Entering its second Big Ten matchup of the season, the Michigan men’s basketball team will play a team with a similar mindset to itself. Iowa is a team that loves to run, has good forward play and can shoot it from deep. While these offensive cornerstones are shared by the two teams, that doesn’t mean that the execution is always going to be exactly the same.
In the KenPom ratings, the Hawkeyes place 18th in terms of tempo, meanwhile the Wolverines sit at 116th. This does not necessarily mean that Michigan is lying about its desire to run and play fast, but just that its speed doesn’t always translate to quick buckets the way Iowa’s might.
“Under (Iowa) coach McCaffrey, for years they’ve been really priding themselves on their tempo and how fast they play,” Wolverines assistant coach Justin Joyner said Friday. “Obviously, we’re a program that likes to play fast as well, so we want to do that. At the same time we want to make sure we do a good job of keeping them out of transition.”
With both teams looking to push the tempo, this game will hinge upon whichever team can use it to their advantage the best. The Wolverines proved Tuesday against No. 11 Wisconsin that they can win by wearing teams down in the halfcourt, so they might elect to adjust their pace again against the Hawkeyes.
When looking at the two teams statistically, their difference in speed is shown in their points per game. Iowa scores 86.5 while giving up 71.9, while Michigan scores 79.1 to 60.6 given up. These figures forecast a lot for Saturday: the Hawkeyes will look for a shootout and the Wolverines will look to contain it.
“We want to play our style of play, we want to play the way that excites our fanbase and ultimately gives us the best chance at winning games,” Joyner said. “So playing fast is definitely a part of our product, but at the same time we have to understand that it’s their deal as well, and can we get back and get them out of transition and get them into the halfcourt? That’s going to be a challenge.”
While Michigan tries to slow down the Iowa track race, it will also have to look out for a strong attack in other facets of the Hawkeyes’ offense. They are led by forward Owen Freeman, who averages 17.3 points per game almost exclusively on two’s, but they also threaten with guard Josh Dix and forward Peyton Sandfort, who are formidable from deep.
This offense can certainly burn you if you aren’t prepared. The complexity of the Wolverines’ attack has started to show in recent games, but in a league like the Big Ten, nearly every program has weapons that need to be cared for — if not, your offensive prowess won’t matter.
“The beautiful thing about the Big Ten is you’re going to be challenged at a lot of little things every night,” Joyner said. “… Iowa’s going to be a lot of transition, a lot of playing out of the post. So, (we’re) just taking the bumps as they come and preparing every day for the challenges that will lie ahead this season.”
For the first time in three games, Michigan will not be taking on a ranked opponent Saturday. However this doesn’t mean the Wolverines won’t be challenged. Iowa’s unique playstyle and talent will present issues for Michigan as it looks to jump to 2-0 in Big Ten play.
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