Michigan basketball has Ann Arbor envisioning a new celebration Monday. Forward Yaxel Lendeborg already has his sights set on winning the national title, making that vow to the Fab Five. The Wolverines must scale past UConn first as the last Final Four hurdle to claim championship glory.
The same Huskies team that knows this stage well through Dan Hurley and Alex Karaban. Both are gunning for a third national championship together. Tarris Reed Jr. and rising March Madness star Braylon Mullins now backs both.
UConn presents its arguments on why it can withstand Michigan. Championship experience comes in handy, obviously.
Except Michigan's last challenger comes with its own flaws. The kind the Wolverines can exploit here.
How Michigan can expose UConn
The Wolverines took away Arizona's front court dominance and forced the Wildcats to shoot deep. Which knocked ‘Zona off its game and made the Saturday contest one-sided.
Dusty May will aim to create something similar. Except as he scouted out UConn-Illinois, he likely saw this flaw: UConn's up-and-down backcourt scoring.
Mullins has delivered a hot hand in this NCAA Tournament run. But Silas Demary Jr. settled for just seven points and is a streaky shooter. Same with fellow guard Solo Ball (though he scored 13 against Illinois).
May can counter Mullins and force the game into the hands of Demary and Ball. Michigan delivers its own intense perimeter pressure that can throttle UConn.
May masterfully employs a rare 1-4 defensive look including closeouts that makes shooting the three difficult. This tactic buried Arizona and May surely will throw this on UConn's backcourt.
Will Michigan-UConn come down to 3-point defense?
Hurley installed his own fierce perimeter pressure defense that he throws onto foes each night. One that recently bottled Illinois to just six baskets from behind the arc this past Saturday in Indianapolis.
The two-time national champion coach will hit Michigan with his own pressure creation. The bigs Reed and Karaban kick out to help defend the three at a high level too.
Three-point defenses becomes equally crucial for both teams. Especially if the game is on the line.
But Michigan puts this one away quick if its front line pummels UConn through the first 10 minutes. May's crew also pulls away if the Wolverines turn UConn turnovers into immediate fast break points, which also buried ‘Zona.
Hurley isn't going to get the Huskies to lay down easily. The eccentric coach gets all his players to grind it out for two halves.
Michigan walks in well-structured, however. That includes the Wolverines' bench which is their X-factor here.
Forcing May or Demary to carry UConn swings the advantage massively for Michigan.
