Jordan Morgan isn’t intimidated. So what if the Illinois front line he’ll face Wednesday night (8:30 p.m., Big Ten Network) will be a mass of arms and legs much longer than his own?

The Michigan basketball team's 6-foot-8 redshirt freshman knows only one way to go about being productive — go right at them.

“I don’t see it as any different,” Morgan said. “They have a couple shot blockers, but the best way to go at shot blockers is to go right at them. I don’t think we’re going to change anything about how we attack.”

That's a strategy that has worked intermittently this season, at least on defense. Morgan, with help from double-teams at every angle, went directly at Oakland’s Keith Benson in December and frustrated the future NBA center into one of his worst games of the season. He did the same to Ohio State freshman Jared Sullinger in January, limiting the national Player of the Year candidate to 12 points.

But with the good performances defensively came offensive struggles against top-tier forwards and centers.

In that first meeting with Sullinger, he was held scoreless for the only time this season (on two shots) and had two rebounds. Against Minnesota on Jan. 22, Morgan couldn’t do much against the Gophers' post duo of 6-foot-10 Colton Iverson and 6-11 Ralph Sampson Jr., scoring eight points and grabbing no rebounds for the first time in his career. He had eight points and three rebounds against JaJuan Johnson and Purdue on Dec. 28.

Morgan's best game against an elite big man came in a Feb. 3 rematch against Sullinger and Ohio State. He finished with 10 points and four rebounds, although much of that came after the Buckeyes locked down Michigan's shooters. He also had five points and 11 rebounds against Benson and Oakland on Dec. 18.

So it is the height problem that is a major question against Illinois' 7-foot-1 Mike Tisdale, 7-foot Meyers Leonard, 6-foot-9 Mike Davis and 6-foot-9 Bill Cole. Morgan is also a potential solution if he can force the Illini big bodies into foul trouble.

“You don’t get used to it until you get out there,” Michigan coach John Beilein said. “(Monday) we did some things with Jon (Horford) and with Blake (McLlimans) playing defense a lot against our guys and we had the big brooms out making people shoot over them.

“Their length will get to you like Minnesota’s length will get to you. So we’re trying to prepare for it, but nothing simulates what Mike Davis and Tisdale can do.”

Morgan, though, has changed since his Minnesota struggles and that, in part, explains his Ohio State success. He’s managed to stay out of foul trouble for the most part and as Michigan has shot better from the outside and drove the lane with more efficiency in the past month, it has opened up more passing lanes for Morgan.

That's something Morgan’s point guard, Darius Morris, has noticed. In the past five games, Morgan has scored in double-digits three times, including a career-high 27 against Northwestern.

“I was really surprised the game when he had 27 how open he was,” Morris said. “”I think they kind of disrespected him and left him open around the basket. By the time they made an adjustment, it was too late and he was already in a rhythm.

“They have to give more attention to our action and the pick-and-roll, (John) Stockton and (Karl) Malone did it and there are so many options to that. I’m not saying we run it like that at all, but there are so many options in that basic basketball play that it is hard to stop all of it at one time.”

The Wolverines hope the pick-and-roll, a staple in Michigan’s offense, can negate some of the Illini's height advantage.

Basketball statistician Ken Pomeroy ranks Illinois atop his "effective height" category. (A formula he defines here.)

The Illinis know they have a size advantage in every game, so they try to exploit it. The shortest players in the main rotation are 6-foot-3 guards Demetri McCamey and D.J. Richardson, so Illinois might have a height advantage at every position on the floor Wednesday.

“Obviously it helps to have guys like us,” Tisdale said.

There is some concern, though.

Tisdale said the main issue is when teams have players who can shoot — and Michigan has an abundance of those. Every player in the Wolverines’ rotation can make at least make a 15-foot jump shot with consistency.

“On offense it helps, but on defense it hurts them and vice versa,” Tisdale said. “Little guys can move a little better and most of the time they can shoot.

“So it can be good and bad for both teams.”

Michael Rothstein covers Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.