Wednesday, November 12th, 8:00 p.m. (et)

FACTS & STATS: Site: Crisler Arena (13,751) -- Ann Arbor, Michigan. Television: ESPNU. Home Record: Northeastern 0-0, Michigan 1-0. Away Record Northeastern 0-0, Michigan 0-0. Neutral Record Northeastern 1-0, Michigan 0-0. Conference Record Northeastern 0-0, Michigan 0-0. Series Record: First-ever meeting.

GAME NOTES: A spot in New York City next week is on the line in Ann Arbor this evening, as the Michigan Wolverines play host to the Northeastern Huskies in second-round action of the 2K Sports Classic Benefiting Coaches vs. Classic.

The Wolverines got off to a fast start in John Beilein's second season at the helm, opening up tournament play with a 77-55 rout of Michigan Tech on Tuesday. The win was a welcome sight for a team that produced just 10 victories all last season, including a mere five in Big Ten play.

As for Bill Coen's Huskies, they too picked up a win in their season-opener, distancing themselves from IUPUI on Tuesday, in a 73-60 victory. Northeastern also struggled last year, posting just 14 victories against 17 losses, with a 9-9 record in the Colonial Athletic Association.

This is the first-ever meeting between these two teams on the hardwood.

Forward Eugene Spates scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds, and Northeastern cruised to a 73-60 win over IUPUI yesterday. Fellow forward Matt Janning scored 13 points and also collected five rebounds for the Huskies, who cruised to victory, despite shooting just 42 percent from the floor. The team also got double-digit efforts from Nkem Ojougbon and Chaisson Allen, who chipped in with 12 and 11 points, respectively. The defensive pressure did the rest, as Northeastern held IUPUI to a mere 39.2 percent shooting, including just 11.8 percent from behind the arc (2-of-17). The Huskies will need to once again play shutdown defense and get various offensive contributions if the team is to pull off the upset of the Wolverines here and move on to Madison Square Garden next week.

It is no secret as to how Michigan will attack an opponent, as the Wolverines will always look to standout guard Manny Harris to lead the way. The sophomore did just that in yesterday's season-opener, as he hit 10-of-15 shots from the floor, en route to a game-high 30 points. Zack Gibson added 11 points and DeShawn Sims came off the bench to tally 10, as Michigan shot a sterling 51.9 percent from the floor, including hitting eight three-pointers. Harris is the straw that stirs the drink in Ann Arbor, as the All-Big Ten performer averaged 16.1 ppg as a freshman last year.

Harris should be able to continue his hot shooting despite Northeastern's pressure defense. If he can break through and get some open looks, it will be a long night for the Huskies.

Predicted Outcome

Michigan 74, Northeastern 65