The No.11-seeded Michigan Wolverines square off against the No.11-seeded Tulsa Golden Hurricane in the of the NCAA tournament at University of Dayton Arena. The game gets underway at 9:10 pm ET on Wednesday, Mar. 16 and can be seen on TRU.
The Wolverines are expecting a better outcome after their 76-59 loss to Purdue in the 4 of the Big Ten tournament. Derrick Walton Jr. had a good game, finishing with 14 points, six rebounds, and five assists for Michigan. The Golden Hurricane, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the ugly 89-67 loss at the hands of Memphis in the 2 of the American Athletic Conference tournament. Brandon Swannegan posted 14 points, seven rebounds, and one steal.
Based on each team’s statistical profile, ball protection could play an integral role in this matchup. Michigan commits the fifth-fewest miscues in the nation (TO% of 14.9%), while Tulsa’s ball-hawking defense forces the 13th-most (opponents’ TO% of 20.9%).
The Wolverines are looking to build on their records of 22-12 Straight Up (SU) and 16-17 Against The Spread (ATS). The Wolverines are an incredibly accurate shooting team from the line with a .737 free throw percentage, one of the highest marks in Division I. Few teams in the nation have a higher assist-to-turnover ratio than Michigan, which ranks eighth at 1.53.
Across the court, the Golden Hurricane head into the game with records of 15-13-2 ATS and 20-11 SU.
This game marks the first time Michigan and Tulsa have played one another in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Tulsa, ATS Winner – Tulsa
Notes
“Michigan is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Michigan’s last 5 games “.
Tulsa lost its last game by a 22-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Michigan is 8-1. Tulsa is 2-2 in blowouts this season.
The Michigan Wolverines have a defensive rating of 103.0 (ranked 58th), while the Tulsa Golden Hurricane have an offensive rating of 107.7 (ranked 132nd).
The Michigan Wolverines average a field goal percentage of 46.6% this season. The Tulsa Golden Hurricane have a subpar record of 3-5 when opponents have a FG% of 46.6% or greater.
The Michigan Wolverines and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Michigan is 51st and 18th in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Tulsa is 166th and 162nd in these categories.
Michigan ranks 73rd in assists, registering 15.0 per game. Tulsa performs worse at 146th with 13.7 assists per game.
The Michigan Wolverines make an average of 5.5 steals per game. When the Tulsa Golden Hurricane allow 5 or more steals, they are a winning 14-7.
