Michigan Basketball: 3 predictions for Wolverines against UCF

Hunter Dickinson will control the game

Michigan basketball tends to have the size advantage in just about every game and of course, having a 7-foot-1 center helps with that.

Hunter Dickinson has been slowed by teams with shorter players though. Some have been effective at doubling and that’s likely to be UCF’s tactic on Thursday night.

Cheikh Mbacke Diong is 6-foot-11 and he’s one of the better shot blockers in college basketball so it’s likely he will get some one-on-one opportunities to guard Hunter. If Dickinson can score in those instances, it should allow for some double teams and open looks on the perimeter.

Dickinson is a great passer and with the way that UCF gambles for turnovers on defense, it should lead to plenty of open looks for Eli Brooks, Jones, Caleb Houston, and others.

Those guys just need to make some shots. I can also see Dickinson knocking down a 3-pointer or two of his own on the pick-and-pop. Either way, it feels like the kind of game where he gets a double-double but makes just as big an impact with his passing as his scoring.