Michigan basketball the players were still in uniform, a few minutes later beating Rutgers on Saturdayon Dec. 6 at the Crisler Center, when they came for postgame press conferences.
The reporters were told to try to be efficient – the group headed straight to the weight room once they were done with the media. It’s all part of a semi-rapid turnaround, with just over 72 hours between the end of UM’s Big Ten opener and the start of a non-conference game. It’s also a sign of the respect the Wolverines have for their next opponent, Villanova, which comes to town Tuesday (6:30 p.m., FS1).
December 6, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States; Michigan Wolverines guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (11) dribbles defended by Rutgers Scarlet Knights forward Dylan Grant (9) in the first half at Crisler Center.
‘DOG OF THE JUNKYARD’: Michigan basketball thrives on Morez Johnson Jr.’s energy.
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“I’m excited to have had the opportunity to play against a legendary program,” said coach Dusty May. “They play great basketball. They’ve won every game since their first game in the West against BYU, and they have a unique group.
“It’s going to be, it’s going to be a fun battle.”
While the Wildcats weren’t quite on par the last time the two programs met, in the Sweet 16 in 2022 — ‘Nova has missed three straight NCAA tournaments and is in his first season under coach Kevin Willard — but there’s still a level of consistency, with just one year below .500 in more than two decades.
May said he has a lot of respect for any program that can maintain excellence.
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Tuesday’s match was touted as a potential heavyweight showdown this offseasonand while the Wildcats might get more national recognition at some point in the year — they’re riding a seven-game winning streak — right now, the Wolverines are the darlings of the sport.
This is what happens when you win four games in a row by at least 30 points (with a combined margin of 151 points over that span).
This is the main reason UM moved to No. 1 in the latest USA TODAY athletic coaches poll.
“I’m looking at Michigan,” Willard told reporters recently. “I don’t think anyone wants to watch Michigan right now, to be perfectly honest with you. … They’re playing the best basketball in the country by far.”
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However, No. 1 Michigan (8-0, 1-0 Big Ten) will not take the Wildcats lightly. Willard joined the program after leading Maryland to a Sweet 16 berth last season and continues to instill his principles in a new group. May said having played against the Terrapins last year and knowing his Seton Hall teams before that, he’s ready for anything from the matchup zone to going from one to three to some press variations.
The Wildcats have five players scoring in double figures, led by sophomore guard Bryce Lindsay with 18.1 points per game. Freshman Aceden Lews — who UM recruited hard before choosing Villanova — is next at 12.8, so UM knows the team well enough to know it should be taken seriously.
Villanova Wildcats guard Bryce Lindsay (2) controls the ball against the Duquesne Dukes during the first half at William B. Finneran Pavilion in Villanova, Pennsylvania.
“We know how well their wings shoot the ball,” May said. “We respect their bigs and the way they play, and so they’ve done a good job of building a complete team in year one.”
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Those bigs, especially Duke Brennan, are the reason the Wildcats enter Tuesday as the No. 2 offensive rebounding team in the country, putting together 44.5 percent of their missed shots. If there’s a weakness for the Wildcats, it’s the 3-point line defense — opponents are shooting 42.5 percent from 3 this year, while Villanova ranks second-to-last nationally.
As for Brennan, who started his career at Arizona State but transferred from Grand Canyon, he’s a load, averaging 11.4 points per game and leading the nation with 12.9 rebounds per night. Something is going to have to give, though, with UM ranking No. 2 in 2-point shooting percentage allowed, No. 18 in blocks and just outside the top 50 on the defensive glass.
“Brennan goes at it hard and he does a really good job of following the ball with his eyes as he chases it and getting rid of defenders,” May said. “He loves the contact and he will exert himself. And they also have an excellent definition of their role. So I think he is able to anticipate what is going to happen next.
“If we want to win this game, we have to rebound the ball. So our guys are aware of that.”
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Tony Garcia’s prediction
Ultimately, the Wolverines won’t win a game until 30, and this could be it. Not that it’s particularly close — UM beat the last elite rebounding team it faced, Gonzaga, by 40 last month in Las Vegas, and with the Crisler crowd behind it, this could be another place for May’s group to make a statement. But if UM is anything but electric from beyond the arc, the Wolverines’ margin of victory should come down to earth. Still, expect the 3-point shooters – Nimari Burnett, Trey McKenney, Will Tschetter and even Yaxel Lendeborg – to let it fly. The choice: UM 84, Villanova 65
Tony Garcia is the Wolverines writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on @RealTonyGarcia.
This article was originally published on Detroit Free Press: Michigan vs Villanova Basketball Prediction, Game Score, Preview
