Michigan Basketball: 3 keys and a prediction for Wolverines vs Iowa

Michigan basketball will travel to Iowa City tonight for another important Big Ten matchup and here are three keys for the Wolverines, along with a prediciton. 

After winning two straight games and building some very real momentum, Michigan basketball saw it come crashing back down after a 59-53 loss to Michigan State.

The game ended up being close, but it was more lopsided than the six-point deficit showed. The Wolverines started slowly and couldn’t seem to buy a bucket.

That won’t fly tonight against Iowa. The Hawkeyes are one of the highest-scoring teams in college hoops scoring 81.4 per game. They also allow over 72 points per game, so Michigan should have plenty of opportunities.

In terms of the NCAA tournament, this is a big one for Michigan. It’s 3-1 in the Big Ten but needs a quality road win. It missed that chance against MSU and dropping to 3-2 would be a sign that Michigan basketball isn’t really ready to be a Big Ten title contender.

Here are three keys for Michigan basketball tonight, as well as a prediciton against the spread.

Hunter Dickinson needs to dominate

This feels like it’s always a key but Michigan basketball really does go as Hunter Dickinson goes. He was solid against the Spartans, yet he wasn’t special. He wasn’t the best player on the floor and that’s what he needs to be.

Iowa is a solid defensive team. They give up a lot of points in part due to the fast tempo that they play. But there really isn’t anyone that should be able to handle Dickinson. Filip Rebraca should guard him most of the night.

It’s likely that Iowa throws some different looks at Dickinson — doubles, zones, etc. Regardless, he needs to have a really good night if Michigan is to have any hope of leaving with a win.