Coming off a stunning loss to Central Michigan, 63-61, on Thursday, Michigan looks to put its season back on course when it hosts Big Ten foe Maryland in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Sunday.
Michigan (7-5, 1-0 Big Ten), which was slotted third in the 14-team Big Ten preseason media poll, has lost four of its last six. While there was no shame in falling to currently ranked teams Virginia, Kentucky and North Carolina, Central Michigan was another matter.
The Chippewas entered on a four-game losing streak and with just two wins over Division I opponents. They also were without their top scorer the last two seasons, Kevin Miller.
CMU pulled off the upset thanks to a 3-pointer by Reggie Bass with 11 seconds left. The Chippewas rode a 44-32 rebounding edge, collecting 17 offensive boards and turning them into 23 second-chance points.
“That cannot happen,” Michigan coach Juwan Howard said. “That’s all built on effort and toughness and we did not show up in that category.”
Kobe Bufkin scored 16 points to lead the Wolverines while 7-foot-1 Hunter Dickinson (13 points, six rebounds) had a subpar game.
Dickinson likely relishes a meeting with Maryland, the school that offered him a scholarship but by his account recruited him lightly even though he played two miles away at prep powerhouse DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Md.
Michigan has won four straight and eight of the last nine meetings. Dickinson is 4-0 against the Terps, collecting a combined 56 points and 28 rebounds, while hitting 24 of 33 shots (72.7 percent).
Maryland (10-3, 1-1) has won its last two games, including an 80-64 defeat of UMBC (Maryland-Baltimore County) on Thursday as Donald Carey broke out of a slump, hitting 5 of 7 shots from beyond the arc on his way to scoring 19 points.
Carey had made just six of his previous 35 attempts (17.1 percent) from 3-point territory over his previous seven games and lost his place in the starting lineup.
“I wish I had his confidence as a player,” Maryland coach Kevin Willard said. “He’s not stopped working on his shot at all. It’s almost a little bit too much. He’s one of those guys who needs to see the ball go in.”
Against UMBC, backcourt veterans Jahmir Young and Hakim Hart combined for 34 points and 13 rebounds.
–Field Level Media
