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Michigan Basketball: Top 5 non-conference games for 2018-19

By Brad Cavallaro

SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 02: Head coach John Beilein of the Michigan Wolverines reacts against the Villanova Wildcats in the first half during the 2018 NCAA Men's Final Four National Championship game at the Alamodome on April 2, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 02: Head coach John Beilein of the Michigan Wolverines reacts against the Villanova Wildcats in the first half during the 2018 NCAA Men's Final Four National Championship game at the Alamodome on April 2, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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SAN ANTONIO, TX – APRIL 02: Moritz Wagner #13 of the Michigan Wolverines speaks to teammates in the first half against the Villanova Wildcats during the 2018 NCAA Men’s Final Four National Championship game at the Alamodome on April 2, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX – APRIL 02: Moritz Wagner #13 of the Michigan Wolverines speaks to teammates in the first half against the Villanova Wildcats during the 2018 NCAA Men’s Final Four National Championship game at the Alamodome on April 2, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

Michigan Basketball has a tough non-conference schedule as they look to repeat as Big Ten champions. What are the 5 toughest games on this challenging slate?

After losing Derrick Walton, DJ Wilson, and Zak Irvin, many people thought Michigan would take a step back in 17-18. Obviously, this was not the case as the Wolverines won the Big Ten Tournament before advancing to the National Championship game.

Michigan certainly benefited from some lucky breaks, most notably their improbable last-second comeback versus Houston where Jordan Poole hit a near half court buzzer beater. This is not meant to discount their accomplishments because in order to advance deep into March, you need to have luck on your side. Loyola and Nevada could have been afterthoughts if game winning shots didn’t go their way either.

Last season, will be one to remember, but the Wolverines will have to reload once again. Mortiz Wagner has left early to the NBA Draft where he was a first-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Lakers. Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Duncan Robinson have also graduated after playing crucial roles. Robinson has earned a two-way deal with the Miami Heat which means Michigan will be replacing two NBA players, which is never an easy task.

The cupboard is not bare as Charles Matthews could be one of the stars of the Big Ten. Young returners like Jordan Poole and Isaiah Livers could be in-line for breakout seasons and freshmen Ignas Brazdeikis and Brandon Johns are poised to make an immediate impact. Not to mention Zavier Simpson who brought stability to the lead guard position once he took over mid-way through last season.

Michigan should be a very good team, once again, and could even crack the pre-season top 25 so it is no surprise that their non league schedule is quite formidable. This article will analyze their non-league schedule and will rank the five toughest games. The rankings will be based on location (home/road/neutral) and, obviously, quality of opponent.

It is important to note that due to the extended 20 game Big Ten schedule, Michigan only has 11 non-conference games.

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