MICHIGAN
SAN ANTONIO – Michigan is not the most talented team at the Final Four. Perhaps not the best.
But the Wolverines are on an incredible run, the kind that can carry a team all the way to a championship. They have won 13 in a row, including the Big Ten tournament title, and they have stepped over everyone in their path in the NCAA tournament, in all kinds of ways: an offensive surge — 99 points — in a blowout of Texas A&M in the Sweet 16, which followed a miraculous buzzer beater in the Round of 32 to dispatch Houston, intermixed with grindit-out wins, such as the 58-54 test of survival against Florida State in the West Region final.
Michigan has players, though perhaps not five-star talents, who can shoot (18th in the country in threepointers) and run, led by 6-11 junior Moritz Wagner from Germany. They take turns delivering momentous plays: Jordan Poole with the three to beat Houston, Wagner against Texas A&M. Oh, and they can defend.
This is the place to start, and it’s a surprise for a John Beilein-coached team. For these Wolverines it really is about the defense.
Arguably the best coaching job of Beilein’s career started last summer when he hired assistant coach Luke Yaklich to help coach the defense. Beilein brought Yaklich in from Illinois State, telling him, according to the Detroit Free Press, “I need to learn to teach defense.”
The Wolverines allow opponents an average of 63.1 points, which is eighth in the nation. During the winning streak, the most they have allowed has been 72, and one of those was a 27point win.
Michigan contests shots. All of them, all over the court. Florida State averages about 80 points; the Semi- noles ended up with 54 on 31% shooting against the Wolverines.
Free throw shooting is a problem. Michigan doesn’t dominate on the boards. And in Loyola it faces a terrific team, one that can pass and move and shoot — and which also is on a magical run. Beyond Loyola would await Kansas or Villanova, a couple of 1 seeds.
But Michigan’s defense, and this seemingly unstoppable run, will be the difference.
MICHIGAN STATS
Scoring offense: 74.1 (166) Scoring defense: 63.1 (8) Scoring margin: 11.0 (17) Rebounding margin: 0.5 (180) Field goal %: 47.0 (56) Three-point %: 36.6 (95) Three-pointers made: 351 (18) Free throw %: 66.2 (321) Assist-to-turnover ratio: 1.59 (3)