Oregon vs. Michigan: 2019-20 college basketball game preview, TV schedule

An enticing non-conference clash will transpire in the early afternoon this Saturday, as Oregon makes its first trip to Ann Arbor to duel with Michigan.

TV schedule: Saturday, December 14, 12:00 pm ET. CBS.
Arena: Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Mich.

A pair of top-10 teams that have experienced rugged non-conference slates will square off on Saturday afternoon, as No. 5 Michigan hosts No. 10 Oregon. This is absolutely one of the premier out-of-conference encounters to date in the 2019-20 campaign, and the Crisler Center will undoubtedly prove boisterous and frenetic.

There are two important developments for the Ducks (7-2) to note at the onset. One is that five-star center N’Faly Dante has finally joined Oregon after missing the first month-plus of the 2019-20 term because of an NCAA deadline that didn’t get met. According to this report, Ducks head coach Dana Altman said that Dante will likely travel to Ann Arbor, “but he won’t probably play.”

While that’s a bummer, having Dante on Oregon’s roster for the future is critical, as he’s one of the highest-rated prospects to commit to the Ducks. In a separate article, Altman said that senior power forward Shakur Juiston will not suit up versus the Wolverines (8-2) due to a knee injury. That’s a blow to Oregon, as Juiston generates nearly 9.0 points and a unit-high 6.5 rebounds per affair.

Both the Ducks and Michigan have impressive resumes at this juncture in the current stanza. Oregon owns conquests of Houston, Memphis and Seton Hall, and the Ducks’ duo of setbacks is by a combined five points to Gonzaga and North Carolina.

The Wolverines, on the flip side, have defeated Creighton, Gonzaga, Iowa, Iowa State and UNC, with Michigan’s losses at Illinois and Louisville.

From a statistical perspective, the Wolverines and Oregon are extremely similar, in categories such as points scored and allowed, field-goal percentage, boards, assists, steals and turnovers committed. Michigan holds the edge in blocks and shooting from the charity stripe, while the Ducks are slightly better at connecting from deep.

For Oregon, the guy to watch is senior guard Payton Pritchard, who is tallying 18.8 points, 6.1 dimes and 4.2 rebounds a game. The Wolverines have quite a balanced scoring attack, with six players notching a minimum of seven points every 40 minutes.

All-time, Michigan is 4-1 against the Ducks, although most recently Oregon squeaked by the Wolverines, 69-68, in the Sweet 16 of the 2017 Big Dance, in a tournament where the Ducks reached the Final Four.

Michigan possesses a 53.6 percent chance to prevail on Saturday, according to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index. Given that the Wolverines are unbeaten at home, and Oregon is a tad short-handed, I’ll go with Michigan to triumph in an exciting contest.

Prediction: Michigan 80 – Oregon 71