Posted on by Drew Montag

Nothing But ‘Net – Week #09 – 12/27/2021 – COVID-19 Strikes Again

The University of Michigan men’s basketball team was supposed to play one game this past week, but it was canceled due to COVID-19 issues on the other team.  On Tuesday (12/21/2021), they were supposed to play Purdue-Fort Wayne in Crisler Arena.  The game will not be made up.  Michigan’s record remains at 7-4 (1-1 in Big Ten).

What Does It Mean?

This was a game that Michigan was expected to win, so it’s a shame they won’t get to play it.

Michigan’s resume for the Big Dance is slightly damaged by this cancellation, since every win counts, even against a lower-division opponent.  UM is still “on the bubble” for the NCAA Tournament.

What’s Next?

This week, Michigan only plays one game.  On Thursday (12/30/2021, 7:00 p.m., ESPN2) they play at Central Florida (UCF).  This is a rare away non-conference game.  Michigan usually plays all their non-conference games at home, using “buy” (or “guarantee”) games, except for holiday tournaments and the Gavitt (Big East/Big Ten Challenge) and ACC/Big Ten Challenge games.  This season, Michigan played a rare away exhibition game vs. Wayne State, a rare neutral court non-conference game (Washington D.C.) vs. Prairie View A&M, and now a rare away non-conference game at UCF.  It’s been a strange non-conference schedule.

Central Florida is currently 8-2 (1-0 in the AAC).  They have solid wins against Miami (FL) and Temple, and reasonable losses to Oklahoma and (#21) Auburn.  They don’t have any noteworthy players, but they do have some height: a 6’10” forward and a 6’11” center.  This will be a challenging game for Michigan, especially in a hostile arena.

Check back next week to find out what happened and why.

Go Blue!

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