Brendon Mulvihill is an RTC contributor. You can find him @themulv on Twitter. See bottom of the post for the Official RTC Star System.

#19 Michigan at Purdue – 7:00PM EST on ESPN HD (***)

Tim Hardaway, Jr. needs to take the ball to the hoop to get out of his shooting slump. (Melanie Maxwell/AnnArbor.com)

• Michigan is coming off a non-conference road loss to Arkansas and has lost two of its last three games. During that three-game stretch, Wolverine swingman Tim Hardaway, Jr., has had a very difficult time scoring. He has posted nine, 10, and nine points in those games and is a combined eight for 30 from the floor, including one for 16 from three. Hardaway is seven for 14 from inside the arc, however. In order for John Beilein’s team to avoid getting down early in games, Hardaway needs to spend more time driving the ball to the hoop and getting to the line. With Purdue having such a poor three-point defense, though, we might see Hardaway continue to hoist up shots from downtown. Keep an eye on his shot selection in the first 10-15 minutes of the game. Missed threes will continue to haunt him and the rest of the team if they are not careful.
• Purdue is also coming off a loss to Michigan State. It was the worst shooting performance of the year for the Boilermakers at 31% eFG. Unfortunately, Matt Painter’s squad does not have a good enough defense to survive such a poor shooting night. Purdue is eleventh in the league in eFG% defense at 52.6%. They are getting killed from downtown. While Michigan shoots a ton of threes, they are only hitting 29.5% of their attempts in conference play. So the three should not hurt Purdue in this game, but it could have an impact simply because of UM’s willingness to launch from beyond the arc. One thing that is tough to come by against the Boilermakers is points off turnovers. Purdue has lowest turnover rate in the country at 14.8%. Michigan is doing a better job of creating turnovers in conference play, but will have a difficult time creating easy baskets in West Lafayette.
• Neither team has stellar field goal defense, so expect good shooting. The game may hinge on free throws, particularly if the Wolverines are being smart from deep and driving to the hole. Purdue needs to still defend the three better because U of M certainly is not shy about shooting. If Hardaway can get back on track, Michigan has a great chance to pick up a nice road win in the Big Ten. If not, Purdue could pull off the win.

Other Games to Watch:

• Tennessee at Vanderbilt (7:00PM EST on ESPNU HD) – How will Tennessee follow up on its upset of UConn on Saturday?
• Baylor at Oklahoma (8:00PM EST on Big 12 Network HD) – Baylor looks to end a two-game losing streak on the road after starting the season with 17 straight wins.

Evan Jacoby is an RTC contributor and correspondent. You can find him @evanjacoby on Twitter. Night Line will run on weeknights during the season, highlighting a major storyline development from that day’s slate of games.

If Michigan wanted to stay alive in the Big Ten conference title race, Tuesday night’s home game against in-state rival and top 10-ranked Michigan State was a must-win. The Wolverines came away with a one-point victory in a nailbiter thanks to another strong performance from their leader – Trey Burke. It’s not a typo or an overstatement to say that the Wolverines’ freshman point guard has already turned into their go-to guy and overall best player this season. The Wolverines have gone uncharacteristically cold from three-point range and talented guard Tim Hardaway, Jr. has not been the expected consistent star player this year, but Burke’s heady play at the lead guard spot has helped Michigan remain a threat in the Big Ten race.

John Beilein is Pleased with his Freshman Point Guard's Development (AP Photo)

While improving to 5-2 in the Big Ten and 15-4 overall with Tuesday’s win, the Wolverines experienced the same troubles that they’ve been having in conference play, but it was again the strong play of the freshman Burke that carried the team to victory. Michigan, shooting 29.5% from deep in Big Ten action, shot 6-21 from three and Hardaway, Jr., scored only 10 points on 3-9 shooting without contributing much else to the game. But Burke had a game-high 20 points on 8-11 shooting with four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks, and made nearly all the key plays down the stretch of a tight game. Coming off a bad 16-point loss to Iowa, Michigan needed this win and now sits tied for second in the conference standings.

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Brendon Mulvihill is an RTC contributor. You can find him @themulv on Twitter.  See bottom of the post for the Official RTC Star System.

There are a bunch of Pac-12 games on tonight, but we’re focusing on the one must see game of the evening in the Big Ten.  Let’s take a look at the action.

#15 Michigan at #10 Indiana – 9:00 PM EST on ESPN2 HD (****)

How will Trey Burke handle a tough Indiana defense in his first trip to Bloomington (Angela J. Cesere/annarbor.com)

• Michigan has won seven games in a row. However, Indiana will be their toughest test by far since its loss to Virginia on the road last month. Michigan still leads the nation in two-point field goal percentage at 58.1%, so taking smart two-point shots and not relying as heavily on the three-pointers will be key for the Wolverines in this game. In Indiana’s only loss of the season, Michigan State hit 60% of its two-point attempts (24-40). Keep an eye on where U of M’s shots are coming from throughout the game. John Beilein’s team can get three-happy, as the Wolverines take almost 44% of its shots from outside the arc.  Star shooting guard Tim Hardaway, Jr., is hitting less than 30% of his attempts from downtown, though. If he can slash to the hole and freshman point guard Trey Burke can drive and dish for the open shot, the Wolverines are capable of pulling the upset on the road.  However, Michigan needs to watch the fouls; they rank 325th in the nation in bench minutes.  Foul trouble tonight would doom the Maize and Blue.
• Indiana has already beaten a #1 and #2 ranked team in the country for the first time in its history this year. The Hoosiers will look to play at a slightly faster pace than Michigan and take advantage of their size with freshman center Cody Zeller inside. With Michigan’s tallest starter being 6’9” Evan Smotrycz, look for IU to go to the 6’11” Zeller often. If he draws the double team, Indiana is hitting almost 45% of its threes this season. The inside-out game of Indiana could spell danger for Michigan; also, Indiana’s ability to create turnovers will be key. It will be interesting to see how Burke handles the Hoosiers’ pressure defense.
• This game will hinge on the defensive play of Indiana. Both teams are solid offensively, but Indiana plays much stronger defense.  A team that plays defense like IU can wear down the Wolverines because of their lack of depth. Smart twos will keep the Wolverines in the game but they do not have the offensive rebounding prowess to overcome a bunch of missed threes. Indiana’s offense has proven too efficient to come away with many empty possessions.

Brendon Mulvihill is an RTC contributor. You can find him @themulv on Twitter.  See bottom of the post for the Official RTC Star System.

The ACC/Big Ten Challenge kicks off tonight with several outstanding games.  There are two games in particular that every college hoops fan should enjoy thoroughly.  Let’s go ahead and break down the action.

Can Jared Sullinger get Ohio State a marquee win against Duke in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge? (Al Messerschmidt/Getty)

#15 Michigan at Virginia – 7 PM EST on ESPN2 HD (****)

• The biggest take away from Maui for the Wolverines was freshman point guard Trey Burke’s ability to run the Wolverine offense. Michigan will need Burke to continue to drive the offense against a very good Virginia defense. John Beilein’s team currently is the #1 team in the country in two-point field goal percentage (62.8%). However, the team is struggling from beyond the arc and at the free throw line. They are also struggling to get to the line. This is probably a result of their frequent three-point attempts (39% of their shots come from downtown). In what may shape up to be a half-court battle, Michigan must find a way to get to the line more frequently. If Michigan is able to reduce their three-point shots like they did against UCLA and drive the ball to the lane with Burke and Tim Hardaway, Jr., the team will be on its way to a win against the Cavaliers.
• Virginia’s defense has been nothing short of spectacular this year. They are holding teams to an effective field goal percentage of 37%, which is good for fifth in the nation. Expect the Cavalier’s defense to force the Wolverines to shoot from the outside by playing zone. On the other side of the ball, the Virginia offense runs on free throws. If they are not getting to the line, they will have a difficult time winning the game. This is mostly because Tony Bennett’s team is struggling on the offensive glass and is turning the ball over on almost 22% of their possessions. Since the Cavaliers play at a slow pace, poor offensive rebounding and turnovers result in empty possessions and offensive inefficiency. They will have to improve in both areas to beat Michigan.
• The Cavaliers have the best defense that Michigan has faced thus far and the Wolverines have the best offense Virginia has faced thus far. The game will come down to which team executes its strength in the half-court more effectively. If you see Virginia forcing Michigan to shoot a lot from the outside, they will have a better shot at winning. If the Maize and Blue is finding smart shots from inside the arc and pulling down the offensive boards, expect them to win in a slugfest.

The environment in tonight’s Maui Invitational championship game was phenomenal. Duke and Kansas both had the strong support of fans passionately cheering for their teams, and it was a shame to see either one go home a loser after what was a great tournament. The ESPN-funded tournaments in Puerto Rico, Orlando and Anaheim this week are all are fine and well, but the organizers haven’t figured out that teams playing in front of crowds with more empty seats than filled ones loses much of what makes college basketball exciting and special. Sure, Maui is in a preferred situation in that it can engineer fabulous matchups like Kansas vs. Duke, but the tweets from around the country raving about the environment in Lahaina tonight suggest others should strive more to mimic what they have.

Let’s jump into some musings on the Duke-Kansas championship game first, followed by the Michigan-UCLA third-place game.

Duke 68, Kansas 61

Thornton's Biggest Shot of His Life Gave Duke Its Fifth Maui Title (Kemper Lesnik/B. Spurlock)

• Tyshawn Taylor is such an enigmatic player. In the first half of tonight’s game, he was mostly spectacular, with 13 points and three assists to lead KU to a nice four-point lead over Duke. In the second half, he quite literally self-destructed, committing a ridiculous eight turnovers and only adding a single assist as Duke kept pushing forward. Think about it, in a game played in the 60s for both teams, that’s eight additional second half possessions that Taylor single-handedly gave to Duke. The most crushing error Taylor made was at just under a minute to go when he simply lost control of his dribble on a Ryan Kelly hedge with Kansas down two points. It wasn’t a disastrous turnover by itself, but it allowed Duke to gain the possession where Tyler Thornton received a pass under duress (arguably after a Seth Curry travel) and dropped in a closeout three from the corner. Kansas will once again win a lot of games this year, as they always do, but the knock on the Jayhawks coming in has been whether you can trust Taylor to get it done when the heat is on — tonight’s second half performance is highly suggestive that you cannot.
• Moving back to that game-winner, what can you say about the onions on Tyler Thornton tonight? Not only did Mike Krzyzewski sub in the sophomore over his all-world freshman Austin Rivers at the end of the game, but a kid who had attempted a grand total of nine shots all season coming into tonight’s game made Coach K once again look like a genius by hitting not one, but two, contested threes from the corners. Krzyzewksi said that Thornton essentially won the game for Duke, and no doubt the image of his scissor-kick jumper will cause KU fans nightmares for years. As Bill Self said in Tuesday’s press conference, Kansas came to Maui to play the Blue Devils. KU fans probably felt like they had a pretty good chance to knock off Duke, a team that has now beaten the Jayhawks in four of the schools’ last five matchups dating back nearly two decades. But Taylor’s erratic mishandling of the basketball in combination with Thornton’s confidence in his jumper resulted in yet another crushing blow against Coach K for the school from Lawrence.

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The second day of the EA Sports Maui Invitational was once again full of big-time names and games, featuring the two afternoon semifinals between four of the most decorated programs in college basketball history. Let’s review the two games with some thoughts in a surf and sun-infused haze…

Duke 82, Michigan 75

• For a brief period in the early to mid-90s, there was no bigger rivalry in college basketball than Duke vs. Michigan. Whether true or not, the two schools at the time represented opposite ends of the college basketball landscape, with Coach K’s program signifying all that was right and just in collegiate athletics, and Steve Fisher’s program standing for undisciplined (but exciting) street ball. Of course, such thinking was then and remains intellectually lazy (not to mention subtly racist), but for college hoops fans of yore, seeing the maize and gold of Michigan tipping off against the royal blue and white of Duke this afternoon sent shock waves of giddy anticipation through our body. On to the actual game…

Duke Had Just a Little More Than Michigan Today (Kemper Lasnik/B. Spurlock)

• Coach K referenced this in his post-game comments, but it was crystal clear from the opening Michigan possession. Duke’s primary objective was to deny the ball to Tim Hardaway, Jr., in hopes of frustrating him and eventually causing him to force things. It worked. We watched closely as Duke’s Andre Dawkins, Austin Rivers and Tyler Thornton put on a clinic in denying THjr the ball during the first half — especially Thornton. His usage of angles and subtle but effective positioning was outstanding; when you watch a defensive performance like that against one of the better scorers in college basketball this season, you really begin to appreciate the coaching that Krzyzewski and its staff does with their players. Hardaway was 0-6 from the field in the first half and the few shots he got were clearly rushed.
• Really can’t say enough about Trey Burke for Michigan. As a freshman in just his fifth game of action, he was often Michigan’s best player on the floor today. He finished the game with 17/3/9 assts, but it was his shooting and set-up skills in the first half that kept UM from being completely blown out of the Lahaina Civic Center. With a superb backcourt in place to go along with a serviceable frontcourt and enough shooters to run John Beilein’s sets, the Wolverines are going to be just fine. Right now, we’d place them behind only Ohio State and Wisconsin in the Big Ten, ahead of Purdue, Michigan State, Northwestern and the rest. Call us a Beiliever, but we’re sold on this Michigan team.

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Brendon Mulvihill is an RTC contributor. You can find him @themulv on Twitter.  See bottom of the post for the Official RTC Star System.

The teams in Maui swap opponents to create an interesting rivalry game and a Tournament rematch, while the CBE Classic wraps-up as we head to Turkey Day.  Let’s take a look at what you should be watching in today’s action.

#13 Memphis vs Tennessee – 2 PM EST on ESPN2 HD (**)

Tennessee and Head Coach Cuonzo Martin Face In-State Rival Memphis All The Way in Maui

• Memphis and Tennessee take a Volunteer State rivalry all the way to the islands in the loser’s bracket of the Maui Invitational. In two games this season, Memphis has been manhandled on the boards by Belmont and Michigan. This could be problematic against a Tennessee team that is proving to be scrappy and capable of grabbing rebounds and loose balls. However, much like Duke, the Tigers have better athletes and more scoring options than the Volunteers. Josh Pastner’s team will have to do a better job picking good shots though, as they shot just 33% from the field against Michigan. Look for the Memphis guards to exploit the three-point shot like Duke did against the Volunteers early in the game.
• Tennessee went from hitting just under 50% of its three-point shots in its opening two games to missing all eight of its threes against Duke. Expect Memphis to put the same kind of pressure on the Volunteer perimeter defense with its athletic backcourt. Tennessee cannot miss easy lay-ups like it did against Duke if it expects to win this game. Michigan showed that Memphis can be exploited inside the arc and they must covert those shots.
• The Vols are certainly still trying to find their legs under new coach Cuonzo Martin and they will be facing another very athletic team in Memphis today. The Tigers will try to keep the game up-tempo to take advantage of its superior guard play. If they are successful at wearing out the Volunteers and defending the perimeter like the Blue Devils did, it will be very difficult for Martin’s team to defeat its in-state rival.

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Evan Jacoby is an RTC columnist.

Returning nearly all of its contributing players from a 21-win team, Michigan has high hopes this season. But the one departure suffered by the Wolverines was a big one, as sophomore Darius Morris’ decision to turn pro left the team with a massive void at the point guard position. While Morris, a second-round pick, is now waiting out the NBA lockout, Michigan has found his successor much sooner than expected. Today was freshman Trey Burke’s warm welcome to the national stage.

Beilein Is Excited About His Team's Performance in Maui (Kemper Lesnik)

Playing its first major opponent of the season on Monday, John Beilein’s team was led by the confident play of its young point guard in a convincing win over No. 8 Memphis in the opening game of the Maui Invitational. Burke scored 14 points with four assists while logging a team-high 35 minutes for Michigan, and he displayed impressive poise with the basketball throughout. He successfully managed a swarming Memphis full-court press and looked just as comfortable in the half-court offense, directing Michigan to shoot 53% from the field for the game. You can’t ask for much else from a freshman guard against an elite team, and it’s an exciting development for Michigan’s prospects this season.

Burke’s emergence gives Michigan a second major playmaker alongside Tim Hardaway, Jr., and suddenly the Wolverines again have one of the most dangerous backcourts in the country. Hardaway is a star and he played like one against Memphis, finishing with a 21/7/5 assts line fitting of his dominant all-around game. Fellow off-guards Stu Douglass and Zach Novak continue to fit in perfectly with Beilein’s system with their ability to make shots from deep. Burke completes the offense with his skills at the point.

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They say that Aloha means hello and goodbye here in the Hawaiian Islands, but after an entertaining morning/afternoon session of basketball, we’re still busy figuring out what to say during all the in-between periods. Regardless of our problems with language, and despite the breathtaking beauty of the landscape outside the gymnasium door, there is some equally compelling, if not gorgeous, basketball being played inside.

Maui Never Disappoints, Inside or Out (KemperLesnik/B. Spurlock)

Here are some of our thoughts from the afternoon session, BGTD-style, here at the Lahaina Civic Center.

• Michigan picked apart Memphis in a way that well-coached teams do to athletic, undisciplined teams. In some aspects of the game — most notably, running the offense and crashing the boards, Michigan made the more athletic Tigers look silly in their approach. John Beilein’s team hit over 50% of its shots by selectively deciding when to drive the ball and when to pull up, and it worked to near-perfection. The Memphis defense at this point all too often tries to rely on its athleticism rather than principles, and with the precision of clockwork, Michigan found back door opportunities repeatedly as a result. Tim Hardaway, Jr., was excellent in both picking his spots (6-13 FG, but 9-10 FT for 21 points), crashing the glass (seven rebounds) and looking for others (five assists). He has the ability to put up those kinds of numbers every night out  — like his dad, he has the look of a star (“I got skeelz.”).

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Brendon Mulvihill is an RTC contributor. You can find him @themulv on Twitter.  See bottom of the post for the Official RTC Star System.

ESPN kicks off Feast Week with a trip to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational.  The field is loaded and things get started today with several recent national championship teams.  Let’s dig into the action.

Memphis vs. Michigan – 3:00 PM EST on ESPN2 HD (***) (simulcast on RTC Live)

John Beilein will Loosen Up His Tie Against Memphis to Tip Off the Maui Invitational

• Memphis dominated an experienced Belmont team in their first and only game of the season thus far.  The Tigers shot a blistering 64.7% eFG, and they will be facing a Wolverine team that is allowing over 50% shooting from inside the arc.  Look for Josh Pastner’s team to take the ball to the hole frequently with sophomore guards Will Barton and Joe Jackson leading the way.
• While Michigan’s field goal defense is allowing teams to shoot over 50% from inside, they are forcing teams to turn the ball over on a superb 36.8% of their possessions (first in the nation).  However, Memphis only turned the ball over nine times against a tough Belmont team that is known for creating turnovers.  Like Memphis, the Wolverines have gotten off to a hot shooting start inside the arc (60.8%).  Unfortunately nearly half of their shots are coming from three-point land and they are only hitting 28.9% of them.  Wolverine guards Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway, Jr., Zack Novak, and Stu Douglas are going to have to hit some threes to prevent Memphis from just packing the lane on defense.
• This game hinges on Michigan’s ability to extend the defense and grab offensive rebounds.  Memphis allowed Belmont to grab too many of its offensive rebounding opportunities.  If the Wolverines can pull the Tiger defense out with a few made three-point shots and open up the lane, look for Michigan to cash in on the offensive glass.  If John Beilein’s team continues to miss from outside, though, it will be difficult to pull the Memphis defense away from the lane, which will allow the more athletic Tigers to own the inside.

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