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Michigan-Alabama Preview

Nov 29, 2009 - 7:11 PM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

Michigan (3-1) at Alabama (3-2), 5:00 p.m. EDT

It's no secret that Manny Harris is one of college basketball's most talented players, but DeShawn Sims gives Michigan an inside complement to his team's backcourt star.

The 15th-ranked Wolverines found out the hard way what can happen when Sims is off his game.

Harris didn't get much help from Sims or anyone else in Michigan's first loss, and the Wolverines will try to bounce back Sunday afternoon against Alabama in the third-place game of the Old Spice Classic in Orlando.

Harris was a first team All-Big Ten selection after finishing second in the conference with 16.9 points per game last season, and he's off to an even better start as a junior. The Detroit native, who has started each of his first 71 games at Michigan (3-1), is averaging league highs of 21.3 points and 7.0 assists along with a team-best 9.5 rebounds.

Harris had 20 points, 11 assists and nine boards to help the Wolverines escape Creighton 83-76 in overtime on Thursday in their Old Spice Classic opener, and he again led the way with 22 points in Friday's semifinal against Marquette.

The rest of Michigan's lineup didn't offer much assistance, however. Sims, the Wolverines' second-leading scorer, was held to a season-low eight points, and the Golden Eagles shot 52.8 percent to defeat Michigan 79-65.

Michigan was just 3 of 20 from 3-point range after making at least nine from beyond the arc in their three wins.

"They did a great job of contesting shots," said Sims, who came in averaging 20.0 points and 9.0 rebounds. "We just wasn't able to knock down any shots today. A credit to their defense; they did a great job defending us."

The Wolverines were 14-6 when Sims scored at least 14 points last season, while they were 7-8 when he scored 13 or fewer.

Harris was only a 39.9 percent shooter during his first two years at Michigan, but he's making 46.8 percent of his field goals in 2009-10. His biggest deficiency lies in an area where the Wolverines are hurting in general. Harris is 2 of 17 (11.8 percent) from 3-point range, and Michigan is shooting 32.0 percent as a team from long distance.

Meanwhile, the biggest problem for Alabama (3-2) in its Old Spice Classic semifinal was defending the 3-point line. Florida State was 11 of 30 from inside the arc, but made 9 of 13 from 3-point range Friday to beat the Crimson Tide 60-51.

"They did a great job of creating those open shots," Alabama coach Anthony Grant said. "From my standpoint, we should have done a better job defensively."

The Crimson Tide seemed to be bothered by the Seminoles' tight defense, which held them to 40.0 percent shooting and limited them to eight free-throw attempts. Senior guard Mikhail Torrance, who came in averaging 18.8 points and 6.8 trips to the line, was held to a season-low nine points and didn't attempt a free throw.

"It's hard to explain," Torrance said. "We're frustrated right now, but we're going to get better."

Alabama, which is 1-1 all-time against the Wolverines and hasn't faced them since 1978, is 0-7 away from home in the regular season against ranked opponents since a win at No. 4 Mississippi State on Feb. 21, 2004.