Michigan basketball vs. Wake Forest: 3 things to watch on Wolverines’ first road trip

After taking care of business in two exhibition games and the season opener, Michigan basketball is ready for a road test against a power conference opponent.

Michigan is 1-0 under new head coach Dusty May after obliterating Cleveland State by 48 points in the opener on Monday. The Wolverines will have had almost a full week off before facing Wake Forest on Sunday afternoon.

The game will be played at a technically neutral site — First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina — albeit one just over 30 miles west of Wake Forest’s campus. That should give Michigan a pseudo-road environment, with most fans cheering against the Wolverines. (Next year, U-M gets its payback: a neutral-site game vs. Wake Forest at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.)

Michigan head coach Dusty May waves at fans after 101-53 win over Cleveland State at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024.

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Here are three factors to watch on Sunday afternoon when the Wolverines and Demon Deacons tip off at 1 p.m. (ESPN2).

A tournament-level test

Wake Forest enters the game at 2-0 with wins over Coppin State (by 15 points) and North Carolina A&T (by 16 points) at home. The Demon Deacons were ranked third in the preseason ACC poll, behind just Duke and North Carolina, and received one vote for first place.

“I’m really excited,” said Michigan wing Sam Walters, a transfer from Alabama. “They got some really good players. My former teammate (Davin Cosby) plays for them as well, so I’m really excited to play against guys I know and a really good team. I think it’s going to be a good test for us, especially early in the season to play a good team in their home state.”

The Demon Deacons are led by senior guard Hunter Sallis, a preseason All-ACC first-team selection after he averaged 18 points as a junior last year. Sallis, who played two seasons at Gonzaga before transferring across the country, is a…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-basketball-vs-wake-forest-110545042.html

Author : Detroit Free Press

Publish date : 2024-11-09 11:05:00

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