GAME NOTES: The SMU Mustangs and Michigan Wolverines are headed in opposite directions as they meet head to head on Saturday in a non-conference battle at the Crisler Center.

SMU has won five consecutive games since starting the season with a 2-3 record. The Mustangs are now 7-3 through 10 games, with a lopsided 67-46 win over Illinois-Chicago serving as the team's most recent outing.

Michigan, on the other hand, was playing well prior to a meeting with NJIT. The Wolverines dropped a two-point contest to NJIT, then a three-point loss to Eastern Michigan before the team ran into No. 3 Arizona and lost, 80-53. Now Michigan will seek to end the losing streak in the first of a three-game homestand.

Considering these two programs have seen so much success in history, it's a bit surprising that this meeting between SMU and Michigan will be the first ever between the sides on the hardwood.

SMU used a strong offensive attack to pound Illinois-Chicago on Wednesday night as the Mustangs scored the game's first points and never trailed throughout the contest. SMU connected on 53.7 percent of its shots in the win, and made 20- of-29 from the free-throw line. Keith Frazier and Nic Moore each scored 16 points to lead the team, while Frazier added in 10 points for the double- double. Yanick Moreira chipped in with 11 points, and fell just two rebounds shy of his own double-double, grabbing eight boards.

With Moore returning from last season's strong showing, the Mustangs had high hopes of a dangerous offense. That's been the case this season, as SMU enters the game against Michigan averaging 71.4 ppg on an impressive 48.8 percent shooting mark. Nic Moore leads the team with 14.5 ppg, adding in another team best in assists, having dished out 49 already. Moreira checks in at 12.3 ppg with a team-best 6.8 rpg mark, and Frazier contributes 11.4 ppg. Ben Moore rounds out the group of double-digit scorers for the team, netting 10.1 ppg with 6.5 rpg.

It seemed pretty clear on Wednesday night that Michigan's spirits had been shattered by losses in the previous two games, as the Wolverines came out about as flat as they could in a statement game against No. 3-ranked Arizona. The Wildcats shot 58.2 percent from the floor, while Michigan hit on just 35.2 percent shooting in the loss. Zak Irvin was the only Wolverine to net a double-digit point total, scoring 14 to pace the Michigan lineup. Derrick Walton Jr. dished out five assists to lead the team, while Kameron Chatman's four rebounds was the best on the squad.

Caris LeVert scored eight points in the loss to Arizona, but also had five turnovers. Still, he leads Michigan in scoring, netting 16.7 ppg with a team- best 39 assists and a team-high 5.2 rpg mark. He checks in ahead of Irvin (15.3 ppg) and Walton (11.6 ppg) in the scoring department. As a unit, Michigan's offense is tallying 68.9 ppg on 43.5 percent shooting from the floor. The Wolverines are allowing opponents to net 63.0 ppg this season.

SMU will be a very difficult team to shut down, especially on the offensive end of the floor. Michigan could seemingly snap out of it at any time and return to being a national power on the court, but it's just a matter of when that will happen. Perhaps it's in this game, or perhaps the Wolverines are too demoralized to show up for this one, too.