The college basketball season is a couple weeks old at this point, but we have had no shortage of marquee games. Most of the blue bloods have played at least one quality opponent, including the Michigan Wolverines. They fell to the Seton Hall Pirates on Tuesday night, and they will look to bounce back against the UNLV Rebels in the Roman Main Event in Las Vegas this weekend. Fans on the East Coast will have to stay up late to watch this one, as it will take place 30 minutes after the Arizona Wildcats face the Wichita State Shockers. That game will tip at 7 p.m. local.
T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada will be the site of this showdown between the Michigan Wolverines and UNLV Rebels. This game is expected to tip off around 9:30 p.m. local, meaning it will start around 12:30 a.m. ET in the early morning hours of Saturday, November 20, 2021.
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Season to Date
Michigan was ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll at the start of the week. The Wolverines had knocked off a good Buffalo team by 12 points in their season opener before hammering lowly Prairie View A&M last Saturday. They were 8.5-point favorites at home against Seton Hall on Tuesday, but they lost 67-65 to the Pirates after hitting just 20% of their threes on the evening.
UNLV has started its season with three straight wins, but none of those victories have come easy. They held off Gardner-Webb to win by six points in their season opener, and they gritted out a three-point win over California over the weekend. The Rebels held off North Dakota State to stay unbeaten on Monday, but they have yet to cover any of their games to date.
Game Preview
The Wolverines have a 90% chance to win this game according to Ken Pomeroy. Michigan is one of the best teams in the country, ranking sixth in adjusted offensive efficiency and second in adjusted defensive efficiency by Pomeroy’s numbers. They have struggled at the free throw line though, making just 60.8% of their freebies as a team.
Center Hunter Dickinson is off to a great start for the Wolverines. The 7’1 sophomore is the main playmaker on the team, leading Michigan with 18.7 PPG and 8.3 RPG to this point. Dickinson is averaging three offensive rebounds a game, and he is making two-thirds of his field goals to be one of the top big men in the sport.
Senior Eli Brooks has improved annually during his time in Ann Arbor. Brooks is making 53.3% of his field goals and 45.5% of his threes through three games, and he is the second leading scorer for Juwan Howard’s Wolverines.
Fellow senior Devante Jones is not off to a great start though. Jones has already fouled out of two games this season, and he is making just over 40% of his field goals after being a minimum 45% shooter for each of his first three seasons.
Bryce Hamilton is UNLV’s star player. He has averaged at least 16.0 PPG for each of the last two seasons, and he is currently the Rebels leading scorer through three games. Hamilton hasn’t been an efficient shooter though, making just 37.5% of his field goals and 16.7% of his treys.
Texas transfer Royce Hamm Jr. might be one of the nation’s leading rebounders this season. Hamm is averaging 9.3 PPG and 13.7 RPG for UNLV. He is finally playing big minutes after leaving the Longhorns, and he has been the team’s biggest presence in the post.
Michigan vs. UNLV Prediction
Michigan should have little trouble taking care of UNLV on Friday night. The Wolverines are a more well-rounded team, and they know they need to get off the mat after the disappointing home loss to Seton Hall.
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