Even in the midst of the bowl season, college basketball will share the spotlight on Thursday when the Michigan Wolverines take on the Central Florida Knights. The Wolverines are hitting the road for this game but favored by 3.5 points. The game also has an over/under of 137.5 points.
Michigan has been off for nearly two weeks and is hoping to hit the reset button after a disappointing start to the season. The Wolverines are just 7-4 right now, with losses to Seton Hall, Arizona, North Carolina, and Minnesota. In other words, they’ve fallen short when they’ve been challenged by tough teams.
Meanwhile, the Knights are off to an 8-2 start, including wins over Miami and Temple. UCF’s two losses this year have both come against power-conference teams in Oklahoma and Auburn. The Knights are also riding a four-game winning streak and have one more non-conference challenge before jumping back into AAC play.
Loaded Backcourt
Central Florida’s early-season success has largely been due to the Knights bringing back a majority of their key players from last season. That includes a loaded backcourt that’s led by Darin Green and Darius Perry, who average 14.8 and 11.7 points per game, respectively. Perry is also an excellent point guard who’s averaging more than five assists per game, while Brandon Mahan and Tyem Freeman add even more depth to the backcourt.
The Knights are also getting good production this year from junior forward C.J. Walker, who is the team’s best rebounder and averages 9.6 points per game. The UCF frontcourt has also gotten a lift this year from UNLV transfer Cheikh Mbacke Diong, who serves as a rim protector and rebounder. Finally, Isaiah Adams is an X-factor for the Knights, as he was one of the top freshmen in the AAC last season despite an uneven start this season.
The Big Men
Last year’s guard-heavy Michigan team has turned into a team that’s far more focused on frontcourt players. Everything revolves around center Hunter Dickinson, who is averaging 15.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. Freshman forward Caleb Houstan has also made an immediate impact for the Wolverines, averaging 10.1 points per game, although Michigan tends to struggle when he has an off night shooting the ball.
Meanwhile, the Michigan backcourt is heavily reliant on Eli Brooks. The fifth-year senior is averaging 12.6 points per game, making him Michigan’s most important player outside of Dickinson. However, Coastal Carolina transfer DeVante Jones has started to settle in as the team’s point guard lately and has done a lot more scoring in Michigan’s last two games.
Unpleasant Trip
After a long layoff, some COVID concerns, and a sluggish start to the season, it’s tough to trust Michigan as a road favorite in this game. While Brooks and Jones have played well, the Knights might have the deeper backcourt in this game, not to mention a big man in Diong who can compete with Dickinson in the paint.
That makes the Knights a good bet as home underdogs on Thursday night.
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