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Tipoff of the game between The Rock and the Wolverines is set for 8:30 p.m.

Unique situation: While Friday's game is an exhibition game on the NCAA Division II Rock's schedule and will not count in the Green and White's official win-loss record, the contest will be Division I Michigan's season opener and be an official part of the Wolverines' season.

Sank Navy: The Rock led virtually from the opening tip last Sunday in its 79-56 win over the Midshipmen of Navy, who are coming off a 3-26 season last winter and have one of the youngest teams in the nation with no seniors and just four juniors on their roster.

Stiff challenge: As evidenced by their No. 5 ranking in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches preseason national poll, Michigan will pose a significantly-stiffer test for The Rock than did Navy. The Wolverines are coming off a 24-10 season last winter during which they made their third trip to the Division I national tournament and advanced to the second round of “The Big Dance.”

Scouting The Rock: The Rock return four starters from last year's 17-10 team that earned a berth in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference tournament for the third time in the last four seasons. Junior forward Tabari Perry (pictured), a second-team All-PSAC-Western Division selection last winter, scored a game-high 18 points in the exhibition-game win over Navy. Senior guard John Bayardelle scored 14 points; fifth-year senior forward Devin Taylor, a first-team All-PSAC-West performer last winter and a member of the 2012 Preseason All-PSAC-West Team, recorded a baker's-dozen “double-double” as he finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds and senior center Luiz Santos had a 10-points, 10-rebounds “double-double.”

Scouting the Wolverines: Michigan rolled past a pair of in-state, Division II foes in exhibition-game action last week as the Maize and Blue beat Northern Michigan 83-47 and Saginaw Valley State 76-48. Nick Stauskas scored a team-high 17 points to lead a list of four players who had double-figure scoring totals against Northern Michigan. Spike Albrecht added 16 points, 2012 third-team All-Big Ten performer Tim Hardaway Jr. and Glenn Robinson III each added 13 points and Jordan Morgan grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds. Against Saginaw Valley State, Robinson III scored a team-high 17 points, 2012 AP honorable mention All-American Trey Burke added 16 points and eight assists and Mitch McGary grabbed 10 rebounds.

Famous fathers: Hardaway Jr.'s father, Tim Sr., played 14 seasons in the NBA. Robinson III's father, Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson, Jr., played collegiately at Purdue, where he earned the 1994 Big Ten Conference “Player of the Year” honor, before he had an 11-year NBA career. The Michigan roster also includes Jon Horford, the son of former NBA player Tito Horford and brother of current NBA player Al Horford.

The coaches: SRU is led by Kevin Reynolds, who has compiled a 74-41 (.644) record in five seasons as The Rock's head coach. Reynolds, who is in his first head coaching assignment after serving 10 seasons as an NCAA Division I assistant coach, already has more wins to his credit than any other Rock men's basketball coach had in his first five seasons.

Michigan is coached by John Beilein, who has compiled a 642-395 record in 34 seasons as a collegiate head coach. Beilein owns a 91-77 in five seasons at Michigan after previously serving as head coach at West Virginia (2003-07), Richmond (1998-2002), Canisius (1993-97), LeMoyne (1984-92), Nazareth (1982-83) and Erie Community College (1979-82).

Official opener: The Rock officially tips off its 2012-13 season Tuesday with a 7 p.m. road game at Division II Atlantic Regional rival Ohio Valley University (W. Va.) before opening their home schedule Nov. 19 with a 7 p.m. game against Division III La Roche College in Morrow Field House.