Michigan Basketball: 3 keys to non-con matchup with St. John’s Red Storm

1. Slow down Joel Soriano as much as possible

Although St. John’s changed 95% of its roster from last season, the one key piece that did come back was its best player, Joel Soriano. He was the Most Improved Player in the Big East last season, leading the Red Storm with 15.2 ppg and 11.9 rpg. He started with a big game against Stony Brook last week, going for 22 points and 11 rebounds in the win.

If Dickinson was still around, Michigan Basketball would have the perfect matchup for Soriano. But even without him, they still have the bodies to at least maintain the big man on the other side. Tarris Reed, a former top-50 prospect out of high school, is a 6’10 and 260-pound big man that’s known for being a sound defender.

While Reed isn’t too much of an offensive threat, he can at least make Soriano work for it. But it might not be for long, as the sophomore center is prone to getting in foul trouble, and that very well could happen in this game. The backup option would be to simply slide over Tennessee transfer Olivier Nkamhoua over to the five-spot. He has enough size and is also known for being a stout frontcourt defender.

Where Nkamhoua could also help is by making Soriano defender out on the perimeter in this small-ball lineup. The senior forward leads Michigan with 21.0 ppg and 8.5 rpg, making some shots from deep as well. If Soriano gets in foul trouble himself dealing with Nkamhoua, Michigan would then have the advantage.