5 Things To Watch For When Michigan Takes On Duke

It’s not yet late March, but college basketball fans are being treated to a potential Final Four preview.

The No. 1 Michigan men’s basketball team is set to take on No. 3 Duke in a late-season non-conference clash. The game takes place on a neutral floor — Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. — and is one of the most highly-anticipated games of the season.

Obviously, anything can happen in March, but it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise if both of these teams were playing in the final weekend.

Here are five things to watch for when the Wolverines take on the Blue Devils…

Duke freshman phenom forward Cameron Boozer — not to be confused with his twin brother, Cayden, who is also on the team — and graduate forward Yaxel Lendeborg are two of the best players in the country. Both are considered to be top contenders for National Player of the Year honors, and Boozer is probably the frontrunner.

In a lot of ways, Boozer and Lendeborg are similar. They both play like jumbo wings with the ability to handle the ball and battle down low. Boozer is more post-centric than Lendeborg is, but their skillsets are definitely comparable.

Because of their similarity, the duo will probably be matched up with each other for most of the game, making for a must-watch showdown

Michigan plays at one of the fastest paces in the country, while Duke plays quite slow. The Blue Devils have made their money driving their opponents into long possessions and forcing bad shots on fatigued legs.

If Duke can make the Wolverines play that brand of basketball, Michigan could have a really hard time winning the game.

But, if the Wolverines can coerce the Blue Devils into speeding up, they could force Duke out of its comfort zone and be in a favorable position. Whichever team can control the pace of the game will likely have the upper hand.

The Blue Devils aren’t a bad 3-point shooting team by any means, but they, like Michigan, excel near the basket.

They make 62% of their 2-point field goals, good for fourth in the nation, with much of those shots coming at point-blank range — the Wolverines are second in the nation at 62.6%.

Duke hasn’t faced a frontcourt defense quite as good as Michigan’s yet all season, as Michigan’s opponents have shot just 42.8% from inside the arc this year, also good for second in the country. So, it will be a battle of strength against strength come Saturday.

In most games this season, Lendeborg and Boozer have been hands down the best players on the court, but in this game, it’s nearly a wash. If those two cancel each other out to an extent, depth pieces become increasingly important.

Sophomore guard L.J. Cason has had an extremely productive stretch of games, and freshman guard Trey McKenney has been huge for the Wolverines off of the bench. 

On the other side, guard Cayden Boozer has put together some nice games as of late, and forward Maliq Brown has become an explosive scoring threat primarily off of the bench.

The stars will certainly have an impact, but the peripheral players might ultimately determine the outcome.

Duke is one of the youngest teams in the country, playing seven underclassmen in its nine-man rotation. Michigan, however, is on the older side. 

In a late-February, neutral court, high-powered smash, the Blue Devils’ youth could certainly come into play. They’ve played with more maturity than their age suggests all season, but it’s still something to keep an eye on.

Regardless, this matchup is a treat for college basketball fans everywhere, and it’s a great opportunity for both teams to prove themselves before tournament season.