Minnesota vs Michigan: 2020-21 college basketball game preview, TV schedule

16th-ranked Minnesota looks to hand 10th-ranked Michigan its first loss of the season in a huge Big Ten showdown.

TV Schedule: Wednesday, January 6, 8:30 pm ET. Big Ten Network

Arena: Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Wednesday night marks an early, but pivotal battle that could go a long way in deciding a Big Ten champion.

Michigan (9-0, 4-0 Big Ten) has gotten off to the best start possible, winning all nine of their games by an average of 14.67 points, with their closest one being a 62-58 home win over Penn State. There are skeptics of Michigan’s hot start, as they have yet to play a top-45 opponent (Maryland is 46th and Penn State is 48th, per KenPom).

Regardless, you can only beat who is on your schedule, and the Wolverines have basically pummeled everyone on it. While I think Michigan is a legitimate top-10 team in the nation, Wednesday’s game against Minnesota provides a golden chance for it to silence their critics and prove they are for real.

Hunter Dickinson has gone above and beyond expectations for Michigan, leading the Wolverines with 16.9 PPG, 8.1 RPG and 1.1 BPG. One of the best freshmen in the country, Dickinson has helped the Wolverines become the 7th best offense and 29th best defense in the nation in terms of adjusted efficiency. Senior Isaiah Livers (13.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG) and sophomore Franz Wagner (12.2  PPG, 7 RPG) have continued to be major contributors for Michigan this season.

On the other hand, Minnesota (10-2, 3-2 Big Ten) has already been better than experts thought before the season. Tabbed 11th in the Big Ten preseason poll, Minnesota has already skyrocketed to 16th in the entire nation.

Marcus Carr has performed at an All-American level for the Golden Gophers, averaging an incredible stat line of 22.1 points, 5.9 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game. His 2.5 win shares rank fourth in the entire nation and he sits at 10th in the KenPom Player of the Year standings.

Drake transfer Liam Robbins has also begun to prove himself as one of the best big men in the conference. He has excelled as a scorer (14.2 PPG), rebounder (7.6 RPG), and rim protector (2.8 BPG) for the Golden Gophers. Utah transfer guard Both Gach and junior guard Gabe Kalscheur have also filled up the stat sheet with 11 and 10.1 PPG, respectively.

The matchup between Robbins and Dickinson is definitely a reason to tune in to this game. Both players have proven themselves as two of the best centers the Big Ten has to offer, and it will be fascinating to see the two go at it in the post. At 7’1″ and 255 pounds, Dickinson has an inch and twenty pounds on Robbins.

Minnesota will be the toughest opponent yet for Michigan and talent will not be lacking for either team in Ann Arbor on Wednesday. However, I like the Wolverines to stay undefeated and pull away at home late.

Prediction: Michigan 79, Minnesota 72