In the biggest moment of the season so far for both Wisconsin and Michigan, the two Big Ten powerhouses meet on Tuesday evening in Ann Arbor for a top ten battle.
The No. 7 Michigan train rolls in undefeated at 10-0, coming off of a monster win over Minnesota this past Wednesday. Juwan Howard and the Wolverines sit atop the Big Ten at 5-0, although their competition is about to get significantly stiffer. Michigan’s five Big Ten wins have come against teams with a combined conference record of 8-20.
No. 9 Wisconsin enters Tuesday at 11-2, with a Big Ten mark of 4-1. The Badgers defeated Indiana in a double overtime thriller on Thursday in their last time out, but struggled in stopping Hoosier star Trayce Jackson-Davis for large portions of the second half .
For Michigan, the questions start with their quality of competition. Yes, the Wolverines are off to a 10-0 start, but they have yet to meet any of the Big Ten’s best. Still, they have taken care of business and separated themselves from the middle of the pack early.
The biggest surprise for Michigan has been just how quickly freshman center Hunter Dickinson has become one of the best bigs in the country, let alone the conference. The four-star 2020 signee from high school powerhouse Dematha Catholic in Maryland stands at 7-foot-2 and has been a matchup nightmare for Wolverine opponents. While being a mobile big who towers over most Big Ten forwards, Dickinson can step out and hit mid-range jumpers, but does most of his work on the block and on the offensive glass.
The freshman is a lefty who lives on the left block. If he gets to his left hand towards the left side of the hoop it’s been game over for opponents. He has feathery touch on the lefty baby hook, and uses the glass extremely well. So far, Dickinson has led the Wolverines at 18 points per game to go with over 8 rebounds per contest.
The one thing Dickinson hasn’t seen? A front court tandem as good as Micah Potter and Nate Reuvers, and there may not be many in the country better than the pair of Badger bigs. Whoever wins the physicality battle inside, and rebounds more effectively, probably wins this game. It will be the toughest test to date for Michigan’s young star, although he has passed every challenge with ease so far. Not only is it a challenge when Dickinson lines up on the block, but he has to stay disciplined and out of foul trouble as a defender against the Badger bigs.
Michigan has been solid defensively, giving up just over 67 points per game this year. One thing they don’t do? Create turnovers, and Wisconsin takes care of the ball better than almost any team in the nation.
Physically, Wisconsin forward Aleem Ford and Michigan forward Isaiah Livers resemble each other a ton, and their games are similar. While the 6-foot-7 Livers carries more of a burden offensively as his team’s second-leading scorer, the two play similar, and often x-factor roles on both ends. The Wolverines will often go as Livers goes this year, and they need him at his best offensively on Tuesday.
Both Wisconsin and Michigan want to play inside-out on offense, and whoever is able to better establish themselves in the paint likely comes away with a win.
Different guards have stepped up for the Wolverines throughout this young season, but they rely heavily on 6-foot-9 sophomore Franz Wagner for his playmaking. With size at the guard position, the younger brother of former Wolverine great Mo Wagner does a little bit of everything, with the ability to create for others, hit threes, and convert inside. He feels like a fascinating and perfect matchup for defensive pest Tyler Wahl when those two share the floor, but don’t be surprised to see Ford tasked with stopping him as well for Wisconsin.
The Badgers will be challenged on the interior, but D’Mitrik Trice needs to be the best guard on the floor, as he has been so often this year. Wisconsin’s leading scorer has come into his own over the past few games, and arguably the best game of his career came a year ago at Michigan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn_0cm7wOWY
This is a battle of two solid defensive teams with the ability to score in bunches in the paint. Expect a slower pace, with whoever finds more offense on the interior winning the game. Tuesday night at the Crisler Center will be an intriguing litmus test for a pair of the nation’s best in the early going.