3 keys and a prediction for Michigan Basketball vs Vanderbilt in the NIT

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Michigan Wolverines center Hunter Dickinson (1) on the court during the final seconds of Big Ten tournament action against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at United Center in Chicago on Thursday, March 9, 2023.Michbig 030923 Kd2266 Sad Michigan basketball /

Hunter Dickinson needs to dominate the ball

Vanderbilt doesn’t have their No. 1 big man as Liam Robbins is out for the season with an injury. The Commodores aren’t a great defensive team and they rank 199th in 2-point percentage defense.

That should be a great matchup for Hunter Dickinson. Just like in the first round of the NIT against Toledo, Michigan basketball is going to have to deal with double teams or maybe some zone.

I doubt that we’ll see Dickinson get a bunch of one-on-one opportunities. Michigan needs to feed him the ball and he needs to be aggressive. If Vanderbilt allows him to shoot open 3-pointers or twos, Dickinson should be aggressive in those shots.

Vanderbilt ranks 52nd in 3-point percentage defense, but with Joey Baker, Bufkin, and others getting open looks, Michigan can’t shy away from those opportunities. Baker is going to get good looks — he made them against Toledo and it’s an X-factor here as well.

However, those shots should be created by Dickinson as long as he is fed the ball and makes good decisions.

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