Michigan basketball players were still in uniform, minutes after drubbing Rutgers on Saturday, Dec. 6 at Crisler Center, when they came in for postgame press conferences.
Reporters were told to try and be efficient – the group was headed straight to the weight room once they were done with media. It’s all part of a semi-quick turnaround, with just more than 72 hours between the end of U-M’s Big Ten opener and the start of a nonconference matchup. It’s also a sign of just how much respect the Wolverines have for that next opponent, Villanova, which comes to town on Tuesday (6:30 p.m., FS1).
Dec 6, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (11) dribbles defended by Rutgers Scarlet Knights forward Dylan Grant (9) in the first half at Crisler Center.
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“Excited for the quick turn to get an opportunity to play against a storied program,” coach Dusty May said. “They’re playing really good basketball. They’ve won all their games since their opener out west against BYU, and they have a unique group.
“It’s going to be, it’s going to be a fun battle.”
Though the Wildcats aren’t quite at the level the last time the two programs met, back in the Sweet 16 in 2022 – ‘Nova has missed three straight NCAA tournaments and is in its first season under coach Kevin Willard – but there’s still a level of consistency, with just one year below .500 in more than two decades.
May said he has a ton of respect for any program that is able to sustain excellence.
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Tuesday’s matchup was billed as a potential heavyweight showdown in the offseason, and while the Wildcats may get some more national recognition at some point in the year – they’re riding a seven-game win streak – right now, the Wolverines are the darling of the sport.
That’s what happens when you win four straight by at least 30 points (with a combined 151-point margin over that span).
It’s the main reason U-M jumped to No. 1 in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
“I’m looking at Michigan,” Willard recently told reporters. “I don’t think anybody wants to look at Michigan right now, to be perfectly honest with you. … They are playing by far the best basketball in the country.”
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Still, No. 1 Michigan (8-0, 1-0 Big Ten) will not take the Wildcats lightly. Willard joined the program after leading Maryland to a Sweet 16 berth last season and is still instilling his tenets with a new group. May said having played the Terrapins last year and being familiar with his teams from Seton Hall before that, he’s prepared for everything from matchup zone to switching one through three to some variation of the press.
The Wildcats have five players scoring in double figures, led by sophomore guard Bryce Lindsay at 18.1 points per game. Freshman Aceden Lews – who U-M recruited hard before he chose Villanova – is next at 12.8, so U-M is familiar enough with the team to know it’s one to be taken seriously.
Villanova Wildcats guard Bryce Lindsay (2) controls the ball against the Duquesne Dukes during the first half at William B. Finneran Pavilion in Villanova, Pennsylvania.
“We know their how well their wings shoot the ball,” May said. “We respect their bigs and how hard they play, and so they’ve done a nice job of putting together a well-rounded roster in year one.”
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Those bigs, specifically Duke Brennan, are the reason the Wildcats enter Tuesday as the No. 2 offensive rebounding team in the nation, gathering 44.5% of their missed shots. If there is a weakness for the Wildcats, it’s defending the 3-point line – opponents are shooting a red-hot 42.5% on 3s this year, as Villanova ranks next-to-last nationally.
As for Brennan, who began his career at Arizona State but transferred in from Grand Canyon, he’s a load, averaging 11.4 points per game and leading the nation with 12.9 rebounds a night. Something is going to have to give, however, with U-M ranking No. 2 in 2-point shooting percentage allowed, No. 18 in blocks and just outside the top 50 on the defensive glass.
“Brennan goes with force and he does a really good job of tracking the ball with his eyes while he’s going after it and shedding defenders,” May said. “He loves contact, and he’s going to throw his body around. And they have great role definition as well. So I think he’s able to anticipate what’s going to happen next.
“If we’re going to win this game, we have to rebound the ball. So our guys are aware of that.”
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Tony Garcia’s prediction
Eventually, the Wolverines won’t win a game by 30, and this could be that one. Not that this will be particularly close – U-M hammered the last elite rebounding team it faced, Gonzaga, by 40 last month in Las Vegas, and with the Crisler crowd behind it, this could be another spot for May’s group to make a statement. But if U-M is anything but electric from beyond the arc, the Wolverines’ victory margin should come down to earth. Still, expect the 3-point shooters – Nimari Burnett, Trey McKenney, Will Tschetter and even Yaxel Lendeborg – to let it fly. The pick: U-M 84, Villanova 65
Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan vs Villanova basketball prediction, game score, preview
