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Michigan basketball vs. Iowa: Assistant Justin Joyner scouts the Hawkeyes

Anthony Broomeby:Anthony Broome•12/07/24•

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Owen-Freeman-4
Owen Freeman is a player to watch.

The Michigan Wolverines take on the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday at Crisler Center in a showdown of 7-1 teams looking to move to 2-0 in Big Ten play. Head coach Fran McCaffery’s team is always a tough out, and it has the chance to be a track meet with two teams that play incredibly fast.

Assistant coach Justin Joyner previewed the showdown with the media on Friday afternoon. It could come down to another sterling defensive performance from the 5th-most efficient unit in the country, per KenPom.

“We’ve been really good this far in the season at limiting assists,” Joyner said of the Michigan defense. “I think we’re fourth in assist rate defensively. So it’s going to be a battle of wills, so to speak. I think they’re 20 to 21 assists a game. We’re fourth in the country in defensive assist rate. So we’ve got to do what we do. It’s going to be switching. It’s going to be our ball screen coverage.

“But I think the biggest thing for their assist rate being so high is their transition attack. So us being good at getting back, creating walls, locating shooters in their early attack is super important. And then the other piece is any time you have a big that can command attention on the block like Owen Freeman can, it becomes a little bit of a pinch, right? Are you going to bring help on the post? Are you going to play them one-on-one? You have to solve that riddle, so to speak. And so that’s going to be the key in us making them play one-on-one and limiting assists is how we kind of defend them in the post and how we defend them in transition.”

Michigan’s game plan for the Hawkeyes will include slowing down forward Owen Goodman, who is averaging 17.3 points per game.

“They really play well together. It’s impressive,” Joyner said. “They have a great connectivity about them. Obviously, Owen Freeman is a load inside, special on the block. He presents problems because he’s a good passer. He presents problems because if you don’t bring help, he can crush you. He’s a really good player, really well-rounded. 

“And then their point guard, he’s elite, elite as a creator. He really has a good push, really has a good pace, really has a good tempo and can really see the floor. Doing a good job of keeping him in front, trying to keep him out of transition, trying to build walls, and then understanding that if he’s not scoring, he’s really setting the table for those guys and makes those guys the best version of themselves, which is what a point guard needs to do. So we’ve got to get him under control, and we’ve got to do a good job with Freeman as well.”

Saturday’s game tips off at 2:10 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1 from Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

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