Rush The Court

RTC Live is back with another full slate of games tonight. From Ann Arbor to South Bend to Moraga, we’ll be bringing you coverage from around the country as the ESPN 24 Hours of Hoops Marathon tips off this evening. Join us for our first-ever trip to Michigan to get a look at John Beilein’s talented but young team as the Wolverines take on Towson; this evening’s conversation from Crisler Arena comes to you after the jump.

Game 10: Following decisive victories over Wayne State and Ferris State, the Michigan Wolverines host the Towson Tigers tonight in an early season matchup. Both the AP and the USA Today polls have Michigan coach John Beilein’s squad ranked #18 in the nation heading into tonight’s contest, which tips off at 8:30 PM EST. Evan Smotrycz, Stu Douglass and Tim Hardaway, Jr., son of the former NBA great by the same name, lead a talented and deep Wolverine attack. Entering his fourth season as the coach at Michigan, John Beilein appears to have the Wolverines headed on the right track toward the upper division of the Big Ten and beyond. He also recently signed Mitch McGary, one of the top recruits in the nation in the Class of 2012, so the future appears very bright for this Wolverine program.

Game Recap

The Michigan Wolverines overwhelmed the Towson Tigers early and never looked back Monday night. UM sprinted out to a 21-0 lead from the opening tip and never relinquished it. Tim Hardaway, Jr., the son of the eponymous N.B.A. great, led Michigan with 15 points, while freshman point guard Trey Burke provided a breakout performance for the Maize and Blue, notching 13 points, snatching two rebounds and doling out a pair of assists. Burke also had the hot hand early, sinking a trio of three-pointers in the first half. Evan Smotrycz also contributed a baker’s dozen in the scoring column, while Zach Novak added eight points and five rebounds. The Wolverines used opportunistic defense to grab several takeaways early in the game and effectively end the contest at the half. Robert Nwankwo scored 16 points to pace Towson, but most of his efforts came with the game effectively out of reach. The Wolverines will follow up this victory with a contest on November 17 against Western Illinois before flying out to Hawaii to participate in the EA Sports Maui Invitational on November 21.