Michigan Basketball: 5 bold predictions for the 2017-18 season

The 2017-18 season begins Saturday night for Michigan basketball and ahead of the season-opener against North Florida, here are five bold predictions for the Wolverines.

There has been a lot of anticipation for the 2017-18 Michigan basketball season and with good reason. The Wolverines are coming off a Big Ten Tournament Championship and a run to the Sweet 16. Well tonight, against North Florida, fans finally get a glimpse of this year’s team.

And the Wolverines will get to hang a championship banner (Big 10 Tournament).

So for Michigan basketball, the wait is over, although the opponent, North Florida, is anything but a juggernaut. The Ospreys also might be a little tired after playing at Michigan State Friday, losing 98-66 to the second-ranked Spartans.

Ivan Gandia-Rosa scored 19 points, while Garrett Sams had 13. The Osprey don’t have a bad little program. Last season, they were 15-19 overall, but had an 8-6 mark in their league, the Atlantic Sun. In 2015-16, North Florida won the regular season title and went to the NIT.

And despite a poor record last season, North Florida was within one game on an NCAA Tournament berth, falling in the Atlantic Sun Championship Game to Florida Gulf Coast.

However, the Kenpom power rankings, have the Osprey listed as 296th best team in the country. Michigan basketball checks in at No.34. The contest should be more competitive than the Wolverines exhibition, but UM should roll to an easy win.

Since tonight is the start of the season, it seemed like a good time for some predictions, so here are five for the 2017-18 season.