Michigan back on the road in Big Ten clash at Rutgers

The Michigan men’s basketball team is back on the road this weekend, as the Wolverines travel to New Jersey to take on Rutgers in the first of what could be seven straight quadrant-1 games for Michigan.

In addition to trying to bolster their resumé, the Wolverines will also try to snap a two-game losing streak in Big Ten road games, and move to 8-2 in league play. Read up on Saturday’s game below, including how to watch or listen to the game, and some of the keys for Michigan to win the matchup.

Game information 

Matchup: Michigan (15-5; 7-2 Big Ten) at Rutgers (11-10; 4-6 Big Ten) 

Date: Saturday, February 1, 2025 

Tipoff: 3:30 p.m. ET

Location: Piscataway, New Jersey

Arena: Jersey Mike’s Arena (8,000)

TV: FOX

Talent: Kevin Kugler (p-by-p) and LaPhonso Ellis (analyst)

Radio: Michigan Sports Network from LEARFIELD

Talent: Brian Boesch & Terry Mills

Flagship: WWJ-Radio (950 AM; Detroit) 

Local: WWWW (102.9 FM, Ann Arbor) 

Satellite: SiriusXM: 83 | SXM App: 83

Line: Michigan -5.5, O/U 154.5

Preview

About Rutgers: Led by projected top-five NBA Draft picks Ace Bailey (20.7 points per game, 1st in the Big Ten) and Dylan Harper (18.6 pig, 4th in the Big Ten), the Scarlet Knights have plenty of size and athleticism, but have struggled to make it count against fellow power-conference opponents, as they enter the weekend 11-10.

So far this season, Rutgers has been a two-man game, with both Bailey and Harper averaging more than 11.0 points per game more than any of their teammates. So far this season, the duo has attempted 44.8 percent of Rutgers’ field-goal attempts.

Stylistically, Rutgers leans into its physicality, averaging 21.9 free-throw attempts per game and ranking 258th in percentage of field-goal attempts coming from 3-point range. Defense has been a weak point at times — 211th in points per possession allowed, 107th in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency — but Rutgers has scored quadrant-1 wins over UCLA, at Nebraska, and at Northwestern on Wednesday.

Matchup to watch: With Harper out to injury, the matchup of Bailey vs. Michigan’s Danny Wolf will be the key matchup. Bailey, who scored 37 points in Rutgers’ win Wednesday, is averaging a Big Ten-leading 20.7 points per game to go with 7.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. The 6-foot-10, 200-pounder can score at every level, as he is currently the only high-major player in the country with at least 40 made field goals each from 3, the midrange and by the rim, per BartTorvik.com. Bailey has scored 17 points or more in six straight games, and at least 15 points in all but three games this season.

On the other side, Wolf has been in something of a slump lately. In Michigan’s last five games, Wolf has 10.6 points per game (he averaged 14.6 the prior nine games), is shooting 36.2 percent from the field (previously was 58.7 percent from the field) and has struggled especially to make a different in the first half of games.

How well Wolf can defend Bailey’s scoring by himself, and what he’s bringing to Michigan’s offense on the other end, will go a long way in this matchup

Keys for Michigan

• Keep Bailey contested. Odds are that Bailey will score a lot, draw fouls and control his matchup at times. But keeping him inefficient on his shots will limit Rutgers’ chances, especially with Harper out.
• Match the Scarlet Knights’ physicality. Rutgers wants Saturday to be a bruising game for the Wolverines, and has played like it for much of Big Ten play. Just a few days after Dusty May said he wants his team to show more physicality, Saturday offers a test on the Wolverines’ ability to win a grittier game.
• Get area 50-1 going. In addition to Wolf’s slump above, Vlad Goldin is coming off a four-point, 17-minute performance affected by an illness. If he and Wolf can come out strong Saturday, Rutgers will struggle to keep pace with the Wolverines.

Be sure to join the discussion in the comments section for updates before, during and after the game!