Michigan will rely on defense when facing Villanova for national title tonight.
SAN ANTONIO — Facing a team that shoots as well as Villanova, limiting the takes from three-point range is about as important as limiting the makes.
Michigan is among the best teams in the country at defending three-point offense. If the Wolverines can pull an upset Monday night and beat the Wildcats in the NCAA championship game, the biggest reason is likely to be their ability to force Villanova inside the three-point arc.
Villanova is coming off a record-setting performance in the Final Four victory against Kansas with 18 three-pointers, prompting fans to compare the Wildcats to the NBA’s Warriors. Villanova is third in the country in three-pointers per game at 11.6.
KenPom.com’s advanced stats show Villanova has the most efficient offensive team in the country, and the Wildcats generate 40 percent of that offense from three-pointers.
“They can all shoot,” Michigan center Mo Wagner said. “Usually when you play a good team, there’s usually something you can give up and make a defensive game plan. But that’s not the case here. You know what? It’s not supposed to be easy.”
Facing Michigan’s defense has not been easy, either. After last season, head coach John Beilein hired Luke Yaklich, a longtime high school coach in Illinois who was working as an assistant at Illinois State, to be Michigan’s defensive coordinator.
The result: The Wolverines have the thirdbest defense in the country by Ken Pom’s ratings and particularly focus on stopping the three-point shot.
Michigan is 10th-best in the country in percentage of points allowed via the three, according to Ken Pom. During the 14-game winning streak the Wolverines will take into the championship game, Michigan’s opponents are shooting 27 percent from three-point range.
Maybe even more important, Michigan has held its opponent under its season average for three-point attempts 12 times during the 14 games.
When the opposing teams do get off threepoint tries, there needs to be a hand in the face — obviously. But it’s easier said than done, especially against teams that move the ball quickly and have shooters all over the floor. No team plays the spacing game better than Villanova.
“It’s just being able to contest without fouling,” Yaklich said. “It’s an imperfect game. You can’t hope people miss. You have to make them miss. You make people miss because you contest. Our contest rate is the backbone of how we play defense.”