Michigan at Ohio State

Tonight, Tuesday, February 6, 7:00 PM
Michigan (16-7 4-4)   at  #3 Ohio State (20-3, 8-1)

TV-Nationally on ESPN

 

OSU likely starters, stat leaders

Mike Conley Jr., guard, 6.4 assists/game

Ivan Harris, forward

Ron Lewis, guard

Jamar Butler, guard

Greg Oden, center, 15.3 points/game, 30.3 minutes/game, 9.6 rebounds/game

 

Michigan likely starters, stat leaders

Dion Harris, 6'3" senior guard, 12/6 points/game, 4.2 assists/game, 31.3 minutes/game

Brent Petway, 6'8" senior forward

Ron Coleman, 6'6" junior guard

Lester Abram, 6'6" senior guard

Courtney Sims, 6'10" senior center, 6.3 rebounds/game

 

Michigan coach Tommy Amaker is on the hot seat in his sixth season in Ann Arbor. He is 39-49 in Big Ten play. Under coach Steve Fisher ('89-'97) the Wolverines reached a peak in March of 1993 when the "Fab Five" (Webber, Rose, Howard, King and Jackson) sophomores reached the National Championship for a second straight season. The team struggled when those players left in the next couple years. Multiple NCAA investigations took place for contributions made by a booster, forcing the firing of Fisher. The investigation resurfaced in 2002 under coach Tommy Amaker, as more records were released regarding the same booster. Michigan chose to vacate all games involving players that were connected to the scandals. The school also banned themselves from post-season play in 2003. Under Amaker the Wolverines have been in the NIT twice, most recently in 2006, and they won it in their other appearance in 2004. Amaker has won 56% of his games at Michigan. This team has a slim chance at reaching the NCAA tournament, considering they have two games against OSU, two against Michigan State and one against Indiana. This team is more likely to reach the NIT.

 

So far this season, the Wolverines have struggled with ranked teams losing at UCLA (92-55), at Wisconsin (71-58) and at Indiana (76-61.) Last week they squandered a double-digit lead at halftime to Iowa in Ann Arbor. They will host Ohio State at the end of the season on March 3.

 

Ohio State did well last week, winning at Purdue and Michigan State. Both teams had not lost at home before Ohio State visited. Oden was limited in his minutes in the Purdue game, due to fouls, and he was likely distracted by the death of a close friend earlier in the week. For that game he had 9 points with 6 rebounds. He bounced back this past weekend with 16 points and 11 rebounds at East Lansing. Ohio State struggled from the three-point line hitting only six shots (30%) at Michigan State. The Buckeyes did well at the free-throw line hitting 10 for 13 at Purdue, but that percentage went down with 15 of 25 at Michigan State. For the season Ohio State is 37% at the three-point line and 69% at the free-throw line.