Michigan to Host Southern Utah in Saturday Night Action at Crisler Center

» With two games left prior to winter break, Michigan hosts Southern Utah on Saturday at Crisler Center.
» The defending Big Sky champions, the Thunderbirds (7-3) were picked to repeat as champion in the preseason.
» In his last three games, Hunter Dickinson, who leads U-M in scoring (15.0) and rebounding (9.0), has posted three straight double-doubles and has gone 4-for-8 from long range.

• Complete Game Notes (PDF)

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The University of Michigan men's basketball team (6-4) plays the first of two home games before winter break when the Wolverines host Southern Utah (7-3) on Saturday (Dec. 18) at Crisler Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. on Big Ten Network with Matt Schumacker (play-by-play) and Robbie Hummel (analyst) on the call remotely.

Saturday's game also is

The Southern Utah Thunderbirds

• Saturday's game marks the first meeting between Michigan and Southern Utah.

• Southern Utah comes to Ann Arbor with a 7-3 record and a six-game winning streak. The Thunderbirds last lost on Nov. 18 at Cal in double overtimes (75-68). In its last game, Southern Utah won 100-61 over St. Katherine (Dec. 11).

• Southern Utah rolled through the Big Sky last season finishing 20-4 with a 12-2 conference record, winning the program's first-ever regular-season title and earning the No. 1 seed in the Big Sky Tournament. The Thunderbirds led the league in scoring offense (84.2) and scoring margin (+14.7).

• The Thunderbirds were selected as the preseason favorite to repeat as Big Sky champs.

• The last time U-M faced a program from the Big Sky was in back-to-back NCAA Tournament first-round games against Montana -- 2018 (W, 61-47) and 2019 (W, 74-55).

• The Thunderbirds rely heavily on their experience with nine of 17 players listed as a senior or super senior.

• Southern Utah is averaging 81.6 points, having eclipsed 80+ points in six games and 100 points twice. It averages 43.8 rebounds per game. Nearly 42 percent of its offense comes via three-pointers.

• Super senior John Knight III (6-foot-3 guard) leads the team in scoring with 18.1 points per game and is second with 5.0 rebounds. He has nine double-figure games with three of 20+ points and a season-best 31 at Cal. He is shooting 60.7 percent and has taken just four three-pointers. A quarter of his scoring has come via the free-throw line (45-for-69). He also leads in assists (40) and steals (19).

• Last season's leading scorer and former Illinois guard, Tevian Jones (6-foot-7 guard) is averaging 13.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and is second with 19 three-pointers. Super senior Dre Marin (6-0, guard) leads the team with 22 three-pointers and is third with 12.1 points per game. He is also 21-for-23 from the free-throw line.

• Senior Maizen Fausett (6-foot-6 forward) leads with 9.0 rebounds per game, while adding 11.2 points per game. He has four games of 10+ rebounds and 7+ in eight of his 10 games.

• Southern Utah head coach Todd Simon, a Central Michigan graduate, is in his sixth season coaching the Thunderbirds.

• Southern Utah has made one trip to the NCAA Tournament. In 2001, the Thunderbirds earned the No. 14 seed and fell 68-65 to No. 3 seed Boston College.

What Else You Need to Know

• Hunter Dickinson has started 33 straight games and played in all 38 games of his two-year career.

• DeVante' Jones has started his last 67 games, while Brandon Johns Jr. has 59 consecutive games played.

• For a second season, Hunter Dickinson leads U-M in scoring (15.0) and rebounding (9.0).

• The only Wolverine to score in double figures in all 10 games, Eli Brooks averages 13.7 points per game.

• Posting five double-figure scoring games, Caleb Houstan gives U-M three players in double digits (10.2).

• Over his last five games, Houstan has shot 52 percent from long range.

• Caleb Houstan (19) and Eli Brooks (19) have 38 of U-M's 66 three-pointers -- 57.5 percent.

• In his last three games, Hunter Dickinson is 4-for-8 (.500) from long range.

• Caleb Houstan (4.6 rpg) has nabbed 31 of his 46 rebounds over his last five games -- 6.2 rpg.

• Brooks has gone 24-for-27 (.889) from the free-throw line and is 64-for-71 (.901) over the last two seasons. For his career, Brooks is an 80.8 percent free-throw shooter (110-for-136).

• Jones leads U-M in assists with 39 (3.9 apg). Recently, he tied his season-best with eight at Nebraska (Dec. 7) -- his first eight-dime game was vs. UNLV (Nov. 19) at the Roman Main Event in Las Vegas.

• In 28 games last season, Hunter Dickinson had 25 total assists. This season (10 games), he already has 21 -- including a career-best-tying four against Seton Hall (Nov. 16). He has six games of three assists or more.

• Dickinson has grabbed 10+ rebounds in his last three games, leading to three straight double-doubles -- he has four total on the season. He has 10+ boards in four of his last five games, with a season-best 14 against San Diego State (Dec. 4).

• Moussa Diabate, who is second on U-M with 5.6 rpg, has nearly evenly split his rebounding (20 offensive, 30 defensive). He posted his first career 10+ board game with 13 against Minnesota (Dec. 11).

• Hunter Dickinson (10) and Diabate (10) have 20 of 31 of Michigan's blocks (64.5 percent).

Up Next

Tuesday, Dec. 21 -- vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (Crisler Center), 7 p.m.