Michigan
Bowling Green
Wolverines to Tip Off 2020-21 Season with Home Game Against Falcons
11/25/2020 9:29:00 AM | Men's Basketball
» After eight months and 17 days, Michigan will get back to the hardwood to host Bowling Green Wednesday (Nov. 25) in the 2020-21 season opener.
» Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, the Wolverines will play a 25-game regular season schedule -- five non-conference (all at home) and 20 Big Ten games.
» With the current State of Michigan orders, there will be no fans present at today's game.
» Michigan welcomes seven newcomers to this year's roster, including three transfers and four freshmen.
» Isaiah Livers returns for his senior campaign after leading the Wolverines with 12.9 points per game a year ago.
Up Next
Wednesday, Nov. 25 -- vs. Bowling Green (Crisler Center), 4 p.m.
• TV: ESPN2 | Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio
• Satellite Radio: Sirius: 135 | XM: 195 | Internet: 957
• Complete Game Notes (PDF)
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The 25th-ranked University of Michigan men's basketball team will open the 2020-21 season by hosting Bowling Green Wednesday (Nov. 25) at Crisler Center. The game is scheduled for a 4 p.m. tipoff on ESPN2 with Jason Benneti (p-by-p) and Robbie Hummel (analyst) as the broadcast crew.
Hail From Home
Game days may look different this season, but the tradition of cheering on Michigan men's basketball continues. Hail From Home is our way to virtually bring the excitement of game day to fans. Throughout the season, fans can look forward to a variety of digital engagements including a game day check-in with monthly prizes, fan cutouts at Crisler Center, game day playlists, Crisler scoreboard messages, special theme games, and more. » Hail From Home
Who Are the Bowling Green Falcons?
• Bowling Green finished last season with a 21-10 overall record and was second in the Mid-American East with 12-6 mark.
• The Falcons are the preseason favorite to win the MAC.
• Bowling Green returns four of its five top scorers from last season, led by two-time All-MAC first team selection Justin Turner's 18.8 points a game. Turner needs just 344 points to become Bowling Green's all-time leading scorer. Daeqwuon Plowden averaged nearly a double-double last season with 12.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
• Bowling Green is led by head coach Michael Huger, who enters his sixth season. Overall he is 88-75 with the Falcons and has led the program to 20-plus win seasons in back-to-back years for the first time since the 1947-48 and 1948-49 campaigns.
The Series with the Falcons
• Today's game will mark the 13th all-time meeting between Michigan and Bowling Green.
• Michigan leads the all-time series, 9-3, and has won the last three meetings.
• It has been just over a decade since the Wolverines met the Falcons -- a 69-50 U-M win in a regional-round game for the Legends Classic at Crisler Center on Nov. 18, 2020.
• The Maize and Blue has a 9-1 mark in Ann Arbor in the series and has dropped both road games.
What You Need to Know for the Game
• It has been eight months and 17 days since Michigan has played a basketball game.
• The last game was at Maryland in the Big Ten regular-season finale on March 8, 2020. The Wolverines were on the floor warming to face Rutgers in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament on March 12, 2020. However, the game, and subsequently the tournament, was canceled due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
• The Wolverines have continued to live their "mini-bubble" and are tested for the coronavirus six days a week.
• Due to the pandemic, the Wolverines will play a reduced schedule of 25 regular-season games -- five non-conference and 20 Big Ten games. All five of Michigan's non-conference games will be played in Ann Arbor.
• The Wolverines will make their first road trip of the season for a Christmas Day game at Nebraska. U-M also will help usher in 2021 with a New Year's Eve game at Maryland.
• Austin Davis and Isaiah Livers were named captains for the 2020-21 season.
• Franz Wagner finished last season with seven straight double-figure scoring games. Over those last seven games, he averaged 15.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. He shot 58.1 percent (43-for-74) from the field and 39.3 percent (13-for-33) from long range. During this stretch, he scored a career-best 22 points at Purdue (Feb. 22) -- the second 20+ point game of his career -- and posted his first career double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds) at No. 23 Ohio State (March 1).
• Isaiah Livers missed just two free throws last season as he led U-M at 95.7 percent (44-for-46). He is 36-for-36 over his last 12 games. Even better, Livers was a perfect 34-for-34 in Big Ten play.
• Austin Davis ("Big Country") went 30-for-40 (75.0 percent) from the field over his last 12 games last season. During this stretch, he posted his first career double-figure game with 11 against Ohio State (Feb. 1).
Some Maize and Blue Quick Hitters
• Both Isaiah Livers and Franz Wagner explored the NBA Draft, but they both elected to return.
• After scoring 1,653 points at Columbia, Mike Smith needs 347 to reach 2,000 in his collegiate career.
• With 876 points at Wake Forest, Chaundee Brown Jr. need 124 more to reach 1,000 in his collegiate career.
• Despite missing 10 games last season, Isaiah Livers still led U-M with 12.9 points per game. With 686 career points, he needs 314 to reach 1,000 at U-M.
• On March 4, 2020, U-M coach Juwan Howard approached Austin Davis before practice and let him know that he had a spot for him for his fifth year if he wanted it. Davis was so excited he bear-hugged Howard. This preseason, Davis was named one of two captains.
• Mike Smith has recorded one block during his playing career. Playing in all 40 minutes against Stonybrook (Dec. 7, 2017) he finished with 18 points, eight assists, five steals, four rebounds and his only career block.
• Franz Wagner is the younger brother of former All-Big Ten Wolverine Moritz Wagner, who was a first-round NBA Draft pick (Los Angeles Lakers) and is currently with the Washington Wizards.
• Two of Michigan's four freshman are lefties -- Hunter Dickinson and Zeb Jackson. Including Luke Wilson, U-M has three lefty shooters on the roster.
Wait, How Many New Faces Are There?
• Michigan welcomes seven new faces to the roster, including graduate transfer Mike Smith (Columbia) and transfer Chaundee Brown Jr. (Wake Forest). After taking a medical year (2018-19), Smith was able to transfer and play immediately; the Ivy League does not allow for athletes to have a fifth year. Brown transferred from Wake Forest after declaring the NBA Draft and the firing of head coach Danny Manning. After a long wait, the NCAA declared Brown eligible for the season on Oct. 30.
• U-M added Ann Arbor native Brandon Wade (Duquesne) at the midway point last season. He will have to continue to sit out the first semester as he has to wait a full calendar year after his transfer.
• Finally, the Wolverines welcome four freshmen to Ann Arbor: 7-foot-1 center Hunter Dickinson, 6-7 forward Jace Howard (Coach Howard's son), 6-5 guard Zeb Jackson and 6-7 forward Terrance Williams II.
• So with seven new faces, what did Michigan lose? Well, seniors Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske graduated and are pursuing NBA careers with the L.A. Lakers and Orlando Magic, respectively. U-M also lost three transfers: David DeJulius (Cincinnati), Colin Castleton (Florida) and Cole Bajema (Washington). All three received NCAA waivers for immediate eligibility.
