UConn basketball owns six national championships compared to the one Michigan owns. Plus brings a multiple national title winning head coach in Dan Hurley with them. Yet the Huskies feel like the massive underdog here for the national title, especially after the way Michigan demolished Arizona.
The basketball nation will feel like UConn is massively vulnerable inside Lucas Oil Stadium. Even with Hurley's two recent rings and powerful center Tarris Reed Jr. in tow for the Final Four and March Madness finale.
The Wolverines played like a team with virtually no weaknesses against a national championship contender. Michigan presents multiple cases on why it can overwhelm UConn.
But the Huskies can exploit this aspect of the Wolverines.
UConn can force Michigan to meet halfway
Another words, force the Wolverines to play a half court game.
Connecticut can neutralize Michigan's fast-paced offense by pivoting to a half court defense pressure. Hurley's team already throttled Duke and Illinois on the perimeter, sparking the comeback in the former while winning their Saturday matchup in the latter.
Perimeter defense helps immensely for UConn, particularly in countering Michigan's deep backcourt. The Wolverines wore down Arizona by playing at a rapid fire tempo.
But meeting Michigan halfway can disrupt the Wolverines' ball movement and aim to get UConn to win the turnover battle.
Where else does UConn hold the advantage?
To be realistic, Michigan holds countless of advantages heading into the home of the Colts.
Elliot Cadeau leads a loaded backcourt in Ann Arbor. Reserves Roddy Gayle Jr., Trey McKenney and Nimari Burnett can get hot from deep. Morez Johnson and Aday Mara are two mismatches down low.
Then there's Yaxel Lendeborg, the leading scorer but one walking in with a pivotal injury. Lendeborg's ankle isn't slowing him down, however, as he plans to play. Hurley is game-planning for him anyway.
The pressure is on for two of UConn's X-factors here: Guards Solo Ball and Silas Demary Jr. The Huskies know Braylon Mullins can hit from deep (the Duke game with 0.3 left is one proof). But Hurley and company need more from Ball and Demary, and not just the 20 points they combined to score against Illinois.
Reed will fight for his points underneath the basket and do everything in his power to crash the boards. Alex Karaban is aiming to pull off the same trait against a taller, physical crowd of defenders.
Yet this game feels like someone else outside of Reed, Karaban and Mullins must take over for UConn to win. Michigan will celebrate one more lopsided victory if it doesn't happen.
