Michigan
Xavier
U-M to Finish Up Season-Opening Homestand Friday vs. Xavier
11/19/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
» Michigan wraps up a three-game, season-opening homestand against Xavier before playing five of the next six away from Ann Arbor.
» U-M and Xavier -- both 2-0 -- square off as part of the inaugural Gavitt Tipoff games, which pits the Big Ten against the Big East in an eight-game series.
» The Wolverines have won all three previous meetings between the teams, including a 92-87 first-round win on their way to the 1989 NCAA title.
• TV: Big Ten Network | BTN2Go | Live Stats | Live Audio
• Tickets | Red Panda Acrobat
• Complete Game Notes (PDF)
• Coach Beilein on WTKA 
(Nov. 19)
The No. 24-ranked University of Michigan men's basketball team (2-0) faces Xavier (2-0) Friday night (Nov. 20) at Crisler Center in the inaugural Gavitt Tipoff games, which pits the Big Ten against the Big East in an eight-game series. BTN will television the game at 9:06 p.m.
WHAT ARE THE GAVITT TIPOFF GAMES?
Starting this season, the Gavitt Tipoff Games will be an annual eight-game series between the Big Ten and the Big East. The series is named in honor of the late Dave Gavitt, former athletic director at Providence College and the first commissioner of the Big East. An eight-year deal, each conference school will host four games during each season.
THE HEAD COACHES
• Michigan: John Beilein | 167-110 (ninth season) | 718-428 (38th season)
• Xavier: Chris Mack | 136-71 (seventh season) | 136-71 (seventh season)
SERIES HISTORY
Tonight's game will mark the fourth all-time meeting in the series. The Wolverines are 3-0 all-time. U-M won the first meeting at Crisler Center, 77-61, before meeting again in Ann Arbor during the Wolverines run to the 1984 NIT title. The Maize and Blue won a 63-62 decision to advance to Madison Square Garden, where it claimed the NIT championship over Notre Dame. The last time Michigan and Xavier met was during U-M's run to the 1989 national title. After Steve Fisher was named interim coach, the Maize and Blue opened with Xavier in the NCAA first round and held the Musketeers off with a 92-87 victory to advance.
XAVIER IN 2015-16 & TIDBITS
• Xavier comes to Ann Arbor with a 2-0 record after home wins over Miami, Ohio (81-72) and Missouri (78-66). Sophomore J.P. Macura leads the team with 16.5 points per game as he is shooting 57.1 percent from the field. Freshman Edmond Sumner is second with 15.5 ppg, and sophomore Trevon Bluiett is third at 14.0 ppg. Xavier, 41.0 rpg, has outrebounded its first two opponents by +14.5.
• Xavier has made nine of the last 10 NCAA Tournament fields and 13 of the last 15.
• Xavier has reached the Sweet 16 five times in the last eight years -- (2008, '09, '10, '12 and '15).
• Chris Mack is the first coach in school history to lead Xavier to three Sweet 16 appearances.
WHAT'S AHEAD?
Michigan has a stretch of five road games over its next six contests beginning with a trip to the Battle 4 Atlantis, Nov. 25-27, in the Bahamas. The Wolverines open with #19/24 UConn (Nov. 25 and face either Charlotte or Syracuse (Nov. 26). On the final day (Nov. 27), U-M has the possibility of facing 10/12 Gonzaga, Washington, Texas or Texas A&M. After returning stateside on Saturday, U-M heads to Raleigh, North Carolina, on Tuesday (Dec. 1) to face N.C. State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Following a home game against Houston Baptist (Dec. 5), the Wolverines hit the road for the last time in the non-conference going down to Dallas, Texas, to play at SMU (Dec. 8) finishing gauntlet of games.
THE CORE FOUR RETURNS TO THE FLOOR
• Michigan refers its upperclassmen -- Spike Albrecht, Caris LeVert, Zak Irvin and Derrick Walton Jr. -- as the Core Four.
• All four members of the Core Four have missed at least six months of injury time and completely away from a basketball court over the past year -- LeVert (10 months, left foot & surgery); Walton (eight months, left toe/foot), Albrecht (six month, hip surgery) and Irvin (six months, back surgery).
• The good news is all four have returned to the floor for the 2015-16 season.
• Caris LeVert leads U-M with 14.5 points per games while adding 6.0 apg, 4.0 rpg and 3.0 spg. He has had back-to-back double-figure scoring games with 18 in the opener against Northern Michigan (Nov. 13) and 11 against Elon (Nov. 16).
• Derrick Walton Jr. had just four points and two rebounds in the opener against Northern Michigan; however, he exploded against Elon with a career-best 24 points on 8-for-10 shooting with a career-best 6-for-7 from long range. He added seven assists and six rebounds.
• Spike Albrecht continues to play his way back into basketball shape as he has played 17 and 11 minutes, respectively, over the first two games. He had seven points, three assists and two steals in the opener against NMU and had a rebound and a steal against Elon.
• Zak Irvin made his return to the floor against Elon. He did not score, but his impact was immediately felt as the defense by the Wolverines immediately changed. Irvin will take his time and continue to play his way back into the lineup. He saw 15 total minutes against Elon.
THINGS TO WATCH FOR
• Caris LeVert needs 148 points to become the 49th Wolverine to reach 1,000 career points
• Caris LeVert needs to play in 10 more games to become the 63rd Wolverines to play in 100 career games. Teammate Spike Albrecht reached the century mark last season and has 109 career games under his belt.
• Zak Irvin needs just three three-point field goals to crack U-M's all-time top 10 for three-point field goals.
THINGS TO KNOW
• Juniors Andrew Dakich and Sean Lonergan are looking to redshirt the season. Dakich wanted to redshirt last season but went to coach John Beilein and asked to burn it after the Wolverines suffered so many injuries -- he played in 13 of the final 14 games.
• Through U-M's research attempts, Duncan Robinson appears to be the first DIII play to transfer to DI and get a scholarship.
