College basketball is back and the defending national champions will take the court on Monday night. Michigan is set to host Oakland, and it will be the second year in a row the Wolverines host the Golden Grizzlies. Michigan is 9-1 all-time against Oakland and the Wolverines haven't suffered a season-opening loss at Crisler Center since 1997.

Here's how you can see the Wolverines back in action, along with a few storylines, and a game prediction.

How to watch

• When: Monday, Nov. 2
• Where: Crisler Center (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
• Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
• Channel: Big Ten Network

Storylines to watch

Can Michigan's bigs dominate down low?

Oakland is very undersized when facing Michigan. The Golden Grizzlies have William Kassi (6'10") and Josh Hill (6'11") but both are right around 200 pounds. Both J.P. Estrella and Moustapha Thiam have a clear advantage down low.

The Wolverines are likely going to be very dependent on their guard play in 2026-27, but Michigan needs its bigs to make plays. Thiam is going to be the Wolverines' secret weapon this season and he's the best rebounder on the team.

Rebounding was a concern during Michigan's exhibition games, but it shouldn't be on Monday. If it is, some alarm bells could ring.

Watch the Wolverines' three-point shooting

Mike Boynton Jr. has said that Michigan is going to shoot more threes this season than the Wolverines have in each of the last two seasons. But Michigan didn't knock down the triple with consistency. In the last two games against Oregon State and Houston, Michigan went 25% and 27%, respectively, from deep.

Adding Roddy Gayle Jr. to the lineup should help with that and he can be a reliable shooter. He's reinserted into the starting lineup after coming off the bench last season, and it will be interesting to see how he gels with the new team.

Expect both Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney to fire up some threes, but we need to see them hit those at a higher clip.

How deep is Mike Boynton Jr.'s initial rotation?

Mike Boynton Jr. will coach his first game as the Michigan head coach when it counts on Monday. He has sat beside Dusty May for two seasons and was a big part of the Wolverines' success, but Boynton Jr. is going to have his own way of doing things.

Last season, Michigan would play eight or nine players, and that's what Boynton Jr. has said is the sweet spot. But the Wolverines could look to play some extra players on Monday night if they get out to a big lead.

Let's pay attention to how Boynton Jr. establishes his rotation ahead of a big game against UConn on Friday night.

Prediction

In the last three seasons, Michigan has scored 99 or more points to open the season. Last year, against Oakland, the Wolverines walked out with a 121-78 win over the Golden Grizzlies.

The good thing about this team is that they've had a lot of experience together. Michigan played overseas for three games before playing three exhibition games. The offense has shown that it can explode at any given time and the Wolverines' bigs should have a dominant performance.

Michigan's defense could give up some shots, but look for the Wolverines to win going away with UConn on deck.

Final score: Michigan 101, Oakland 65

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