Wolverines to Return Home for Tilt Against No. 9 Iowa

Thursday, February 25

Ann Arbor, Mich.

7:00 PM

Michigan

Iowa

Isaiah Livers (Michigan Photography)

Wolverines to Return Home for Tilt Against No. 9 Iowa

2/23/2021 9:18:00 AM | Men's Basketball

By: Tom Wywrot

» No. 3 Michigan returns home to take on No. 9 Iowa, U-M's seventh game against a ranked opponent.
» Originally scheduled for March 4, the game with Iowa was moved to Thursday after U-M's department pause.
» Hunter Dickinson earned his seventh Big Ten Freshman of the Week, tying U-M's single-season record.
» U-M has won its last five games, while Iowa is on a four-game win streak.

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The No. 3-ranked University of Michigan men's basketball team (16-1, 11-1 Big Ten) return home for a second straight top-10 matchup, hosting No. 9 Iowa (17-6, 11-6 Big Ten) at Crisler Center. The game is the only one of the regular season between the Wolverines and Hawkeyes, and is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tipoff on ESPN with Dan Shulman (play-by-play) and Dick Vitale (analyst) on the call.

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 Iowa Hawkeyes?

• Following a four losses in a five-game Big Ten stretch, Iowa (17-6, 11-5 B1G) has rebounded, winning its last four games heading into the only regular-season meeting of the season between Iowa and Michigan this season. Thursday night's game was originally scheduled for March 4 but was altered to play a week earlier after the U-M athletic department-wide activities pause.
• With the highest-scoring offense in the Big Ten (86.4 points per game) and fourth nationally, the Hawkeyes are led by All-American, National and Big Ten Player of the Year candidate Luka Garza, who leads the nation in scoring (24.7 ppg). In addition to his scoring, he is averaging 8.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks, while shooting 56.0 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from long range, with 32 three-pointers. Garza has made 164 trips to the free-throw line, nearly 7.0 per game. As a team, Iowa has gone to the charity stripe 509 trips (22.1 per game), which ranks ninth in the nation.
• Behind Garza are long-range specialists Joe Wieskamp (15.3 ppg) and Jordan Bohannon (9.6 ppg). The duo has each made 56 three-pointers apiece as they combine for 112 of Iowa's 234 total triples, which is the seventh most in the nation. The Hawkeyes are shooting 40.3 percent from deep, which is third in the country, while nearly 40 percent of Iowa's offense comes from beyond the arc.
• Adding to his scoring, Bohannon averages 4.6 assists per game (102), while Connor McCaffery is second with 3.6 per game off the bench. Iowa sixth-man Jack Nunge comes off the bench to post 7.5 points and 5.6 rebounds.

The All-Time Series with Iowa

• Michigan leads, 96-65, in the all-time series with Iowa. U-M holds a 53-24 record in Ann Arbor, including seven of the last 10 at Crisler Center.
• Michigan has nine (4-5) games vacated by NCAA Sanctions -- giving U-M an NCAA recognized 92-60 all-ime record against the Hawkeyes.
• There are 13 games when both were ranked among the nation's top 25, with U-M leading, 7-6. In the last top-25 meeting, No. 17 Iowa defeated No. 10 Michigan, 85-67, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Feb. 8, 2014.
• There have been 12 games decided by one point, with U-M holding a 27-5 advantage. The last thriller was Jan. 20, 2001, when U-M knocked off No. 14 Iowa, 70-69, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Michigan's Avery Queen made one of two free throws to give U-M a 70-67 lead with under a minute to go. After a Luke Recker layup, the Hawkeyes trailed by one with 46 seconds left. After running down the shot clock, Leon Jones missed a U-M jumper, and Iowa had three chances to win the game over the final 14 seconds but could not make a basket.
• There have been 30 games decided by three points. U-M leads, 19-11, in those games. The last came Jan. 1, 2017, an 86-83 Iowa overtime win at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. With Iowa up, 84-81, Derrick Walton, Jr., made a layup with 23 seconds left to bring U-M within one. After Peter Jok made two free throws, D.J. Wilson rimmed out a game-winning three-pointer as Iowa hung on for the win.
• There have been 15 overtime games in the series, with U-M leading, 11-4. There have been 12 overtime, two double-overtime and one triple-overtime game. The last time OT game was March 1, 2018, a 77-71 Wolverine win in the Big Ten Tournament. After a Jordan Bohannon triple to tie the game as time expired, the Hawkeyes went cold in the extra period and the Wolverines advanced and eventually won their second straight B1G Tournament title.
• Longest U-M win streak: nine games (Jan. 26, 1974 to Feb. 25, 1978).
• Longest U-M losing streak: five games (three times)
• Largest U-M Victory: 31 points (127-96) at Michigan on March 10, 1990.
• Largest U-M Loss: 28 points (94-66) at Iowa on Feb. 4, 2006.
• U-M total 10+ point victories: 35 | U-M total 10+ point losses: 30
• U-M's average winning margin: 9.2 points (96 wins) | U-M's average losing margin: 10.1 points (65 losses)
• U-M's highest total: 127 (March 10, 1990; W, 127-96 in Ann Arbor) | Iowa's highest total: 107 (Feb. 9, 1989; L, 108-107 in Iowa City)
• U-M's total series points: 10,687 (66.4) | Iowa's total series points: 10,460 (65.0)

Perfect Material for the Broadcast

• U-M has won its last five games, including road victories at Purdue (70-53), at No. 21 Wisconsin (67-59) and at No. 4 Ohio State (92-87). The Wolverines are 5-1 away from Ann Arbor -- all Big Ten games.
• Michigan has played four of its last six games on the road and will close the regular season playing three of the final five in Ann Arbor.
• Hunter Dickinson was awarded his seventh Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor this week, tying the U-M record of Trey Burke for most in a single season. Burke earned seven honors during the 2011-12 season and went on to be named the Big Ten's Freshman of the Year.
• Dickinson leads U-M in scoring (15.0 ppg), rebounding (7.8), blocks (28; 1.6 per game) and field-goal percentage (.639). Coming off the bench in the non-conference season, he moved into the starting lineup following an injury to Austin Davis and has started all 12 Big Ten games.
• Isaiah Livers has continued to become an all-around threat and is averaging 14.4 points per game, as he has a team-best five 20-plus point games. He is 70 points away from reaching 1,000 career points. However, it is everything else he has done that has people on notice. He is averaging career-bests in rebounding (5.9) and assists (2.4; 40 total). Livers has 3+ assists in seven of his last nine games, while grabbing 5+ boards in all nine of those contests -- including a career-high-tying 10 at Purdue (Jan. 22).
• Mike Smith continues to lead the Big Ten (33rd nationally) with 5.4 assists per game. He leads the conference dishing 6+ assists in nine of his last 11 games, which included a career-best 10 at Minnesota (Jan. 16) -- his first double-digit performance of his collegiate career. Smith (485) needs 15 assists to reach 500 in his collegiate career.
• It is a bit buried in the stats, but Smith leads U-M shooting 47.6 percent from long range. That is hard to imagine after he started 1-for-9 to begin the season. Since then, he has gone 19-for-33 (57.5 percent), making at least one three-pointer in 12 of his last 13 games.

Team Fast Facts

• Michigan is second in the Big Ten lead shooting 50.2 percent from the field, which is 11th nationally.
• The Wolverines have shot 50 percent or higher from the field in 10 games; seven of which have come in Big Ten play.
• U-M is holding opponents to 38.5 percent shooting, which leads the Big Ten and is fifth nationally.
• The Wolverines have scored 80 points or more in 11 games; U-M had 10 all of last season.
• The Maize and Blue averages 79.1 points per game, trailing Iowa (86.4) and Illinois (81.7) in the Big Ten.
• U-M allows 66.2 points per game, which is third in the Big Ten (Wisconsin; 62.7 and Maryland; 65.3).
• Michigan is second in the Big Ten in free-throw percentage (.767), which is 30th nationally.
• The Wolverines has 40 rebounds or more in nine games; U-M had eight all of last season.
• U-M allows 30.9 rebounds per game, third in the Big Ten.
• Michigan's 8.2 rebounding margin is second in the Big Ten (Illinois; 9.8).
• The Wolverines have 20 assists or more in five games; U-M had four all of last season.
• U-M has 40 points or more in the paint in seven games; U-M had seven all of last season.
• Michigan has allowed the fewest three-pointers in the Big Ten with 119 (7.0 per game).
• Michigan's opponents are shooting 33.1 percent from long range, fifth in Big Ten.

Player Fast Facts

• Hunter Dickinson leads U-M in scoring (15.0 ppg), rebounding (7.8) and double-doubles (four). He also has 14 double-figure scoring games with four of 20-plus points, while his 53 free throws are more than any other Wolverine has attempted (Franz Wagner, 47)
• Isaiah Livers (14.4 ppg) has 14 double-figure scoring games, with five of them with 20 points or more. He has five rebounds or more in 12 of his last 14 games (5.9 rpg).
• Livers has three assists or more in seven of his last nine games.
• Franz Wagner has started all 44 games of his U-M career. He has 10 double-figure scoring games with two with 20 points or more.
• Wagner has team-best 22 steals and 18 blocks (2nd on U-M)
• Mike Smith leads U-M and the Big Ten in assists (5.4; 92 total), and has had six assists or more in the nine of the last 11 games -- with three or more in 16 of 17 games.
• Smith (485 assists) needs 15 more to reach 500 in his collegiate career and with his 1,799 points needs 201 more to reach 2,000 in his collegiate career.
• Eli Brooks (9.0 ppg) has eight double-figure scoring games with a season-best 17 at Ohio State.
• Brooks (3.3 apg) has four assists or more in eight games.
• Brandon Johns Jr. has gone 17-for-28 from the field (60.7 percent) since Christmas.
• Johns has 16 offensive and 20 defensive rebounds.
• Austin Davis has 15 offensive and 19 defensive rebounds.