Expectations for Rutgers Basketball versus Michigan on Tuesday
Now that all of the out-of-conference games are complete, the Rutgers Men’s Basketball team will now head into the rest of their Big Ten conference schedule. Their first test will be against a struggling Michigan Wolverines team that is coming off an ugly loss to Central Florida. For Rutgers to win this game, they will need to ride the energy from their home crowd and attack the weaknesses of Michigan.
To put it nicely, Michigan is not very fast. Right now, they are playing a big lineup that includes Hunter Dickinson, who needs no introduction, and young big man, Moussa Diabate. Most likely, Rutgers will play Ron Harper Jr. on Diabate who will have a height advantage over Harper Jr. This will require the entire team to help Cliff Omoruyi to rebound and not give up many extra opportunities for the Wolverines.
On the other end, Rutgers should be able to get into their offense fairly easy. Michigan is not a high-pressure team, which will help Paul Mulcahy, Caleb McConnell, and Geo Baker run the offense. Once again, shot making will be the key ingredient for a win.
Harper Jr. should be able to shoot a three whenever he wants. Diabate will not be able to hang on the perimeter and could get into foul trouble quickly if Harper Jr. is aggressively attacking him. Meanwhile, Omoruyi will need to give Dickinson trouble on the interior. If Omoruyi can score with Dickinson, I like the Scarlet Knights’ chances.
Rutgers will need Geo Baker to be at his best. The combination of Devante’ Jones and Eli Brooks cannot match the athleticism that Baker brings. So, his step back jump shots will be available at any time, which could be key for the end of shot clock situations.
This Michigan team is extremely vulnerable and if Rutgers is able to get off to a quick start, they could shatter this group’s confidence. Getting Dickinson (15.3 points and 9.1 rebounds) in foul trouble is ideal because he is their main source of consistent production. Eli Brooks will hit some shots (13.1 points on 43% from the field), but I’d expect McCollum to contain him. Diabate is the wild card in this matchup. He was a big time recruit for Michigan and is an explosive player who can dominate the paint. However, he is a freshman, and has not shown consistency.
I expect a relatively low scoring game. Neither team is particularly good at shooting, so this game will be won in the trenches and on hustle plays. I think Baker will have a nice offensive game, and Harper Jr. will make a nice share of three-pointers. I predict Rutgers to win 65-61 in a back-and-forth game.
--------------------------------------------------------------
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel