Michigan basketball vs. Iowa Hawkeyes: Time, TV channel, stream info

If you like offense, this is the Big Ten game for you (which is why they put it in December, we suppose) — Iowa and Michigan men's basketball are Nos. 2-3 in the conference in scoring, at 85.3 and 81.2 points per game. If you like defense … well, good luck, as the Hawkeyes and Wolverines are Nos. 13-14 in the conference — which is still 14 teams for another few months — at 78.6 and 76.6 points allowed, respectively. That’s thanks to a healthy respect for the 3-point shot, as Michigan’s 37% ranks third in the Big Ten and Iowa’s 34.6% ranks fourth.

It’s not that the Hawkeyes take a ton of 3-pointers, though; their average of 19.9 is only 254th in the nation, out of 351 teams. But compared to Michigan’s previous opponent? The Hoosiers are averaging 12.1 3-point attempts a game; they took nine against the Wolverines on Tuesday night and made three. So there might be a bit of whiplash for U-M defenders; as acting head coach Phil Martelli noted Friday, “This game, (Iowa’s) intent is to have three 3s in the first minute. We have to make sure that we limit their 3-point and their transition offense.”

MORE: Watch Michigan-Iowa on Fubo (free trial)

The Hawkeyes’ chief gunner is Payton Sandfort, whose per-game average of 6.9 3-point attempts is nearly equal to Iowa’s next three shooters (Patrick McCaffery at 2.6, Tony Perkins, at 2.3, and Pruce Sandfort, at 2.2) combined. Payton Sandfort is only connecting on 35.5% of those 3s, as he’s averaging 13.7 points a game, but at least he’s cleaning up after himself, with a team-high 7.7 rebounds a game.

Leading Iowa scorer Ben Krikke is only attempting 0.4 3s a game — probably good, considering his 25% success rate — but he does more than enough within the arc to make up for it, with 17.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals a game in his first season in Iowa City after four campaigns in Valparaiso (where he was a 27% shooter on 3s).

The Wolverines, meanwhile, have been getting more than expected from sophomore guard Dug McDaniel (19.4 points, 4.9 assists per game) and senior Tennessee transfer Olivier Nkamhoua (17 points, 6.8 rebounds). Will another Wolverine step up to make their dynamic duo a terrific trio? Terrance Williams is averaging 10.8 points a game, Alabama transfer Nimari Burnett is at 9.3 points per game and Will Tschetter is at 9.1 points a game — though he’s also shooting 77.5% from the floor, a mark we’re pretty sure will come down eventually.

Here's what you need to know about the game:

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Michigan basketball vs. Iowa Hawkeyes start time

Matchup: Michigan (4-5, 0-1 Big Ten) vs. Iowa (5-4, 0-1).

When: 4:30 p.m.

Date: Sunday, Dec. 10.

Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.

Line: TBA.

• Box score

What channel is Michigan basketball vs. Iowa Hawkeyes today?

TV: Big Ten Network.

Streaming: Fubo (free trial).

Radio: WWJ-AM (950). (Wolverines radio affiliates).

HOLIDAY GIFT: Celebrate Michigan football's historic Big Ten three-peat with a special book offer!

Michigan basketball's 2023-24 schedule

After today’s game, the Wolverines have a few days off before hosting Eastern Michigan in the Battle of Washtenaw Count at 2:15 p.m. Saturday. The Hawkeyes, meanwhile, take on Florida A&M at Saturday afternoon in Des Moines.

Find Michigan's entire 2023-24 schedule.

Contact Ryan Ford at rford@freepress.com. Follow him on X (which used to be Twitter, y’know?) @theford.

Free Press sports writer Jared Ramsey contributed to this report.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball game score vs. Iowa Hawkeyes: Time, TV channel