2. Michigan basketball opponents haven't accumulated an assist in the last two first halves
Purdue Fort Wayne and Western Kentucky are not exactly world beaters, but this is still an impressive feat. The Hilltoppers finished with five assists, while the Mastodons pitched in six. No Hilltopper had more than one. Roddy Gayle Jr. and Tre Donaldson each had four a piece.
In Western Kentucky's only other matchup with a brand name, they totaled seven assists against Kentucky. 13 is right around their 2024 average. The 64 points they amassed is around 20 less then they have been averaging on the season and their defense gave up about 40 more, mostly because of the all the threes made.
In Michigan's two wins over the Christmas break the bench has picked up the slack. They added 43 points on Sunday night and garnered more minutes than some of the starters. They should see how those results pay off by March. Sam Walters matched his season-high. Tre Donaldson pulled down 11 boards and had a double-double in a Michigan basketball uniform for the first time.