NCAAB Game Preview - Holy Cross at Michigan

Sat Nov 10, 2018 7:30 PM EST

No. 19 Michigan has played Holy Cross only four previous times in its history, but that doesn't mean there won't be familiarity when the two meet for a 7:30 tip on Saturday night in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Holy Cross is coached by Bill Carmody, who was the head man at Northwestern from 2000-2013 and had several clashes with the Wolverines in Big Ten play in that time frame.

Holy Cross hopes its coach having a history with the Wolverines can help it spring an upset in what is the second game of the season for both teams.

The Crusaders are coming off a 93-81 win over Sacred Heart, a game that got the attention of Michigan head coach John Beilein.

Holy Cross was well-tuned offensively, shooting 55.6 percent from the field overall (35 of 63) and 44 percent from 3-point range (11 of 25) and had 25 assists as a team.

"If they play as good as they did the other day, they are as good as some of coach Carmody's better Northwestern teams," Beilein said.

Carmody brought with him to Holy Cross his Princeton-style of offense -- Carmody coached at Princeton before going to Northwestern -- which features constant back cuts and quick ball movement.

The Crusaders are a relatively young team that features three sophomores that saw extensive playing time last season in Austin Butler, Caleb Green and Jacob Grandison, as well as one of the Patriot League's top players in senior Jehyve Floyd.

"Guys got their feet wet," Carmody said after the win over Sacred Heart. "Some guys were a little hesitant. No matter how much you play, that first game can (make you) hesitant sometimes. Hopefully we can put that out of our system."

While Holy Cross was brilliant offensively, it knows it needs to play better defense if it has a chance against the Wolverines.

"I think our defense disappointed a little bit," senior Holy Cross guard Patrick Benzan said. "You don't want to be playing your best basketball in November. You just want to stay consistent and keep improving every game."

Michigan had the opposite theme in its 63-44 season-opening win over Norfolk State.

The Wolverines shot just 36.7 percent from the field (22 of 60) and shot just 25 percent from 3-point range (6 of 24), which is always a staple of the Wolverines.

Michigan was also an abysmal 13 of 29 from the free-throw line.

But what became a new staple last season for Michigan in its run to the national championship game, a lockdown defense, was on full display against Norfolk State.

The Wolverines limited Norfolk State to 30.5 percent shooting from the field (18 of 59).

Beilein said the offense will have to catch up to the defense if his team is going to be successful against the Crusaders.

"If we don't shoot well and we don't shoot well from the foul line, it's going to be tough to win," Beilein said.

The game is part of the Basketball Hall of Fame's tip-off tournament. It will be the first meeting between the schools since 2013.