Scouting Notes: Michigan

The Indiana basketball program hits the road for its first true road game of the season as it heads to Michigan.

The Wolverines come into this matchup at 4-4 overall and are led by Phil Martelli on the sidelines. Usual head coach Juwan Howard had heart surgery this offseason and is being brought along slowly in his recovery to coaching. Michigan is one of the most efficient offenses this year, rated 20th in offensive efficiency (116.4) and 18th in effective field goal rate (57.3). Defensively, the Wolverines are extremely average, rated 124th with a defensive efficiency rating of 102.7. Overall, Michigan is rated 49th in the KenPom ratings.

Here is a deep dive into some of the challenges Michigan could give the Indiana basketball program.

Key Players

Michigan is led by sophomore guard Dug McDaniel who is having a terrific start to the season, averaging 20.3 points per game. McDaniel is terrific in every phase of the offense, ranking in the top 10 in the Big Ten in points (3rd), assists (3rd), three point percentage (4th), field goal percentage (9th) and minutes played (1st) among others. McDaniel is best attacking the rim using his quickness and terrific first step. He is exceptional in ball screen action at the top of the key and uses great body control to get to his spots on the floor and finish through, around or over defenders. His quickness opens up his perimeter play. McDaniel is shooting 41.2 percent from three on 2.6 made 3s per game — he has three games this year with at least four made 3s. McDaniel is best off of the dribble whether he’s using a ball screen or few dribble pull up. McDaniel is also a great playmaker for his teammates. He’s a willing passer which makes him a difficult guard when he gets into the paint. He ranks sixth in the Big Ten in assist rate.

Olivier Nkamhoua is an extremely versatile piece on the wing. Nkamhoua is a hybrid forward with guard like skills. If the ball is not in the hands of McDaniel, it’s Nkamhoua who orchestrates the offense. Nkamhoua is matchup nightmare because of his versatility. At 6-foot-8, Nkamhoua can play out on the perimeter, shooting 35.7 percent on 3.5 attempted 3s per game. But most of his work is done from 15 feet and in. Nkamhoua loves to use his size on the block or the high post. He can either back you down or use a very effective face up game. He has quick feet and tremendous athleticism that allows him to be used in almost every situation on the floor. He is also a strong rebounder, averaging 2.1 offensive rebounds per game. This will be an extremely difficult matchup for the Indiana basketball program and needs to be one where it forces Nkamhoua to be much more perimeter oriented.

Nimari Burnett has come on strong this year flashing some of that 5-star and two-way versatility he had before a few injuries sidelined him. Burnett is a long and athletic guard who can play both on and off of the ball — off of the ball is something that has really emerged for him this year. He’s a very streaky shooter, however. Despite shooting 40 percent from three, he’s had two games with 0 3s on at least three attempts and another 1-of-7 night. 56.3 percent of his attempts are coming from three this year, with 55.2 percent of his made field goals coming on 3s. Burnett is not someone who is going to seek out contact, very much someone who will take longer and contested 2s or 3s. Defensively, Burnett has the ability to guard numerous positions but his lateral quickness is still questioned. His length makes up for it, but he can get beat off of the dribble easily by quicker defenders.

Another versatile forward is Terrance Williams. Williams knows exactly what his role is and plays it perfectly. He’s a 6-foot-7 forward who has the strength to bang in the paint but also sees most of his game come from knock down 3s. He’s shooting 38.5 percent from three with 1.9 made 3s per game with 61.3 percent of his shot attempts coming from 3s. Williams is an outside-in type player who is terrific in pick and pop screens or in weak side corner 3s as a floor spacer. Indiana needs to run him off of the three point line and force him to become a driver.

Tarris Reed rounds out the starters as a big, physical center. He’s not a huge threat offensively in terms of plays being drawn up for him, but Reed is a terrific offensive rebounder. He has a 14.8 offensive rebounding rate, fourth in the Big Ten. All of Reed’s scoring will come in the paint. Defensively, Reed is a tremendous shot blocker and is able to use his physicality to push out offensive players. He’s averaging 1.4 blocks per game and has a block percentage of 6.3, fifth in the league.

Will Tschetter comes off of the bench but is a tremendous sixth man. Tschetter is averaging 8.1 points per game while shooting 75.8 percent from the floor. While Tschetter can step out from the perimeter, he’s taking just 1.6 3s per game — 10-of-13 from three on the year. His main role when he sees the floor is to score and be a floor spacer at 6-foot-8. He’s yet another tremendous shooter with size that Indiana’s bigs need to be very conscious of.

Key Tendencies

Michigan is a team that is going to live and die by the three-ball and offensive rebounds. The Wolverines are shooting 38.2 percent from three on 9.5 made 3s per game. They have five players making at least one three per game and four players shooting above 38 percent on the season. If there are misses, Michigan cleans it up. It averages 12.1 offensive rebounds per game, rebounding at a 36.5 percent rate (32nd nationally). The ball is going to start in the hands of McDaniel or Nkamhoua who will orchestrate the offense. Indiana basketball needs to limit the straight-line drives by McDaniel and force him to change direction. If he gets into the paint at will, it’s going to open up numerous lanes for off-ball drivers as well as open shooters.

Defensively, Michigan has numerous players who can switch on the perimeter, but it’s not the most effective defensive group. Overall, it is going to force teams into 3s, not 2s. They rank 343rd in defensive three point percentage (39.4) and also allow 35 percent of opponents points to come off of 3s. Indiana will have open looks, so it needs to be able to knock them down and more importantly take the open looks when they are there. There also aren’t a lot of live ball turnovers with Michigan. The Wolverines are averaging just 4.9 steals per game (340th) and a steal percentage of just 6.9 percent (326th).

Projected Starters

G – Dug McDaniel (Sophomore; 5-11, 165)

Stats: 20.3 ppg, 5.3 apg, 41.2% 3pt

G- Nimari Burnett (Senior; 6-4, 195)

Stats: 10.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.3 apg 40% 3pt

F – Olivier Nkamhoua (Senior; 6-8, 223)

Stats: 16.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.9 apg, 35.7% 3pt

F – Terrance Williams (Senior; 6-7, 240)

Stats: 10.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 38.5% 3pt

F- Tarris Reed (Sophomore; 6-10, 260)

Stats: 6.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.4 bpg

Key Notes

SEE ALSO: Indiana basketball 2025 five-star target Joson Sanon expected to visit IU this month

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