GameDay Preview: 3 Things to Know About the Michigan Wolverines
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — This late in the season, every win is critical for Purdue, especially at home. That's why Saturday's matchup with Michigan at Mackey Arena is huge.
Purdue has been mostly good at home this season, but there have been some recent duds against Illinois and Penn State that can be cause for concern.
Here are the particulars on Saturday's game:
- Who: Michigan Wolverines (17-9, 8-7 in the Big Ten) vs. Purdue Boilermakers (14-13, 7- in the Big Ten)
- When: 2 p.m., ET, Saturday, Feb. 23
- Where: Mackey Arena, West Lafayette, Ind.
- Latest Line: Purdue is a 3.5-point favorite as of Saturday morning, according to VegasInsiders.com.
- Poll rankings: Neither team is ranked in either the Associated Press or Coaches poll. Michigan is receiving votes in both polls, and would be ranked No. 28 in both polls
- Kenpom.com rankings: Michigan is No, 13, and Purdue is No. 24
- TV: ESPN
- Announcers: Jason Benetti, Robbie Hummel
- Radio: Purdue Radio Network
- Announcers: Rob Blackman, Larry Clisby
Here are three things to know about the Michigan Wolverines
1. They are playing like a top-10 team again
Michigan has been up-and-down this season, but is trending in the right direction once again. The Wolverines have won four in a row and six of their last seven. The last two wins have been very impressive. They beat Indiana by 24 points last Sunday and then went on the road at won at Rutgers, 60-52. It was the first time Rutgers had lost at home all season.
Michigan isn't ranked at the moment, but the Wolverines are getting close to working their way back into the top 25. Their NCAA life seems secure. They're projected to be a No. 6 or No. 7 seed at the moment.
2. Rebounding edge will be critical
Purdue let a win on the road slip away on Tuesday at Wisconsin, and that's something that has become a bit of a concern for the Boilermakers the past couple of weeks. They'll need to shore up that area, because Michigan can be tough on the boards. Michigan out rebounded Indiana by 16 last Sunday.
Purdue coach Matt Painter has been trying to find the right rotation on the interior. At Wisconsin, Trevion Williams actually came off the bench and Matt Haarms and Evan Boudreaux started. Williams had the best stats, scoring 17 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in only 27 minutes. Expect Williams to be back in the starting lineup on Saturday.
3. Zavier Simpson can control a game single-handedly
Zavier Simpson, Michigan's outstanding senior point guard, is averaging 12.6 points and 8.0 assists per game and can be a real pain with his floor-management skills. Purdue will have to make sure he doesn't go off with early penetration. He's great at finding shooters, too, and Michigan has plenty of them.
Related Purdue basketball stories
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- TOM BREW COLUMN: It's not who starts for Purdue, it's who can finish. CLICK HERE
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