Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. Michigan: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread Info and More

The No. 18 Michigan Wolverines will host the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions on Tuesday night as part of a cushy non-conference home stand prior to the rigors to Big Ten play. The Wolverines are coming off an impressive 90-point effort against Oakland.

Michigan has largely had a good season to this point, although they have had slip-ups against Duke and Virginia en route to a 7-2 mark. The Wolverines solid offense begins and ends with guard play, as Tim Hardaway, Jr. and super freshman Trey Burke have lit up opposing defenses early in the season.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff has faced much more adversity this season, as they are currently 1-5, with all of their losses coming by at nine points. The Golden Lions are near the bottom of the nation in nearly every meaningful category, including points per game, as they rank 342nd in the nation with just over 52 points per contest.

There isn't much point in speculating on the result of this game, as all signs point to a blowout in favor of Michigan. Despite that, this game should be big for both teams, as the Wolverines get to work out the kinks before conference play and the Golden Lions have a chance to build some confidence with a respectable performance against a big-time opponent.

Where: Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich.

When: Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. EDT

Watch: ESPNU

Listen: WTKA 1050 AM (Michigan)

Betting Line: OFF

Who Might Not Play for Arkansas-Pine Bluff: No Injuries to Report

Who Might Not Play for Michigan: No Injuries to Report

Top 25 Implications

It wouldn't seem as though this game would shake up the Top 25 too drastically. Obviously, in the event of a Michigan loss, the Wolverines would drop out of the rankings completely, but that is incredibly unlikely at this point. At the same time, a win wouldn't exactly catapult Michigan up the rankings, either.

Clearly, this is a game that the Wolverines are supposed to and have to win. No matter what the margin of victory is, though, it likely won't impress the voters too much, since it is pretty apparent that the Golden Lions are the vastly inferior team at this point.

What They're Saying

Freshman point guard Trey Burke came to Michigan with large shoes to fill, as Darius Morris moved on to the NBA. Not only has Burke filled those shoes, however, he has probably exceeded Morris' play to this point. This hasn't been lost on head coach John Beilein, who has been very impressed with the two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, according to Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press.

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He has performed what I say is atypical of most freshmen, Beilein said during Monday's Big Ten coaches conference call. It's unusual to have a void at a starting position like we had at a point guard, so he was able to come in and work pretty hard in the preseason -- he earned it, no question about it -- but for him to be playing 30-35 minutes a game and still playing at a high level all 30-35 says a lot about his personality, his desire to win and be a good player.

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Arkansas-Pine Bluff Player to Watch: G Savalace Townsend

The Golden Lions aren't exactly a star-studded squad, but there is no question that their best player is senior guard Savalace Townsend. All of the offensive burden is on Townsend's shoulders, as he averages over 18 points per game while none of his teammates even approach double digits in that regard.

He facilitates everything offensively, as he also averages three assists per game, and he gets it done on the defensive end as well, averaging three steals per contest. If Arkansas-Pine Bluff is going to entertain any thoughts of an upset, then Townsend needs to have the game of his life while elevating his teammates at the same time.

Michigan Player to Watch: G Tim Hardaway Jr.

Michigan's backcourt as a unit will be key against the Golden Lions, but most of the pressure to produce will be on sensational sophomore shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. Hardaway turned in a very impressive freshman campaign last season, and he has only built upon it this year by averaging over 16 points and two three pointers per game.

Hardaway's play has likely been enhanced by freshman point guard Trey Burke, but he is very capable of creating his own shots. It is highly unlikely that Arkansas-Pine Bluff has a player with enough defensive talent to hold Hardaway in check. Because of that, he should probably be in for his biggest game of the young season.

Key Matchup: Michigan Guards vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff Perimeter Defense

No matter where you look, the Wolverines have an advantage over the Golden Lions. That is especially true when it comes to guard play, as Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway, Jr. have essentially accounted for the vast majority of Michigan's offense this season. Because of that, Arkansas Pine-Bluff will have to commit extra attention to slowing them down.

The Golden Lions haven't proven to have capable perimeter defenders in any of their previous games, so I don't expect one to magically appear against the Wolverines. If by some miracle the Golden Lions can figure out a way to make Burke and Hardaway look ordinary, they might have a shot, but I would be shocked if that happened.

Prediction

Michigan 95, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 58