Ron Leary will miss second consecutive game with back injury
Wysłany: 11 Grudzień 2017, o 08:07Seeded seventh in the Midwest Region, the Michigan Wolverines have become the no doubt darlings of the NCAA men basketball tournament entering Thursday Sweet 16 matchup in Kansas City against Oregon.
John Beilein team started 14 9 before going on a scorched earth tear, winning 12 of its last 14 since Feb. 7, with the losses against tournament teams, one in overtime to Minnesota and the other on a stunning full court pass by Northwestern with seconds left.
Four of those wins came during their improbable run to the championship of the Big Ten tournament a title that followed the team plane crash through a fence before liftoff at the Ypsilanti airport en route to the tournament site. Michigan played its first game after the accident in just its practice gear because its game uniforms were still stuck on the plane.
The uniform mixup came as a handy microcosm of their resurgent last seven weeks this team looks nothing like the version that stumbled through the season first three months.
To set up its matchup against third seeded Oregon, Michigan beat 10th seeded Oklahoma State in the Round of 64 before upsetting No. 2 Louisville.
Michigan story is alluring but over the past seven weeks, its confidence and production have been even better. Together, they serve as a reminder that the Wolverines are no plucky underdog. They're big, long and shoot well, with the country's third best offensive efficiency, per KenPom, scoring 1.2 points per possession. Louisville coach Rick Pitino went so far as calling UM the "Golden State Warriors."
This is the program third Sweet 16 berth since 2013, when it played for a national title.
What could be in store for the Ducks?
Based on past performances, Michigan's 6 foot senior guard is likely due for a bounce back game against Oregon after scoring 10 points on 3 of 13 shooting in the Round of 32 win against Louisville. The Cardinals switched screens to stay in front of Walton and guarded sometimes 30 feet from the hoop to limit his attack points, and while it limited his efficiency Walton hasn't scored in single digits this season since Feb. 16, and in his last 10 games has averaged 18.1 points with three threes per game on 39.5 percent shooting from deep it opened the door for his teammates to produce.
Walton made up for his off night against Louisville with seven rebounds, six wholesale jerseys China assists and no turnovers. Even if his shot isn't falling, Walton finds ways to be effective.
The 26 points scored by Michigan sophomore forward Moritz Wagner against Louisville were a career high and attributable to the attention the Cardinals paid to prioritizing how it would defend Walton. Wagner was left in one on one situations and took advantage with an array of drives and jumpers. Seventeen of his 26 came after halftime, and his hot second half mirrored his team's, as Michigan shot 17 of 27 to come back from an eight point deficit for the upset.
Because Moritz is an excellent offensive rebounder on an other wise poor offensive boarding team, UO is likely to station either Jordan Bell or Kavell Bigby Williams on him to keep him on the glass. But can either Duck check him for long stretches off the dribble? Bell most likely can, but he also prone to foul trouble.
A caveat: Wagner's performance against Louisville certainly could be an outlier. He's scored in double digits three times in his last eight games.
The reason Rick Pitino dipped into the NBA for a comparison with the Wolverines is their three point shooting. Thirty seven percent of their points come from deep, the 19th highest rate in the country, and they're not afraid to shoot it no matter the situation. They dropped 11, on 15 attempts, on Oklahoma State in just the second half in the tournament's opening round, and finished 16 of 29 wholesale jerseys from deep against the Cowboys. Michigan 38.6 percent shooting from three is 29th nationally, but that figure has increased to 40.8 percent in its current seven game winning streak.
But this isn't a one trick team. Wilson's scoring inside. That's a trend. Michigan shooting percentages on two point attempts in its last seven games are 74.1 percent, 67.7, 54.3, 67.7, 68.0, 48.1 and 55.0. That's how they beat teams with huge front lines in Purdue and Minnesota in the Big Ten tournament. Wilson.
Of course, there's another reason Michigan is built to survive off shooting games from three.
There isn't a team left in the tournament with a lower turnover rate than Michigan's 14.3 percent, and that inability to be rattled has shown in its wins against Louisville and Oklahoma State. Beilein's team has just 10 turnovers combined in its Round of 64 and 32 games and has turned the ball over 10 or more times in just three of its last 14 games. Its ball handlers cheap jerseys are responsible, in short: Only 6.6 percent of Michigan's offensive possessions end with a steal, seventh lowest nationally. (By comparison, Oregon has combined for 25 turnovers so far in the tournament.)
Dana Altman's calling card is mixing defenses from man to zone and back while throwing in pressure of varying lengths down the court, and Louisville has already shown that kind of approach can rattle UM's shooting. What it didn't achieve was steals and the extra possessions that come with them.
John Beilein team started 14 9 before going on a scorched earth tear, winning 12 of its last 14 since Feb. 7, with the losses against tournament teams, one in overtime to Minnesota and the other on a stunning full court pass by Northwestern with seconds left.
Four of those wins came during their improbable run to the championship of the Big Ten tournament a title that followed the team plane crash through a fence before liftoff at the Ypsilanti airport en route to the tournament site. Michigan played its first game after the accident in just its practice gear because its game uniforms were still stuck on the plane.
The uniform mixup came as a handy microcosm of their resurgent last seven weeks this team looks nothing like the version that stumbled through the season first three months.
To set up its matchup against third seeded Oregon, Michigan beat 10th seeded Oklahoma State in the Round of 64 before upsetting No. 2 Louisville.
Michigan story is alluring but over the past seven weeks, its confidence and production have been even better. Together, they serve as a reminder that the Wolverines are no plucky underdog. They're big, long and shoot well, with the country's third best offensive efficiency, per KenPom, scoring 1.2 points per possession. Louisville coach Rick Pitino went so far as calling UM the "Golden State Warriors."
This is the program third Sweet 16 berth since 2013, when it played for a national title.
What could be in store for the Ducks?
Based on past performances, Michigan's 6 foot senior guard is likely due for a bounce back game against Oregon after scoring 10 points on 3 of 13 shooting in the Round of 32 win against Louisville. The Cardinals switched screens to stay in front of Walton and guarded sometimes 30 feet from the hoop to limit his attack points, and while it limited his efficiency Walton hasn't scored in single digits this season since Feb. 16, and in his last 10 games has averaged 18.1 points with three threes per game on 39.5 percent shooting from deep it opened the door for his teammates to produce.
Walton made up for his off night against Louisville with seven rebounds, six wholesale jerseys China assists and no turnovers. Even if his shot isn't falling, Walton finds ways to be effective.
The 26 points scored by Michigan sophomore forward Moritz Wagner against Louisville were a career high and attributable to the attention the Cardinals paid to prioritizing how it would defend Walton. Wagner was left in one on one situations and took advantage with an array of drives and jumpers. Seventeen of his 26 came after halftime, and his hot second half mirrored his team's, as Michigan shot 17 of 27 to come back from an eight point deficit for the upset.
Because Moritz is an excellent offensive rebounder on an other wise poor offensive boarding team, UO is likely to station either Jordan Bell or Kavell Bigby Williams on him to keep him on the glass. But can either Duck check him for long stretches off the dribble? Bell most likely can, but he also prone to foul trouble.
A caveat: Wagner's performance against Louisville certainly could be an outlier. He's scored in double digits three times in his last eight games.
The reason Rick Pitino dipped into the NBA for a comparison with the Wolverines is their three point shooting. Thirty seven percent of their points come from deep, the 19th highest rate in the country, and they're not afraid to shoot it no matter the situation. They dropped 11, on 15 attempts, on Oklahoma State in just the second half in the tournament's opening round, and finished 16 of 29 wholesale jerseys from deep against the Cowboys. Michigan 38.6 percent shooting from three is 29th nationally, but that figure has increased to 40.8 percent in its current seven game winning streak.
But this isn't a one trick team. Wilson's scoring inside. That's a trend. Michigan shooting percentages on two point attempts in its last seven games are 74.1 percent, 67.7, 54.3, 67.7, 68.0, 48.1 and 55.0. That's how they beat teams with huge front lines in Purdue and Minnesota in the Big Ten tournament. Wilson.
Of course, there's another reason Michigan is built to survive off shooting games from three.
There isn't a team left in the tournament with a lower turnover rate than Michigan's 14.3 percent, and that inability to be rattled has shown in its wins against Louisville and Oklahoma State. Beilein's team has just 10 turnovers combined in its Round of 64 and 32 games and has turned the ball over 10 or more times in just three of its last 14 games. Its ball handlers cheap jerseys are responsible, in short: Only 6.6 percent of Michigan's offensive possessions end with a steal, seventh lowest nationally. (By comparison, Oregon has combined for 25 turnovers so far in the tournament.)
Dana Altman's calling card is mixing defenses from man to zone and back while throwing in pressure of varying lengths down the court, and Louisville has already shown that kind of approach can rattle UM's shooting. What it didn't achieve was steals and the extra possessions that come with them.