee Tech the following night to improve to 3-2.
Michigan’s Last Three Opponents
Combined Record: 7-5
Elon (W 70-50): 2-2
Creighton (W 79-69): 2-1
Appalachian State (W 79-71): 3-2
What do you think of Michigan's upcoming schedule? Which game will be the toughest? Comment below!!!
