Time: 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon.
TV: FS1
Radio: WWJ-AM (950) (Wolverines radio affiliates).
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HELLO AND GOODBYE:Michigan basketball’s Phil Martelli explains how Juwan Howard got ejected vs. Texas Tech
Game notes: At least two parts of the Wolverines’ best-case scenario for this season are coming true through seven games. First, Dug McDaniel is showing the results of his on-the-fly training last season, as the sophomore point guard is averaging 18.4 points, 5.6 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 49% overall and 35.9% from 3-point range. Second, Tennessee transfer Olivier Nkamhoua has lit it up for the Wolverines; the Finland native is shooting 61.3%, including a 40.9% mark beyond the arc, en route to avering 17.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.
Behind them, however, it gets a little iffy, as the Wolverines haven’t quite found a dependable third scorer. Even worse, there’s the, well, defense might not be the right word — U-M is giving up 75 points a game, which ranks 265th out of 362 Division I teams. The Wolverines are averaging 81.9 points a game, with five games of at least 83 points. But that probably won’t hold up against Power Five squads — case in point, last week’s loss to Texas Tech in which the Wolverines mustered just 57 points.
It’s a problem today’s opponent, the Ducks, are suffering through, as well. You might say they’re, ahem, birds of a feather: Oregon is averaging 81.5 points a game, good for 63rd in the nation, while allowing 73.3 per game, good for 232nd. So, uh, take the over on the weird court at Matthew Knight Arena, right? Maybe: The Ducks will be without leading scorers NFaly Dante (16 points per game) and Nathan Bittle (13 points per game). That leaves it up to a group of six players averaging at least eight points but less than 13 points per game: Jermaine Couisnard, Keeshawn Barthelemy, Jesse Zarzuela, Kario Oguendo, Jackson Shelstad and Brennan Rigsby.
One Duck who knows how to quack the Wolverines’ defense — we had to go there; we’re required by newspaper law to make as many Duck puns as possible — is Zarzuela, who transferred from Central Michigan this offseason. The Texas native fit the bill — again, required by law — in CMU’s 63-61 upset of U-M on Dec. 29, 2002, going off for a game-high 19 points in 27 minutes off the bench while shooting 8-for-17 and pulling down six rebounds.
Nest up … er, make that next up for the Wolverines, it’s the start of Big Ten play as the Wolverines host the Hoosiers at 9 p.m. Tuesday. The Ducks, meanwhile, have a few more nonconference games before beginning their final season in the Pac-12; it’ll be UTEP visiting on Dec. 9, followed by California Baptist on Dec. 12.
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Contact Ryan Ford at[email protected]. Follow him on X (which used to be Twitter, y’know?)@theford.