Michigan Basketball vs Montana: How to watch, what to know
Michigan basketball will play Montana in the NCAA Tournament Thursday, here’s everything you need to know, including how to watch.
By the time the Michigan basketball team takes the floor at the NCAA Tournament, it will be more than 10 days since the Wolverines have played a competitive basketball game. That’s just one reason why UM needs to be on upset alert against the University of Montana.
Another is that the Grizzlies, the 14th-seeded champions out of the Big Sky conference, are better than your average 14 seed. Kenpom ranks them 71st in Division 1 basketball, not far behind teams like Providence, for example, which is 63rd and a No. 10 seed.
The long layoff is also a concern. It should be for all Big Ten teams. Michigan basketball was the hottest team in the country, but they haven’t played since March 4. The Wolverines tournament opener against the Griz is March 15.
How will UM handle the layoff? Another question is how the Wolverines will handle the hype? Not only are they being touted as a potential Final Four team, but some are even saying they can win the whole thing.
Of course, it’s nice to hear those things and when you look at what Michigan is capable of, it’s true. You just hope Michigan isn’t getting overconfident and not overlooking the Grizzlies.
Before getting any further into the matchup, here’s how to watch the game Thursday night.
Game Info:
Game 36: Michigan vs Montana
When: 9:50 PM EST
Where: Intrust Bank Arena (Wichita, Kansas)
TV: TBS
Streaming: March Madness App
Radio: WWJ (950 AM) in Detroit
Breakdown:
If there is one name you need to know head of the Wolverines showdown with Montana, it’s Ahmaad Rorie, a former Oregon transfer, who averaged 17.1 points per game for the Griz this season. In addition to being a scorer, he averages 3.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He shoots 37 percent form deep and is their go-to-guy when the game is on the line.
Rorie led a Montana offense that ranked 69th in the country with an average of 78.1 points a game. The Grizzlies aren’t a great 3-point shooting team, ranking 241s t in percentage and 325th in 3-point makes.
Michael Qguine is Montana’s other top offensive threat at 15.8 points per game, followed by Jamar Akoh, who scores 13.1. Akoh also leads the Griz in 6.7 rebounds per game.
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Those three guys are the ones the Wolverines will be focused on, but another big key will be taking care of the basketball. In terms of steals, the Griz rank 20th in the nation and when it comes to forcing opponents into turnovers, they rank 18th, forcing 508 this season.
Obviously, that will be much harder to go against the Wolverines, who are one of the best in the NCAA at taking care of the basketball. Michigan is fifth in the country in terms of fewest takeaways, so the winner of that particular battle will have a huge edge.
The Grizzles don’t allow a high-percentage of 3-point makes to opponents, but they do give up a lot of attempts, which could be an issue against Michigan, which shoots 36.9 percent from deep.
Montana hasn’t seen a team as talented as Michigan, although it did play some major conference teams in non-conference play. The Grizzlies beat Pittsburgh, but lost to both Stanford and Washington, before winning the Big Sky regular season and tournament titles.
At this point in the season, every game is doing to be difficult, especially if a team like Michigan doesn’t play at a high level. Foul trouble and poor free throw shooting also make an upset more likely.
As long as Michigan basketball takes the Griz seriously, they should be fine. But a late start and a long layoff could lead to a sluggish start. Then, anything can happen.
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UM is a veteran team that knows the drill. It won’t be shaken and John Beilein will have them ready. But no tournament win is easy and beating Montana won’t be either. Yet, if the Wolverines are anything close to themselves, they should win the game without too much trouble.