Wolverines Set to Head to Allstate Arena for Matchup with Wildcats

Tuesday, February 6

Evanston, Ill.

6:00 PM CT

Michigan

Northwestern

Tickets

Wolverines Set to Head to Allstate Arena for Matchup with Wildcats

2/5/2018 2:37:00 PM | Men's Basketball

By: Tom Wywrot

» Michigan and Northwestern will meet for the second time in just over a week.
» Last Monday, the Wolverines claimed a 58-47 decision over the Wildcats at Crisler Center.
» With Welsh-Ryan Arena under construction, Northwestern has played all its home games at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.
» For the fourth straight week, the Wolverines have remained among the nation's top-25 ranked programs -- No. 20 (Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches).
» On Tuesday, Duncan Robinson will become the 68th Wolverine to play 100 career games for the Maize and Blue.

THIS WEEK
Tuesday, Feb. 6 -- at Northwestern, 6 p.m. CST (BTN)
Sunday, Feb. 11 -- at Wisconsin, Noon CST (CBS)

The No. 20th-ranked University of Michigan men's basketball team (19-6, 8-4 B1G) heads to Chicago, Illinois, Tuesday (Feb. 6) for its second-regular season matchup with Northwestern (14-10, 5-6 B1G) in just over a week. Playing at Allstate Arena, tipoff is scheduled 6 p.m. CST with the game broadcast on BTN.

THE SERIES WITH NORTHWESTERN
• The game marks the 171st all-time meeting between Michigan and Northwestern.
• U-M leads in the overall series, 112-57.
• The game is the second regular-season meeting between the two schools in a week. Last Monday, U-M was able to capitalize on solid second-half shooting to claim a 58-47 victory in Crisler Center.
• Northwestern is playing all of its home games this season in Rosemont, Illinois, at Allstate Arena, 13 miles from its Evanston campus, while Welsh-Ryan Arena is undergoing a $110 million renovation and should is slated to re-open for the 2018-19 season.
• Michigan has a 45-36 record in Chicago. U-M has lost four of its last six games at Northwestern. The Wolverines' last road win in Chicago was a 94-66 decision, on Jan. 3, 2013, when the Maize and Blue was ranked No. 2 in the country.
• U-M head coach John Beilein is 13-6 against Northwestern.

A LITTLE ABOUT THE WILDCATS
• Northwestern has a 14-10 overall record, including 5-6 mark in Big Ten play. The Wildcats are coming off a 60-52 win at Wisconsin.
• After three straight B1G road games, Northwestern returns home for the Michigan game before heading back out for two more conference road games.
• Four players are scoring in double figures for Northwestern, Led by 14.0 points per game from Scottie Lindsey. Bryant McIntosh adds 12.6 points, Vic Law chips in 12.4 points and Dererk Pardon scores 11.7 points per game while also grabbing a team-best 7.0 rebounds.
• Northwestern leads the Big Ten in free throw percentage, shooting 75.5 percent. Individually, Bryant McIntosh shoots a team-best 88.0 percent.
• Former U-M assistant Billy Donlon, who spent the 2016-17 season in Ann Arbor, joined the Northwestern staff as an assistant to Chris Collins prior to this season.

IT WAS JUST A WEEK AGO
• Then-No. 24 Michigan trailed for the majority of the first half before coming back to defeat Northwestern, 58-47, inside Crisler Center.
• U-M was stuck on five points for the first 11 minutes of the first half before going on a 16-5 run to head into the half with a 21-19 lead. Finding some openings in the Wildcats zone in the second half, U-M never lost the lead and went on to the 58-47 victory.
• Charles Matthews scored a team-high 14 points to go along with seven rebounds and a career-high three steals. Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman added 11 points, followed by eight apiece from Duncan Robinson, Moritz Wagner and Jordan Poole.
• The Maize and Blue committed a season-low five turnovers while forcing 16.

QUICK HITTERS FOR THIS SEASON
• Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman has played in 123 consecutive games and 51 straight starts. He has played in 128 career games (15th all-time) at U-M.
• Earlier this season, Abdur-Rahkman became the 52nd Wolverine to reach 1,000 career points (1,069, 46th).
• In his last game, Abdur-Rahkman became the 23rd Wolverine to reach 100 career starts (100, 23rd).
• With one more game, Duncan Robinson will become the 68th Wolverine to play 100 career games.
• Michigan has held eight opponents to 55 or fewer points this season.
• Once again, U-M is among the top five nationally for turnovers per game (4th, 9.52). The Wolverines have 10 or fewer turnovers in 17 games.
• U-M has made at least eight or more three-pointers in 19 of 25 games this season, with 12 with of 10-plus.
• U-M is 13-1 at home this season. The lone loss was a one-point setback against then-No. 5/7 Purdue, which sank two free throws in the final seconds to escape with the win. The Boilermakers (12-0 B1G) have won 19 straight games.
• The Wolverines 82-72 win at then-No. 4/4 Michigan State is the Spartans lone loss at Breslin Center (14-1).
• Michigan's 88 points are the most scored at No. 3/3 Purdue and Mackey Arena this season.

SOME INTERESTING MICHIGAN POINTS
• Michigan is holding opponents to 63.5 points per game, which ranks 16th nationally. The Wolverines have held their foes to 65 or fewer points in 12 games. Those 12 contests includes five games under 50 -- including a season-low 42 by UC Riverside.
• According to the latest Kem Pom stats, U-M ranks 50th in Offensive Efficiency and 18th in Defensive Efficiency.
• As with most Beilein-coached teams, the three-pointer is a featured scoring component. So far this season nearly 43 percent of U-M's offense has come via the long-range shot, and Michigan is 29th nationally with 631 three-point attempts. U-M has made eight or more three-pointers in 19 games.
• The Wolverines have 12 games with 10 or more three-pointers and carry a 9-3 record when reaching the feat. So far, U-M has a season-high 15, twice -- vs. Chaminade and Alabama A&M.
• Flipping the stat line, U-M's opponents are averaging just 5.6 three-pointers per game. In the first four games, the Wolverines gave up 32 triples (8.0 per game); however, they have buckled down on the perimeter and are allowing 5.1 per game since -- 108 total. U-M has held an opponent to five or fewer triples in 16 games, including a season-low two twice -- by Indiana and Rutgers.
• With more defensive intensity stressed this season, U-M already has 157 steals -- 6.3 per game -- with eight Wolverines collecting 10 or more swipes and three with 20-plus led by Zavier Simpson's 29.