Wolverines Close B1G Home Slate Hosting Nebraska on Senior Day

Thursday, February 28

Ann Arbor, Mich.

7:00 PM

Michigan

Nebraska

Charles Matthews

Wolverines Close B1G Home Slate Hosting Nebraska on Senior Day

2/27/2019 12:12:00 PM | Men's Basketball

By: Tom Wywrot

» No. 9 Michigan hosts Nebraska in its Big Ten home finale at Crisler Center.
» In a pregame ceremony, U-M will honor its lone senior, Charles Matthews, as well as graduating student support staff and managers.
» Thursday night's game is the only regular-season meeting with Nebraska.

NEXT GAME
Thursday, Feb. 28 -- Nebraska, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

The ninth-ranked University of Michigan men's basketball team (24-4, 13-4 Big Ten) will host Nebraska (15-13, 5-12 Big Ten) in the 2019 Big Ten regular-season finale on Thursday (Feb. 28) at a sold out Crisler Center. In an ESPN broadcast, tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. with Dave Flemming, Dan Dakich and Molly McGrath on the call.

A Little Bit About Nebraska

• Nebraska comes to Ann Arbor with a 15-13 overall record and a 5-12 mark in Big Ten play.
• The Cornhuskers have lost nine of their last 11 games dating back to Jan. 17. Nebraska is 4-8 away from Lincoln this season and is 2-7 in true road games, including a 1-7 Big Ten road record this season.
• Senior guard James Palmer, Jr. leads Nebraska in points (18.9 ppg), assists (3.2 apg) and free-throw percentage (79.2%). Palmer has gone 175-for-221 from the free-throw line as his 175 free throws made is the eighth best in the country while his 221 attempts are fifth nationally. He is second on Nebraska with 50 long-range buckets.
• Senior guard Glynn Watson Jr. has averaged 12.4 points per game and leads the team with 56 three-pointers. Nearly 49 percent of his attempts this season have come from long range. He is second on Nebraska with 82 assists (2.9 apg). Junior forward Isaiah Roby gives Nebraska three active double-figure scorers as he is chipping in 11.3 points per game. He leads the Cornhuskers with 7.1 rebounds per game and has team-best 48 blocks (1.7 bpg).
• Senior forward Isaac Copeland, Jr. was averaging 14.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, before he suffered a season-ending knee injury against Ohio State (Jan. 26).
• Nebraska ranks seventh nationally in fewest turnovers per game, averaging just 9.8 per contest. The Cornhuskers have six players with 20-plus three-pointers as they have 214 on the season, shooting 33.9 percent. Nearly 40 percent of Nebraska's offense is from beyond the arc.
• Tim Miles is in his seventh season as head coach at Nebraska, having led the Cornhuskers to the NCAA Tournament in 2014. Miles came to Lincoln following five seasons as head coach at Colorado State.

The Series With The Cornhuskers

• Thursday night's game -- the only one between the teams in the 2019 regular season -- marks the 19th all-time meeting between Michigan and Nebraska.
• U-M leads the all-time series, 15-3, against Nebraska and is 7-0 in games played in Ann Arbor.
• After winning 10 straight in the series, the Wolverines saw that run come to an end with a 72-52 loss on Jan. 18, 2018, at Pinnacle Bank Arena. But the Maize and Blue rebounded in March with a 77-58 in the quarterfinal as U-M went on to repeat as Big Ten Tournament champions.
• There has never been an overtime game with Nebraska.
• There have been three games in the series decided by three points or fewer, with U-M holding a 2-1 edge. The last time was on Jan. 9, 2014, when U-M came away with a narrow 71-70 victory in Lincoln. After Nebraska's Terran Petteway hit one of two free throws with 34 seconds left, the Cornhuskers held a one-point advantage (70-69). On U-M's next possession, Derrick Walton Jr. drove to the basket and was fouled as his shot rattled in. After missing the free throw, Nebraska had two attempts to win the game as time was expiring, helping the Wolverines escape with the one-point win, 71-70.
• U-M head coach John Beilein is 9-1 all-time against Nebraska.

It Comes Down to This

• With three games remaining, U-M is remains in the hunt for the Big Ten regular-season title. The Wolverines sit at 13-4 record and are a game behind Michigan State (14-3) and a half-game behind Purdue (13-3), which hosts Illinois on Wednesday (Feb. 27).
• The Wolverines close their Big Ten home schedule tonight against Nebraska, while the Maize and Blue closes its conference regular season with road games at No. 17 Maryland (March 3) and at #6 Michigan State (March 9).
• The Maize and Blue has already assured itself a first-round bye in the Big Ten Tournament. U-M could secure its first double-bye at the league tourney history with a win over the Cornhuskers.

Home Finale Salutes Lone Senior Matthews

• Charles Matthews will be honored in a pregame ceremony prior to Thursday's game.
• After transferring from Kentucky, Matthews does have an additional year remaining, but he will still be honored as the Wolverines lone senior. He is on pace to graduate with a general studies degree.
• Prior to Thursday's game, Matthews has played in 69 consecutive games in his two seasons for the Maize and Blue.
• Matthews has scored 888 points (12.8 ppg) and grabbed 371 rebounds (5.4 rpg). He needs just 112 points to become the 55th 1,000 point scorer in U-M history.
• Earning 2018 NCAA All-West and Most Outstanding Player honors, Matthews helped U-M reach the 2018 Final Four and national title game. He was also part of two straight Big Ten Tournament title teams for the Wolverines.

This and That

• Since going 5-for-11 (45.4 percent) at the free throw line at Wisconsin (Jan. 19), Michigan has shot 75.9 percent (107-for-141) over its last nine games. For the season, U-M shoots 69.5 percent.
• Michigan held Minnesota (Feb. 21) to just one three-pointer. That tied a season-low for a U-M opponent after Penn State made just one in the game at Crisler Center (Jan. 3). U-M's opponents make just 4.7 per game.
• After not recording an assist against Minnesota (Jan. 22) at Crisler Center, Zavier Simpson has dished 74 (7.4 apg) dimes over his last 10 games, including a career-best 12 twice -- against Ohio State (Jan. 29) and at Minnesota (Feb. 21). His 12 helpers against the Buckeyes led to the sixth triple-double in program history.
• Jordan Poole posted his fourth 20-plus point game with 22 at Minnesota (Feb. 21). He has 20 double-figure scoring games this season -- second only to Ignas Brazdeikis' 22.
• For the fifth time this season, Jon Teske tied a career-best with 17 points at Minnesota (Feb. 21). He finished the game 7-for-11 from the field and 3-for-6 from deep, tying a career high for long-range makes.
• In addition to his 17 points, Teske posted a career-best five blocks against the Gophers. It is the third time he has reached his career high this season. Teske leads the Big Ten in blocks (2.3 per game). He has had at least one block in 27 games and in his last 23. His 64 blocks are the most for a Wolverine since Ekpe Udoh had 92 in 2007-08 -- 11 seasons ago.