Detroit Mercy @ Michigan preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 20, 2014 ) Detroit Mercy 62, Michigan 71

Michigan looks to build on an encouraging week when it faces Detroit Mercy as part of the Hitachi College Basketball Showcase at the new Little Caesars Arena on Saturday. The Wolverines are coming off back-to-back wins over UCLA (78-69) and at Texas (59-52) to strengthen their NCAA Tournament resume and hope to stay on the winning track by knocking off the Titans for the 15th straight time.

"I'm really proud of our kids," Michigan head coach John Beilein told reporters after knocking off the Longhorns. "It's not a guarantee that we'll win our next road game but it will assist us in giving us some confidence going forward." The Wolverines are 24-4 all time against Detroit Mercy, including a 71-62 victory in their last matchup on Nov. 20, 2014. Michigan has won three straight games against Horizon League opponents by an average margin of 27.6 points and hope to improve to 5-1 in neutral court games since the start of the 2016-17 season. Detroit Mercy is heading in the wrong direction after dropping an 87-79 decision to Western Michigan and the Titans hope to end a four-game skid by downing the Wolverines for the first time since 1981.

TV: Noon ET. ESPNU

ABOUT DETROIT MERCY (4-6): Corey Allen poured in a game-high 32 points while Jaleel Hogan registered 16 points and 10 rebounds against Western Michigan to notch the eighth double-double of his career. Kameron Chatman was limited to six points against the Broncos after averaging 21.5 over his previous six games. The matchup with Michigan holds added significance for Chatman, the former five-star recruit who spent two seasons in Ann Arbor, before transferring to the Titans after his sophomore season while Detroit head coach Bacari Alexander also spent time with the Wolverines as an assistant to Beilein for six years before taking the job in Detroit.

ABOUT MICHIGAN (9-3): Senior guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman led the Wolverines with 17 points and 10 rebounds in the win against Texas to post the first double-double of his career. "It feels pretty good," Abdur-Rahkman told reporters. "We've been stressing that we need to be road warriors and play tough on the road and not just lay over when they make a run." Charles Matthews added 12 points and eight rebounds against the Longhorns while Moritz Wagner scored 10 points before leaving the game in the second half with a twisted ankle and is day-to-day going forward.

TIP-INS

1. Wagner has scored in double figures in all 12 games this season.

2. Abdur-Rahkman is ranked fourth nationally in assist-to-turnover ration (five).

3. Allen has posted two 30-point games in 2017-18.

PREDICTION: Michigan 88, Detroit 76