Michigan Basketball: 3 predictions and how to watch vs Air Force

The defense will keep Air Force under 60

While Michigan basketball has been an elite defensive team so far this season, in the last two outings against South Carolina and Western Michigan, the Wolverines have shown some chinks in the armor.

South Carolina scored a season-high 78 points against Michigan two weeks ago and they shot 52 percent. The Gamecocks also scored a bunch of field goals inside and were 5-of-11 from 3-point range. Western Michigan also shot 46 percent and that was even after going just 6-of-19 from deep.

Before those last two games, only North Carolina (67) and George Washington (61) had scored over 60 points against the Wolverines, but Western Michigan scored 62 and South Carolina racked up 78. That’s an average of 70 points a game allowed against two teams that ranked 172nd and 200th in offensive efficiency.

Air Force is a decent offensive team when it can settle for 2’s but that will be tough against the Wolverines pressure defense. Air Force also doesn’t shoot many 3-pointers so it will be worth watching if Michigan can force the Falcons out of their comfort zone.

The Wolverines aren’t a great shot-blocking team outside of Teske and they don’t rank among the top-100 teams in steals either, but they are 13th when it comes to field-goal percentage defense. They are long and force you into difficult shots and Air Force just isn’t good enough to make contested shots all day. My guess is that they struggle to reach 50.