BASKETBALL

Scouting Notes: Michigan

Taking a look at the challenges Michigan will give Indiana basketball on Saturday afternoon inside of Assembly Hall.

Published

4 hours ago

February 8, 2025

Taking a look at the challenges Michigan will give Indiana basketball on Saturday afternoon inside of Assembly Hall. (Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

Indiana basketball heads back home on Saturday to face Michigan, just 24 hours after the news broke that IU head coach Mike Woodson would be stepping down at the end of the season.

Michigan enters Saturday’s matchup at 17-5 overall and 9-2 in Big Ten play. The Wolverines rank 20th in offensive efficiency with a rating of 118.9. Defensively, they rank 25th overall with a 95.4 rating. Overall, Michigan is ranked 21st in KenPom’s ratings.

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

Key Players

Michigan is led by playmaking center Danny Wolf. The 7-footer is a legitimate ball-handling center who can orchestrate the offense and play on the wing, providing a very different look to an offense than most opposing teams are used to defending. Wolf is likely always going to be bigger, stronger and more skilled than his matchup in every game. He has the ability to play on the perimeter and take defenders off the dribble, with terrific ball handling skills. With his size and strength, he can also play on the block. He can also stretch the floor, shooting 36.9 percent on 3s, making 44.1 percent of his 3s in the last 10 games. While Michigan runs a lot of their offense through the 7-footer, Wolf has had his turnover struggles — averaging 3.5 a game — with 11 gams of at least four turnovers. Most of Wolf’s struggles come when he tries to force the issue on drives and will often throw very contested passes.

Alongside Wolf is Michigan’s leading scorer and another 7-footer in Vlad Goldin. Goldin is one of the most efficient players in the Big Ten, ranked 3rd in efficiency rating and 6th in offensive rating. Goldin plays mainly in the paint and with his back to the basket and shoots 64.8 percent from the floor, with 12 games this year above 60 percent. After struggling to find his groove to start the season, with just one double-digit scoring game in the first six performances, he’s been in double-figures in 15 of the last 16 games — with five 20+ point games. He has tremendous size and frame and very soft touch around the rim that allows him to bully most opponents around the paint.

Tre Donaldson is a true definition of an all-around point guard, with tremendous scoring ability while also excelling making plays for teammates. He has a great burst off the dribble and a quick first step that allows him to get to his spots all over the floor. He can explode at the rim, excel in mid-range jumpers and also from three. He is best with the ball in his hands creating, however. Shooting 42 percent from three, he has 16 games this year with at least two made 3s. Donaldson is also very effective making plays for teammates, ranking 6th in the Big Ten in assists per game. Turnovers are the biggest weakness for the Michigan point guard, as he tries to make the flashy pass at times and can get out of control.

In the backcourt with Donaldson is Nimari Burnett who has emerged as one of the best shooters in the Big Ten. He ranks 3rd in the league in true shooting percentage and is connecting on 43.4 percent of his 3s. 56 percent of his made field goals are 3s and 66 percent of his attempts are from three. He is best as a spot up shooter but has some ability to create off of the dribble. With injuries in the past, he’s not as explosive as he used to be and is limited a bit slashing to the rim.

Roddy Gayle is another athletic wing who impacts the game most on the defensive end of the floor. Gayle has tremendous length and quickness and can defend any position on the wing. He was performing extremely well as a 3-and-D wing in the first nine games of the season while shooting 35.7 percent from the perimeter. In the last 12 games, however, he’s just 3-of-24 from three. He’s scored less than 10 points in four of the last six games.

Will Tschetter is another long and skilled big man who comes off the bench. His efficiency is off the charts, averaging 20 points a game per-40 minutes. While he’s 6-foot-8, his game revolves around his shooting ability, with 50 percent of his attempts this year coming from three — making 40 percent. He’s shooting 73.3 percent on 2s as well.

Key Tendencies

Michigan plays a very up-tempo pace, ranked 2nd in the Big Ten in possession length and 4th in adjusted tempo. With so many different skilled players with the ball in their hands, Indiana basketball will need to be able to defend the ball screens, something the Wolverines run every possession. Michigan can run pick and rolls or pick and pops and will have the ball in Wolf’s hands as the primary ball handler for many of those possessions. With their ability to shoot the three-ball, the spacing is typically tremendous, giving their ball handlers a ton of open space to get downhill and either score at the rim or kick out for open looks. Michigan is shooting 37 percent from three as a team and making 9.8 3s a game. If you try to force them off the three-point line, Michigan is even better, ranking 6th in the country in shooting percent on 2s (59.6%). Because of the pace Michigan plays with, it will turn the ball over. The Wolverines average 15 turnovers a game and rank 336th in turnover rate at 20.6 percent.

Defensively, Michigan has the skill, size and length to play a lot of 1-on-1 defense and avoid over helping. They force teams into difficult shots with opponents shooting just 30.8 percent from three and an effective field goal rate of just 46.4 percent — 29th best in the nation. At the rim, Michigan is tremendous with two shot-blocking 7-footers. While Michigan is tough defensively, they don’t force a lot of live ball turnovers, ranking 293rd in steal percentage.

Overall this is an extremely efficient and effective Michigan team on both ends of the floor but can keep teams in games with their inability to limit turnovers. Indiana basketball has struggled at times this year with live ball mistakes and can’t do that on Saturday if it wants to come away with a notable win. The major problem Indiana will face is defending the ball screen attack of Michigan and the versatility of Danny Wolf, putting Indiana into a massive disadvantage on nearly every possession. If Indiana can get out in the open floor and use its quickness in transition to get some easy looks, that’s where the Hoosiers will be able to create some momentum. If it’s a half court game from their perspective, it’s going to be a long afternoon with IU’s inability to consistently create off the dribble.

Projected Starters

G – Tre Donaldson (Junior; 6-2, 190)

Stats: 12.7 ppg, 4.4 apg, 42.2% 3pt

G – Roddy Gayle (Junior; 6-4, 205)

Stats: 11.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.0 apg

G – Nimari Burnett (Senior; 6-4, 195)

Stats: 10.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 43.4% 3pt

F – Danny Wolf (Junior; 7-0, 250)

Stats: 12.3 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.6 bpg, 36.9% 3pt

F –Vladislav Goldin (Senior; 7-1, 255)

Stats: 15.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.6 bpg

Key Notes

Michigan has 13 games this season scoring at least 80 points.

All five of Michigan’s losses have come away from Ann Arbor, four of which have been by three points or less.
Michigan has dropped its last four games to Indiana by a combined total of just 11 points — an average of 2.7 points per game.