Michigan draws Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament
Michigan finished the regular season 17-13 overall, and 11-9 in the conference. The Wolverines earned an eight seed after defeating Ohio State in Columbus, 75-69, in a must-win game. Beating Ohio State was not shocking, but to beat them without their all All Big Ten center, Hunter Dickinson, was a pleasant surprise. After going into the half down by seven, Michigan came out with a renewed spirit. The game was headlined by incredible performances by DeVante Jones and Terrance Williams. Michigan will need everyone contributing again when they face off against the Hoosiers. In the last game against Indiana, the bench played very well and sparked one or two runs to push the game out of reach.
Indiana finished the regular season 18-12 overall, and ended up 9-11 in conference. The Hoosiers have been loosely pegged as the nine seed for a couple of weeks now. But after the movement and results this past weekend, they were solidified in their spot. Indiana did not finish the regular season the way they expected. They finished the regular season losing seven of their last nine games. Their only two wins since January came off of Maryland and Minnesota, two teams who are not projected in the NCAA tournament field. Bracket experts are torn on Indiana’s fate. I believe most experts feel like Indiana needs a couple more wins from the Big Ten Tournament to feel good. This will be a desperate effort by both teams, understanding what is at stake.
Michigan vs Indiana Statistical Overview
Pace: Indiana plays 70.3 possessions per game , which ranks 176th nationally.
Points Per Game: Indiana averages 71.4 points per game, which is right in the middle of the Big Ten conference, ranking 143rd in the country. (Last Game vs Michigan: 62 points)
Blocks: Indiana ranks 19th nationally in shot blocking, averaging five blocks per game. (Last Game vs Michigan: Six blocks)
Team Offensive Efficiency: Indiana scores 1.016 points per possession (PPP) which ranks 140th nationally. (Michigan allows 1.017 PPP which ranks 231st in the country)
Team Defensive Efficiency: Indiana allows 0.931 PPP which ranks 39th in the country. (Michigan scores 1.067 PPP, ranking 44th nationally)
