Michigan Wolverines
Current record: 12-2 (2-0)
Current RPI: 33 (IU is #11)
Current Sagarin: 40 (IU is #4)
Current Pomeroy: 45 (IU is #9)
2010-11 record: 21-14 (19-9), lost to Duke in NCAA Tournament (round of 32)
2010-11 RPI: 52
2010-11 Sagarin: 32
2010-11 Pomeroy: 25
Series: IU leads 100-55
Last IU win: 1/15/2011 (80-61 in Bloomington)
Last Michigan win: 2/12/2011 (73-69 in Ann Arbor)
Last Michigan win in Bloomington: 1/7/2009 (73-66, OT)
Pomeroy scouting report
TV: 9 p.m. Thursday, ESPN2
Blogs: mgoblog, Maize n Brew, Michigan Sports Center, UMHoops.com
When Michigan last visited Assembly Hall nearly a year ago, the Wolverines looked to be in as poor condition as the 2010-11 Hoosiers were. IU's blowout win over the Wolverines dropped U-M to 1-4 in the Big Ten, and Michigan would fall to 1-6 before the bleeding stopped. Still, thanks in large part to a sweep of in-state rival Michigan State, the Wolverines finished the Big Ten season on an 8-3 run and made it to the NCAA Tournament, where they won their first round game over Tennessee and came very close to upsetting Duke in round 2. Now in their fifth season under John Beilein, Michigan has a pretty solid chance to reach the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years.
The human polls like Michigan much more than the computers do. The Wolverines are 16th in the AP Poll and 13th in the coaches' poll, but are 45 in Pomeroy and 40 in Sagarin. Michigan has played only one true road game to date and lost it (70-58 at Virginia). Since that November loss, the Wolverines have ventured away from campus only once, for win over Oakland at the Palace in suburban Detroit. Michigan's best win was a 73-61 win over Memphis on a neutral court.
This is very much a typical Beilein team. Michigan plays at a deliberate pace (64 possessions per game, about 5 behind IU), and is very efficient on offense, thanks mostly to excellent shooting (a nation-leading 58 percent from inside the arc and 37 percent from three) and taking care of the ball (18.9 turnover percentage). Michigan is extremely perimeter-oriented, taking 43 percent of its attempts from three point range, and so it is unsurprising that Michigan ranks among the nation's worst in offensive rebounding and in getting to the free throw line. On defense, Michigan to some degree offsets its few offensive weaknesses by rebounding very well (opponents manage only 28 percent on the offensive boards) and avoiding fouling (only .3 free throw attempts per field goal attempts). The Wolverines are fairly pedestrian at field goal defense, and are allowing opponents to shoot 34 percent from deep. Michigan doesn't block many shots or force many turnovers, either