Michigan Basketball: Can the Wolverines slow down Jarrett Culver?

One of the key questions Michigan basketball must answer against Texas Tech is whether or not it can stop Jarrett Culver.

There are a lot of things that are going to make the Texas Tech Red Raiders a difficult opponent for Michigan basketball Thursday night in Anaheim, California.

However, the one thing that should worry Michigan basketball fans as much as anything or anybody heading into the Sweet 16 matchup, is Texas Tech guard Jarrett Culver, a dynamic scorer who also happens to be the Big 12 Player of the Year.

Culver is a 6-foot-5 guard that averages 18.8 points per game while shooting 48 percent from the field overall and 33 percent from 3-point range. During the first two games of the NCAA tournament, he scored 45 points (22.5 PPG) and connected on 16-of-34 shots from the field as well as 4-of-9 from beyond the arc.

As a result, the Red Raiders rolled by double digits in both games, just like Michigan basketball did over Montana and Florida. Now though, Culver will have to continue to keep scoring at a high pace and Thursday night, he will need to do it against the best defense in the country outside the Red Raiders.

Texas Tech ranks No. 1 in defensive efficiency yet Michigan is no. 2. The Wolverines are also second in fewest points allowed in the NCAA and also rank 13th in field-goal percentage defense, holding teams to just 39 percent from the field.

A big part of that is being able to defend the entire floor and Zavier Simpson at the point, as well as Jon Teske in the middle, are both essential to that. However, another key guy is Charles Matthews and it’s likely that he is the one who will draw the head-to-head against Culver.

While Culver is certainly an elite talent, he’s not the first star guard Michigan basketball has faced this season and more often than not, the Wolverines have come away with the edge.

Early in the season, Carsen Edwards scored 19 in a loss to the Wolverines but he was 6-of-17 from the field in the process. Eric Paschal of Villanova scored 10 points and was held to 3-of-14 shooting. Luke Maye of North Carolina was held to 11 (4-of-12) and his teammate, Cam Johnson, a comparable player, scored five on 2-of-7 from the field.

Another guard that can fill it up is Indiana’s Romeo Langford and in two games against Michigan basketball, Langford averaged just 13 points on 8-of-23 from the field. Even Ahmaad Rorie of Montana scored just 10 on 3-of-13 attempts last Thursday.

Obviously, none of those guys are Culver and none of those teams are Texas Tech. But if Michigan can lock down the other key scorers and force Culver to carry things, forcing him into 20 shots or more, the Wolverines should like their chances.

As you can see, Michigan does well when key opponents are forced into taking more shots than needed and in the case of Culver, the Red Raiders are 2-3 when he attempts 20 shots or more.

Slowing down Culver isn’t the only thing Michigan must do to win. But on defense, it’s the No.1 priority and if it’s achieved, UM’s chances of winning can only go up.