Alabama A&M @ Michigan preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 17, 2011 ) Alabama A&M 57, Michigan 87

Michigan looks to stay unbeaten at home when it faces Alabama A&M on Thursday. The Wolverines have won three straight games overall, including a 90-58 victory against Detroit Mercy on Saturday, and hope to continue their winning ways by downing the Bulldogs for the second time in program history following an 87-57 triumph in their only previous meeting in 2011.

"We're going to take this 10-3 and go win these last two games at home and get ready for the (Big Ten) season," Michigan coach John Beilein told reporters. "They continue to show me what a high ceiling they have." The Wolverines have won 10 straight non-conference home games with five of the victories during that span coming by 20 or more points. Michigan is 64-3 when scoring 80 or more points under Beilein and aims to hit the magic number against an Alabama A&M squad, which is ranked 327th nationally in scoring defense giving up an average of 82 points per game. The Bulldogs are left to lick their wounds following a 90-58 setback to UAB as part of the Birmingham Jam on Saturday and hopes to end an 11-game skid by pulling off the upset in Ann Arbor.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT ALABAMA A&M (0-11): Senior guard Julian Walters led the way with 15 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals against UAB in his second appearance of the season after being cleared to play following his transfer from East Tennessee State last December. Marcus Merriweather tallied 12 points and Andre Kennedy added eight for the Bulldogs, who have dropped 10 straight games by double digits. De'Ederick Petty was limited to six points against the Blazers and has been held to an average of 5.5 on 5-of-18 shooting over his two games after scoring 10 more points in his previous five contests.

ABOUT MICHIGAN (10-3): Charles Matthews led the Wolverines with 20 points to go along with seven rebounds in the convincing win against Detroit Mercy despite arriving just 30 minutes to tip off following the death of his grandmother. Jon Teske impressed in his first career start as he added 15 points and 10 rebounds to post his second double-double, and Duncan Robinson went 3-of-4 from beyond the arc en route to 11 points to move within four 3-pointers of passing LaVell Blanchard (189) for ninth place on Michigan's all-time list. Moritz Wagner missed the win over Detroit Mercy with a sprained right ankle, snapping his streak of consecutive appearances at 55 in a row and will be a game-time decision on Thursday.

TIP-INS

1. Michigan has made 10 or more three-pointers in seven games.

2. The Wolverines are ranked fifth nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.67).

3. Alabama A&M is 0-8 on the road this season.

PREDICTION: Michigan 89, Alabama A&M 63