NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
#10 Michigan (4) vs #2 Louisville (1)
Monday, April 8 | 9:23pm ET | CBS
31-7 (12-6)	Record	34-5 (14-4)
Slippery Rock 100-62 IUPUI 91-54 Cleveland State 77-47 Pittsburgh 67-62 Kansas State 71-57 NC State 79-72 Bradley 74-66 W. Michigan 73-41 Arkansas 80-67 Binghamton 67-39 West Virginia 81-66 E. Michigan 93-54 C. Michigan 88-73 Northwestern 94-66 Iowa 95-67 Nebraska 62-47 #9 Minnesota 83-75 Purdue 68-53 Illinois 74-60 Northwestern 68-46 #10 Ohio St. 76-74 OT Penn State 79-71 Illinois 71-58 #9 Michigan St. 58-57 Purdue 80-75 Penn State 83-66 S. Dakota State 71-56 VCU 78-53 #3 Kansas 87-85 OT #14 Florida 79-59 #16 Syracuse 61-56	Wins	Manhattan 79-51 Samford 80-54 Miami (OH) 80-39 Northern Iowa 51-46 #13 Missouri 84-61 Illinois State 69-66 Charleston 80-38 UMKC 99-47 Memphis 87-78 FL International 79-55 W. Kentucky 78-55 Kentucky 80-77 Providence 80-62 Seton Hall 73-58 S. Florida 64-38 UConn 73-58 Pittsburgh 64-61 #25 Marquette 70-51 Rutgers 68-48 St. John’s 72-58 S. Florida 59-41 Seton Hall 79-61 DePaul 79-58 #12 Syracuse 58-53 Cincinnati 67-51 #24 Notre Dame 73-57 Villanova 74-55 #24 Notre Dame 69-57 #19 Syracuse 78-61 NC A&T 79-48 Colorado State 82-56 Oregon 77-69 Duke 85-63 Wichita State 72-68
#15 Ohio State 56-53 #3 Indiana 73-81 Wisconsin 62-65 OT #8 Michigan St. 52-75 Penn State 78-84 #2 Indiana 71-72 #22 Wisconsin 59-68	Losses	#5 Duke 71-76 #6 Syracuse 68-70 Villanova 64-73 Georgetown 51-53 #25 ND 104-101 5OT
75.2	Points Per Game	74.3
62.8	Scoring Defense	58.3
1,068-for-2,212 (48.3%)	Field Goal %	1,020-for-2,239 (44.6%)
913-for-2,160 (42.3%)	Def. Field Goal %	800-for-2,041 (39.2%)
288-for-751 (38.3%)	3-point %	222-for-675 (32.9%)
234-for-729 (32.1%)	Def. 3-point %	213-for-678 (31.4%)
432-for-617 (70.0%)	Free Throw %	634-for-897 (70.7%)
11.4	FT Made/Game	16.3
35.2	Rebounds Per Game	36.9
32.1	Opp. Reb. Per Game	33.3
14.6	Assists Per Game	14.5
9.4	Turnovers Per Game	12.5
6.2	Steals Per Game	10.8
2.8	Blocks Per Game	4.2
G – Trey Burke (18.5) G – Tim Hardaway Jr. (14.6)	Leading Scorer	G – Russ Smith (18.1) C – Gorgui Dieng (9.8)
F – Mitch McGary (6.3) F – Glenn Robinson III (5.5)	Leading Rebounder	C – Gorgui Dieng (9.4) F – Chane Behanan (6.4)

Twenty years ago, a fabulous group of five sophomores played for a national championship against a college basketball powerhouse. We all know the result, which has been trumpeted across newsstands and the internet for the past week. Chris Webber’s timeout that gave North Carolina two free throws and the ball to seal the victory with 11 seconds remaining was a heartbreaking moment for the Michigan basketball program. And the aftermath was just as devastating. Michigan plunged into basketball purgatory as a result of Webber’s (and others’) off-the-court actions – taking money from booster Ed Martin – and only started climbing out within the past few years.

John Beilein, a college basketball journeyman in his own right, took the reigns from Tommy Amaker in 2007 and suffered through a 10-22 season. Five years later, and just a day removed from the 20th anniversary of that Webber timeout mishap, Michigan returns to the title game against another college basketball thoroughbred.

Louisville entered the tournament as the top overall seed and hasn’t disappointed. The Cardinals rolled through North Carolina A&T, Colorado State, Oregon, and Duke before nearly stumbling in Saturday’s Final Four matchup with Wichita State. The Shockers held a one-point lead at halftime and widened it to 12 with under 14 minutes to play, but Louisville dialed up the defensive pressure, forcing seven turnovers in the final seven minutes to fuel the comeback.

Just like Michigan got unlikely contributions in its Final Four win over Syracuse, Louisville got a 20-point game from backup wing Luke Hancock. The junior averages just 7.7 points per game in 22 minutes of action on the season. But he’s certainly not the Cardinals’ go-to man. That would be junior guard Russ Smith who averages 18.9 point per game. He’s the only player on the team averaging in double figures and he has scored at least 21 points in every tournament game so far. In those five games, he has shot an impressive 50 percent from the field. He’s certainly not shy about shooting the ball, averaging nearly 16 shots – and six threes – per game during the tournament. Like Trey Burke, he is susceptible to poor outings every now and then like a 2-for-13 performance in a January loss to Villanova.

Joining Smith in the backcourt is senior guard Peyton Siva who averages 9.8 points and 5.7 assists per game. He has had an up and down tournament so far, with a 16-point night against Duke in which he made 6-of-10 from the field, but also combined to shoot 2-of-14 for 11 points in games against Oregon and Wichita State. He’s a capable scorer, but he’s much more of a set-up man for Smith.

Inside, the Cardinals have a talented center in Gorgui Dieng who averages 9.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per contest. He didn’t score a point in 30 minutes on Saturday, but scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds against Duke in the Elite Eight matchup. His length and athleticism allow him to control the paint where he averages 2.5 blocks per game.

Michigan's ball-handlers will have to take extra care against the Louisville pressure

Sophomore forward Chane Behanan scores 9.6 points per game and ranks second on the team with a 6.4 rebound average. He nearly had a double-double against Wichita State with 10 points and nine boards. Wingman Wayne Blackshear gets about 20 minutes per game and averages 7.6 points, while freshman forward Montrezl Harrell averages 5.7 in 16 minutes a game. Harrell scored 11 points against Colorado State on 5-of-7 shooting.

Of course the player that will soak up the airtime on tonight’s broadcast is sophomore guard Kevin Ware who suffered a gruesome leg injury against Duke. He only averaged 16 minutes and 4.5 points per game, but his loss takes away backcourt depth.

As a team, Louisville was the Big East’s top scoring offense, averaging 74.3 points per game, and the fourth best shooting team at 45.6 percent. But the Cardinals aren’t a great three-point shooting team, hitting at a 32.9 percent clip. Neither are they a great defensive rebounding team, ranking ninth in the Big East. That may be an area Michigan can exploit, much like it did in the first half against Syracuse.

With a national title on the line, both teams will give it their all. Neither team has anything left to play for so you can be assured that it will be a hard fought battle from the onset. But what does Michigan need to do in order to win? Let’s take a look.

1. Handle the pressure. Many wondered how the youngest team in this year’s tournament field would handle the big stage on Saturday night, but the Wolverines rose to the occasion. In fact, it was the freshmen that fueled the lead in the first half when the veterans were struggling. A similar response will be needed tonight in an even bigger game. And I’m not only talking about the pressure of the moment.

Louisville is known for its relentless defensive pressure which forced a Big East-leading 10.8 steals per game. Michigan has the best player in the nation, who just happens to be its point guard, to help break the pressure, but don’t be surprised to see a lot of Spike Albrecht once again. The freshman has shown great ball handling skills and decision making along with the ability to hit the big shot when needed.

Michigan was able to get out to a big first half lead against Syracuse because it took care of the basketball, took its time on offense, and didn’t force things. When the Orange applied pressure late in the game to try to complete its comeback, Michigan got a little sloppy with the ball. Fortunately, it didn’t cost them the game, but the Wolverines will need to show the poise it had in the first half of that game rather than down the stretch.

2. Don’t let up. This ties into the first point, but against Louisville no lead is safe. The Cardinals have come back to win six games from deficits of nine points or more this season, including on Saturday. The relentless pressure is able to create turnovers which lead to transition baskets and can swing the momentum in a hurry. If Michigan manages to get out to a sizable lead like it did on Saturday or like Wichita State did on Saturday, the Wolverines need to keep the foot on the gas pedal. Rather than playing not to lose, which it seemingly did down the stretch on Saturday, Michigan must keep attacking and hitting open shots.

A win over Rick Pitino would give John Beilein's squad one of the most impressive lists of coaches beaten en route to a title ever

3. Make free throws. Free throws down the stretch have been dicey all season for Michigan, most glaringly in a loss to Indiana in which both Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. missed the front end of one-and-ones that allowed the Hoosiers to steal a win. On Saturday night, Michigan fans across the globe were having flashbacks as Mitch McGary missed three straight and Burke and Jon Horford each hit just one of two. But this time it didn’t cost them the game. With a national title on the line, the nerves will be at an all-time high and the outcome of the game could very well come down to which team hits its free throws in the closing seconds.

Michigan’s only national title, in 1989, Rumeal Robinson hit a pair of free throws with three seconds left in overtime to give Michigan a 80-79 victory. That’s about as clutch as it gets. Will someone on this team be able to do the same if the situation presents itself?

The good news is Louisville isn’t a great free throw shooting team either, hitting just under 71 percent. Smith and Siva are both solid at 80.6 and 85.9 percent – although Smith struggled from the charity stripe on Saturday – but the rest of the Cardinals team is iffy. Hancock is the next best at 76.9 percent, but Behanan is the guy to foul if possible. He shoots just 54.1 percent and has attempted the second most on the team behind Smith.

Prediction: Michigan has been overlooked all tournament long, but will have every chance to win this one. The Wolverines have already taken down teams coached by Shaka Smart, Bill Self, Billy Donovan, and Jim Boeheim, so confidence isn’t lacking. Over the course of those games, John Beilein’s squad has seen nearly every kind of look possible and has risen to the occasion each time. Louisville will present a similar match up as VCU did in the second game, though the Cardinals will be bigger, longer, and more talented. That was a good matchup for Michigan and the Wolverines can exploit the pressure in this one as well. Virtually nobody thought it possible when the Wolverines limped into the tournament having lost six of 12, but with the way they have played over the last three weeks, all signs point to them being the team of destiny. Yes, Louisville has a great defense, but Michigan leads the nation in fewest turnovers and that will be the key to victory. Michigan wins a close one, 66-62, and puts to rest the demons that have haunted the program over the past 20 years.

#10 Michigan (4) vs #16 Syracuse (4) | FINAL FOUR
Saturday, April 6 | 8:49pm ET | CBS
30-7 (12-6)	Record	30-9 (11-7)
Slippery Rock 100-62 IUPUI 91-54 Cleveland State 77-47 Pittsburgh 67-62 Kansas State 71-57 NC State 79-72 Bradley 74-66 W. Michigan 73-41 Arkansas 80-67 Binghamton 67-39 West Virginia 81-66 E. Michigan 93-54 C. Michigan 88-73 Northwestern 94-66 Iowa 95-67 Nebraska 62-47 #9 Minnesota 83-75 Purdue 68-53 Illinois 74-60 Northwestern 68-46 #10 Ohio St. 76-74 OT Penn State 79-71 Illinois 71-58 #9 Michigan St. 58-57 Purdue 80-75 Penn State 83-66 S. Dakota State 71-56 VCU 78-53 #3 Kansas 87-85 OT #14 Florida 79-59	Wins	San Diego St. 62-49 Wagner 88-57 Princeton 73-53 Colgate 87-51 Arkansas 91-82 E. Michigan 84-48 Long Beach St. 84-53 Monmouth 108-56 Canisius 85-61 Detroit 72-68 Alcorn State 57-36 Central Conn. St.  96-62 Rutgers 78-53 S. Florida 55-44 Providence 72-66 Villanova 72-61 #1 Louisville 70-68 #21 Cincinnati 57-55 #25 Notre Dame 63-47 St. John’s 77-58 Seton Hall 76-65 Providence 84-59 DePaul 78-57 Seton Hall 75-63 #17 Pittsburgh 62-59 #5 G’town 58-55 OT Montana 81-34 California 66-60 #4 Indiana 61-50 #15 Marquette 55-39
#15 Ohio State 56-53 #3 Indiana 73-81 Wisconsin 62-65 OT #8 Michigan St. 52-75 Penn State 78-84 #2 Indiana 71-72 #22 Wisconsin 59-68	Losses	Temple 79-83 Villanova 71-75 OT Pittsburgh 55-65 UConn 58-66 #11 G’town 46-57 #22 Marquette 71-74 #10 Louisville 53-58 #5 G’town 39-61 #4 Louisville 61-78
75.5	Points Per Game	70.8
62.9	Scoring Defense	58.6
1,047-for-2,159 (48.5%)	Field Goal %	984-for-2,238 (44.0%)
890-for-2,105 (42.3%)	Def. Field Goal %	773-for-2,101 (36.8%)
280-for-727 (38.5%)	3-point %	230-for-683 (33.7%)
231-for-715 (32.3%)	Def. 3-point %	238-for-843 (28.2%)
421-for-597 (70.5%)	Free Throw %	562-for-832 (67.5%)
11.4	FT Made/Game	14.4
35.2	Rebounds Per Game	38.5
32.1	Opp. Reb. Per Game	34.8
14.5	Assists Per Game	14.1
9.4	Turnovers Per Game	12.4
6.2	Steals Per Game	9.1
2.8	Blocks Per Game	6.2
G – Trey Burke (18.8) G – Tim Hardaway Jr. (14.6)	Leading Scorer	F – CJ Fair (14.4) F – J. Southerland (13.9)
F – Mitch McGary (6.2) F – Glenn Robinson III (5.5)	Leading Rebounder	F – CJ Fair (7.1) F – J. Southerland (5.2)

It wasn’t long ago that the Michigan basketball program seemed to be heading nowhere. Mired in the muck of years of sanctions, simply reaching the NCAA Tournament was a lofty goal. The once-proud program was reduced to a NIT regular. But this is a new era.

Tomorrow night, Michigan will take the court in the Final Four for the first time in 20 years. All eyes will be on the young Wolverines that have danced through the tournament with a lot of swagger and a little bit of luck. After opening the tournament as a trendy pick to be upset, Michigan beat South Dakota State and then ran VCU out of the gym. The luck came in the improbable comeback against Kansas in the Sweet 16, but the Wolverines carried that momentum into a dominating 20-point win over Florida. For the most part, Michigan has done it with its offense, looking nearly unstoppable.

Mighty Syracuse has its own plans of advancing to the title game and has also taken the tournament by storm, albeit in a different way. The Orange have won with defense, Jim Boeheim’s patented 2-3 zone that has stifled the likes of Indiana – who beat Michigan twice this season – and Marquette.

So what will give in this titanic battle of offense versus defense? Let’s take a look at the keys to victory for Michigan.

1. Handle the pressure. The pressure will be enormous for the team that starts three true freshmen alongside all-everything point guard Trey Burke and future NBA’er Tim Hardaway Jr. Even John Beilein, a veteran coach of nearly four decades, has never coached a game of this magnitude.

This week, the distractions and the attention paid to the team have been at an all-time high. It would be easy, especially for a kid who was probably on high school spring break this time a year ago to lose focus on the task at hand. Just look back to mid-season when Michigan reached No. 1 in the national rankings and then proceded to lose to Ohio State.

Perhaps the experience of feeling the pressure and not handling it well will pay off this time around. Beilein has shown he’s fully capable of keeping the team loose and confident, and now they Wolverines will have to play with the confidence they have shown in the last two weeks.

2. Score in transition. Syracuse’s zone has held opponents to just 29 percent shooting and 15 percent three-point shooting so far in the tournament. Michigan has caught fire in the tournament, especially against Florida on Sunday, but if the Wolverines have to completely rely on the outside shot to beat Syracuse, it won’t bode well. Pushing the tempo and getting out in transition will be important for Michigan which thrives on fast break baskets because it will keep Syracuse from being able to set up the half court defense that has given opponents fits. The more Michigan can score in transition, the better chance the Wolverines have of winning.

3. Make Syracuse work for its points. Michigan played good defense against Florida, but the Wolverines haven’t been a good defensive team for most of the season. Kansas was able to score basically at will in the Sweet 16 matchup, and Michigan can’t let Syracuse do the same. Since points will be hard to come by on the offensive end, Michigan must play tough defense and force Syracuse to make contested shots. The Orange are a good but not great offensive team, averaging 70.8 points per game. They finished eighth in the Big East in shooting (44 percent) and seventh in three-point shooting (33.7 percent), so keeping them from getting easy layups will make things easier on the other end of the court.

Overall, I think this game completely depends on how well Michigan’s freshmen handle the big stage. If Nik Stauskas is hitting his shots, Glenn Robinson III isn’t invisible, and Mitch McGary keeps from picking up early fouls, Michigan will have a great shot to win this game. If the shots aren’t falling and Burke has to revert to doing it all himself, it will be a long day for the Wolverines. I think the swagger will continue, Burke will once again steal the show, and Michigan will advance to Monday’s title game with a 74-68 win. Sam’s prediction: 69-62 Michigan.

Saturday’s Final Four matchup between the two remaining four-seeds in the this year’s tournament, Michigan and Syracuse, is being hyped up as a classic battle between the high-powered offense of the Wolverines and the stingy 2-3 patented zone defense of Jim Boeheim’s Orangemen. Michigan has scored more than 70 points in all four games thus far in the Big Dance while Syracuse has yet to give up more than 60 themselves.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Boeheim’s defense is that no one can seem to beat it despite it rarely changing. When a team faces Syracuse, they know what is coming. The challenge is in breaking it, which John Beilein is undoubtedly working his tail off in the film room to do. In his career, Beilein is 0-9 against Boeheim, and the last time these two faced off, back in 2010, then-No.10 Syracuse edged Michigan 53-50. Here is a quick preview of what makes the zone so good and how to attack it successfully.

Videos that visualize the zone and the basic principles:

How the Zone Beats You

1. Length and Athleticism: The one constant you will find among Jim Boeheim’s recruits is size, and this year’s Syracuse squad is no different. At the top of the 2-3 zone are 6’4″ senior Brandon Triche and 6’6″ sophomore Michael Carter-Williams, who reportedly boast 6’10″ and 7’0″ wingspans, respectively. Anchoring the zone are 6’8″ senior James Southerland, 6’7″ junior C.J. Fair, and 6’9″ sophomore Rakeem Christmas, with respective wingspans of 7’3″, 6’9″, and 7’3″.

Right off the bat, the length makes it almost impossible to get off uncontested shots from anywhere on the floor, and the fact that Syracuse has some of the best athletes left in the tournament doesn’t help. Any pass inside or around the perimeter will be challenged by this length, and lazy passes are bound to be intercepted. Inside the Orange send away a lethal 19 percent of their opponents’ shots, and teams struggle to score from anywhere on the floor, shooting just 43 percent from two and 28 percent from three on the year, defensive marks good for 20th and 3rd best in the country. Just when it seems there is an open lane or an easy layup, one of Syracuse’s guards is bound to cut it off, or a big man is right there to block it.

2. No Easy Shots: Watch any amount of Syracuse’s zone defense and one thing really stands out – rarely do they give up easy looks. Sure, there are holes in any zone, and teams will get open looks that most teams hate to surrender, but part of Boeheim’s genius is that he will give up a wide open 20- to 25-footer any day over a wide open layup or dunk. The Orange do a great job of making the tough shot look appealing and making the easy shots impossible to come by. Indiana, one of the best offensive teams in the country, was absolutely stifled by the zone last weekend and only managed to make one out of every three shots, and just three of their 15 from downtown. When Indiana wasn’t bricking contested shots or deep looks, they were getting rejected – in all, 34 percent of their shots met the out-stretched hands of Syracuse before coming close to going in.

John Beilein is 0-9 in his career against Jim Boeheim's zone

3. Forcing Turnovers: The last thing Syracuse is phenomenal at is taking the ball away. The Orange have forced turnovers on 23.6 percent of their opponents’ possessions this season, good for 27th in Division I, and are the seventh-best team in the nation when it comes to steals, which lead directly to fast-breaks. Michigan obviously is tremendous at holding onto the ball and getting a shot up on more possessions than anyone else in the country, but the Wolverines have not seen a ton of zone all year, and that could be cause for concern. The Orange can really frustrate and wear teams down with their length and athleticism, and usually force their opponents to take a good 25-30 seconds off the shot clock each time down the court. The longer it takes to get a shot up, however, and the more perimeter passes thrown, the better the chance the possession will end with a turnover. Because it’s hard to penetrate and Syracuse’s defenders rarely tire because they don’t have to move as much, turning the ball over is always a potential problem.

How You Beat the Zone

1. Make Shots: It can’t get much easier than this point, but it can’t get much harder either. Make your shots against the zone and it suddenly becomes much simpler to beat it. Syracuse will give up open looks when one side of the court is over-loaded, and it will be Michigan’s job to make those open shots when they have them. Nik Stauskas has been excellent all year in knocking down threes with a hand in his face; if he is able to do more of that Saturday, Michigan should find itself in good shape. To get open looks, Michigan will have to move the ball quickly and efficiently. Look for a number of skip passes over the top of the zone for open threes as well as kick-outs from penetration and from the high post, which is the soft spot in between the two lines of the 2-3. The man flashing to the elbow for Michigan will also have a number of open looks that Syracuse will happily give up. Mitch McGary and Tim Hardaway, Jr. need to take those open looks with confidence and knock them down to open up the floor.

2. Feed the High Post: Rarely will you have success against the zone by just passing the ball around the perimeter all possession long and then throwing up a long three. The key is to have smart flashes to the elbow/free throw line area, where opportunities abound, from McGary, Hardaway, and Glenn Robinson III. When the ball gets to the high post, there are a number of options. First, the quick turnaround jumper will often be open. Second, a pass to the high post can create a quick turnstile to rotate the ball to the opposite end of the floor for a corner three. Third, the high post man can draw the back line of the defense forward and look for the baseline cut for an easy layup. Lastly, the high post can get a nice drive to the basket if the baseline man comes up and sets a screen. Louisville had success with the third and fourth keys here in the second half of the Big East championship game, when they scored 56 points after only mustering 22 in the first half (whole game video below). As opposed to only having one high post man and one man on the baseline, however, the Cardinals mixed it up a little by bringing the baseline man up to the opposite elbow and running screens or cuts to the basket. The bottom line is ultimately that when the ball gets in the middle of the zone, good things usually happen for the offense.

3. Mix it Up: The last key to beating Syracuse’s zone in the half court set is simply to throw some different looks at it. Running the same action time and time again will likely produce the same poor result, and as soon as one play has success against the Orange, they will throw just a slight wrinkle in to stop it. Michigan loves to run ball screens, and while those don’t always work incredibly well against the zone, they should still use the screen often to open up the driving lanes and get Syracuse out of whack. Trey Burke is one of the best penetrators in the game, and if he is able to get past the first line of defense, Michigan should have success with numbers closer to the basket or open looks from outside.

4. Beat the Zone up the Court: Perhaps the most effective way of beating the zone, especially for a team like Michigan, is to beat Syracuse up the floor and prevent them from setting it up. The Maize and Blue are nearly unstoppable on the fast-break, and they should again be looking to attack whenever they create a turnover, grab a steal, or corral a long rebound. Syracuse will try to set up their 2-3 look in almost every situation, but if Michigan has the numbers advantage while running, one or two men for Syracuse can’t play a zone by themselves.

Other Videos of Syracuse’s zone in action:

Michigan clinched its first Final Four berth in 20 years with a 79-59 win over Florida on Sunday. Now, the Wolverines face Big East tournament runner-up Syracuse on Saturday night with a spot in the national championship game on the line. Three weeks ago, few thought this could be likely. Both teams limped to the finish like at the end of the regular season, Michigan going 6-6, including the Big Ten Tournament, and Syracuse dropping four of its last five prior to the start of the Big East Tournament.

One of those losses by the Orange was a 61-39 regular season ending loss at the hands of Georgetown – the lowest points Syracuse had scored in a game since 1962. It left Jim Boeheim’s squad having to play on day two of the Big East Tournament rather than getting a double bye, but the Orange reeled off three straight wins, including a revenge win over Georgetown, before falling to Louisville in the tournament finale.

James Southerland will be a tough matchup for Michigan's defense

When the Big Dance began, Syracuse found itself a somewhat disappointing four-seed – just like Michigan – and undervalued in its region. An opening round 81-34 blowout of Montana was hardly surprising, but from there, Syracuse has been impressive. In the Round of 32, the Orange held on to beat California, 66-60, despite going 12 minutes without a basket, shooting just 39.1 percent for the game, and missing 15 free throws.

The Sweet 16 was where most thought Syracuse would bow out, but a strong defensive performance virtually shut down Big Ten regular season champion Indiana en route to a 61-50 win. The 50 points allowed were the Hoosiers’ lowest of the season as Tom Crean’s squad struggled against Boeheim’s tried and true 2-3 zone. Indiana, the Big Ten’s second-best shooting offense, shot just 33 percent from the field and fell behind by as many as 16 in the first half. It took the Hoosiers 14 minutes to reach double digits and by then it was too late.

On Saturday, Syracuse faced a rematch with Big East foe Marquette, which beat the Orange in the season’s only previous meeting, 74-71. In this one, however, it was the Syracuse zone that caused problems for Marquette just like it did to the Hoosiers. The Golden Eagles were held to just 23 percent shooting and scored just 39 points, the lowest output for a team in the Elite 8 since 1986, and Syracuse won by 16.

The common theme throughout Syracuse’s tournament run has been its relentless 2-3 zone. Through four tournament games, it is holding opponents to just 29 percent shooting and 15 percent from three-point range, while averaging 6.5 blocks and 10.8 steals per game. The length and athleticism of the Orange has given opponents fits, but those opponents haven’t done their part either. If any team in the tournament can solve the zone, it’s Michigan which led the Big Ten in shooting and ranked second in three-point shooting, and is firing on all cylinders right now.

Michigan currently features the nation’s top adjusted scoring offense and has the guard play that can handle the zone. It will be Trey Burke’s job to get into the paint and either hit the jumper if he’s open or dish it out to the wings if the zone collapses. It’s a good problem to have. Throw in the emergence of Mitch McGary on the inside and it gives the Wolverines the added dimension if Syracuse is taking away the perimeter.

Offensively, Syracuse ranks 21st in adjusted offense and ranked third in the Big East with a scoring average of 70.8. However, the Orange were just middle of the pack (eighth) with a 44 percent field goal clip and seventh in three-point shooting (33.7 percent). Boeheim’s squad is definitely a team that wins with its defense and uses it to set up its offense.

Michigan will try to capitalize on mistakes made by Brandon Triche and Michael Carter-Williams (Jessica Hill, AP)

Junior forward C.J. Fair is the team’s leading scorer at 14.3 points per game, but senior forward James Southerland is arguably the team’s best overall player. He averages 13.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 45.6 percent overall and 40.3 percent from downtown. He scored a season high 35 points on Nov. 30 at Arkansas, but managed five against Indiana last Thursday.

Senior guard Brandon Triche and sophomore guard Michael Carter-Williams are both extremely talented and capable scorers, averaging 13.7 and 12.1 points, respectively. However, both have struggled with inconsistency this season. Both have been sloppy at taking care of the ball, which could feed into Michigan’s propensity for getting out and running. Triche had six turnovers against Indiana and seven in the Big East Tournament loss to Louisville. In fact, he’s had nine games this season with four or more turnovers. Carter-Williams, meanwhile, has had 16 such games, including an eight-turnover game against Louisville in January.

Michigan hasn’t been known for its defense this season, but should be able to apply some pressure to the Syracuse guards to force some turnovers and get out on the run. That should allow the Wolverines to get some baskets without having to face the zone. That will be vitally important to Michigan’s chances of winning because it may depend on whether the Wolverines’ shots are falling or not.

Whether Syracuse is the toughest opponent Michigan has faced in the tournament thus far is questionable – Kansas was likely the better team – but the 2-3 zone makes the Orange a tough matchup and virtually requires a good shooting night. Thankfully, Michigan is fully capable of that, especially if it can keep the swagger it has shown in the past two weeks.

Stay tuned for a breakdown of Syracuse’s 2-3 zone in the next day or two and further coverage of the matchup leading up to Saturday’s game.

#10 Michigan (4) vs #14 Florida (3) | ELITE 8
Sunday, Mar. 31 | 2:20pm ET | CBS
29-7 (12-6)	Record	29-7 (14-4)
Slippery Rock 100-62 IUPUI 91-54 Cleveland State 77-47 Pittsburgh 67-62 Kansas State 71-57 NC State 79-72 Bradley 74-66 W. Michigan 73-41 Arkansas 80-67 Binghamton 67-39 West Virginia 81-66 E. Michigan 93-54 C. Michigan 88-73 Northwestern 94-66 Iowa 95-67 Nebraska 62-47 #9 Minnesota 83-75 Purdue 68-53 Illinois 74-60 Northwestern 68-46 #10 Ohio St. 76-74 OT Penn State 79-71 Illinois 71-58 #9 Michigan St. 58-57 Purdue 80-75 Penn State 83-66 S. Dakota State 71-56 VCU 78-53 #3 Kansas 87-85 OT	Wins	Alabama State 84-35 #22 Wisconsin 74-56 Middle Tenn. St. 66-45 Savannah State 58-40 UCF 79-66 Marquette 82-49 Florida State 72-47 SE Louisiana 82-43 Air Force 78-61 Yale 79-58 Georgia 77-44 LSU 74-52 Texas A&M 68-47 #17 Missouri 83-52 Georgia 64-47 Mississippi State 82-47 South Carolina 75-36 #16 Mississippi 78-64 Mississippi State 83-58 #25 Kentucky 69-52 Auburn 83-52 Arkansas 71-54 Alabama 64-52 Vanderbilt 66-40 LSU 80-58 Alabama 61-51 Northwestern St. 79-47 Minnesota 78-64 FGCU 62-50
#15 Ohio State 56-53 #3 Indiana 73-81 Wisconsin 62-65 OT #8 Michigan St. 52-75 Penn State 78-84 #2 Indiana 71-72 #22 Wisconsin 59-68	Losses	#8 Arizona 64-65 Kansas State 61-67 Arkansas 69-80 Missouri 60-63 Tennessee 58-64 Kentucky 57-61 Mississippi 63-66
75.4	Points Per Game	72.0
63.1	Scoring Defense	53.8
1,017-for-2,094 (48.6%)	Field Goal %	915-for-1,897 (48.2%)
867-for-2,049 (42.3%)	Def. Field Goal %	675-for-1,788 (37.8%)
270-for-708 (38.1%)	3-point %	294-for-769 (38.2%)
229-for-705 (32.5%)	Def. 3-point %	179-for-593 (30.2%)
412-for-584 (70.5%)	Free Throw %	397-for-583 (68.1%)
11.4	FT Made/Game	11.3
35.2	Rebounds Per Game	35.0
31.9	Opp. Reb. Per Game	30.1
14.4	Assists Per Game	14.7
9.3	Turnovers Per Game	11.1
6.1	Steals Per Game	7.1
2.7	Blocks Per Game	3.3
G – Trey Burke (18.9) G – Tim Hardaway Jr. (14.8)	Leading Scorer	F – Erik Murphy (12.6) G – Kenny Boynton (13.7)
F – Mitch McGary (6.1) F – Glenn Robinson III (5.6)	Leading Rebounder	C – Patric Young (6.3) F – Will Yeguete (5.8)

Call them the comeback kids, call them what you will, but the Michigan Wolverines, by far the youngest team in the tournament from the very beginning, simply will not give up. Two nights ago, the Maize and Blue found themselves trailing by 14 points to Kansas with fewer than 10 minutes to go and by double digits within the final three minutes. Computer predictors were giving Michigan a slightly-less-than 2 percent chance of winning the game before Trey Burke and Glenn Robinson III willed the game into overtime where the Wolverines seemed just a bit hungrier than the Jayhawks.

Today, at 2:20pm on CBS, Michigan takes on a Florida team that has just missed out on the Final Four two seasons in a row, and with five upperclassmen starting, the Gators are certainly not going to roll over and die.

Two weeks ago, Michigan wasn’t supposed to make it out of the first weekend, and even today, fans still cannot believe where the team has made it. But here they are, battling for a spot in the Final Four for the first time in nearly two decades. Let’s take a quick look at three keys if Michigan should advance:

1. Contain Erik Murphy: Billy Donovan’s squad is loaded with talent across the board, and all five of his starters can score the ball – each averages at least 9.3 points per game and four score in double digits. Erik Murphy, the Gators’ 6’10″, 238-pound stretch-four senior, however, is the best of the bunch in my opinion. The South Kingstown, Rhode Island native takes just over half of his shots from behind the three-point line and makes 45.9 percent of them. Inside the arc he is just as deadly, making 63 percnet of his looks from lay-ups to mid-rangers. If Murphy were four inches shorter, he would be a great player, but nothing unheard of. Unfortunately for Michigan, he’s not. Glenn Robinson III will be tasked with guarding Murphy from the beginning and needs to make sure he is constantly hounding him around the court.

Murphy is such a good shooter that Robinson needs to always be aware of his position on the floor and never help off. Obviously Michigan has some depth in the big man department, but Jon Horford and Jordan Morgan are much more accustomed to defending the classic post position, not a guy who is running around more like Nik Stauskas than Mitch McGary. Murphy’s 12.6 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game don’t wow, but this is the type of matchup that he will be looking to exploit. If Michigan is able to limit Murphy like they did with Jeff Withey in the second half, they should feel very confident about their chances.

2. Defend the perimeter: Michigan needs to primarily be concerned with keeping Murphy in check, but he is far from the only Gator capable of filling it up from deep. As a team, Florida takes about 40 percent of their shots from distance and makes them at a very good 38.1 percent clip. The Gators three starting guards, Kenny Boynton, Scottie Wilbekin, and Mike Rosario, all love the long ball, and all three can get hot at any particular time. Boynton’s shooting numbers are down from the past two seasons, and while he takes more than six threes a game, accounting for 60.6 percent of his shots, he has made just 32 percent of them on the year.

Wilbekin and Rosario, on the other hand, are a little more capable of penetrating and take just under half their attempts from downtown, but make 37 percent of their three-point looks. Michael Frazier, a talented 6’4″ freshman, will come off the bench primarily looking to snipe as well, and he has hit a team-high 46.8% of his threes, which account for a whopping 80.4 percent of his shots.

Kenny Boynton will be tasked with stopping Trey Burke today

Michigan needs to know the scouting report front and back and close out hard on all these shooters that Billy Donovan will throw out on the court. Going over screens will probably be a good idea when the pick involves one of the five Gators that has attempted more than 100 threes this season. Michigan’s help defense has been pretty shoddy all year long, but they cannot afford to go under screens like they were against Kansas. Do that against Murphy, Rosario, and Frazier, and chances are the Wolverines would get torched. What makes knowing the number on the front of the jersey from the scouting report even more important is the fact that the three remaining Florida players that will see on-court action rarely look to shoot from deep. Casey Prather, a one-time Michigan recruit, Patric Young, and Will Yeguete have combined to attempt only 11 threes all year long, and they’ve made only three of them. Michigan must be able to differentiate between the five guys that will shoot when open and the three that wouldn’t throw a bomb if they were fighting in a war.

3. Keep it Close: Florida was the king of the weak SEC this season, and their efficiency numbers are off the charts due in large part to a lack of strong competition throughout the year. Looking through their statistical profile and game log, one thing will jump out  – if the Gators are not winning big, they are not winning at all. All 29 of Florida’s wins, including their three tournament victories, have come by double digits. Their seven losses, however, were by an average of 5.7 points. Certainly this is more likely to be more coincidental than anything else, and I’m not trying to say that Florida is simply not able to win games that come down to the wire, but there is something to be said when not one win has come by single digits and all but one loss has been by six or fewer points.

It’s pretty clear that teams that give themselves a chance and stick in it until the end have fared well against Florida so far. That’s good news for Michigan, a team that has found itself trailing by double digits on multiple occasions before coming back and at least making a game out of it. Perhaps the Gators will collapse under pressure if Michigan controls the game throughout, but at the very least, the Maize and Blue will look to keep the Gators within striking distance. In the end, the chance will be there.

Prediction: I have a confession to make. In my master bracket this year, I correctly picked Michigan and Florida to both make it to this point (which isn’t to say that the rest of my bracket is still intact…anything but), but when it came time to pick the best of the best, the elite of the Elite, I went with the computers and my head and picked the Gators to advance out of the South. Opinions change over the course of the Tournament, however, and the grit, toughness, heart, and team play of Michigan have won me over. Trey Burke simply does not want his career to end before reaching Atlanta, and Mitch McGary looks like he had a switch turned on in his closet that turns him into an animal starting with the first game of the Big Dance. Throw in a little Stauskas, a lot of Tim Hardaway, Jr., and a defensive effort from Glenn Robinson III and I think Michigan will find itself headed to Atlanta later this week after beating Florida, 67-63.

#10 Michigan (4) vs Virginia Commonwealth (5)
Saturday, Mar. 23 | 12:15pm ET | CBS
27-7 (12-6)	Record	27-8 (12-4)
Slippery Rock 100-62 IUPUI 91-54 Cleveland State 77-47 Pittsburgh 67-62 Kansas State 71-57 NC State 79-72 Bradley 74-66 W. Michigan 73-41 Arkansas 80-67 Binghamton 67-39 West Virginia 81-66 E. Michigan 93-54 C. Michigan 88-73 Northwestern 94-66 Iowa 95-67 Nebraska 62-47 #9 Minnesota 83-75 Purdue 68-53 Illinois 74-60 Northwestern 68-46 #10 Ohio State 76-74 OT Penn State 79-71 Illinois 71-58 #9 Michigan State 58-57 Purdue 80-75 Penn State 83-66 S. Dakota State 71-56	Wins	FL Gulf Coast 80-57 Winthrop 90-54 #19 Memphis 78-65 Stetson 92-56 Belmont 75-65 Old Dominion 83-70 Alabama 73-54 W. Kentucky 76-44 Longwood 93-56 FDU 96-67 E. Tennessee St. 109-58 Lehigh 59-55 Dayton 74-62 St. Bonaventure 72-65 Saint Joseph’s 92-86 OT Duquesne 90-63 Rhode Island 70-64 Fordham 81-65 Charlotte 68-61 UMass 86-68 George Wash. 84-57 Xavier 75-71 #20 Butler 84-52 Richmond 93-82 St. Joseph’s 82-79 UMass 71-62 Akron 88-42
#15 Ohio State 56-53 #3 Indiana 73-81 Wisconsin 62-65 OT #8 Michigan State 52-75 Penn State 78-84 #2 Indiana 71-72 #22 Wisconsin 59-68	Losses	Wichita State 51-53 #5 Duke  58-67 #13 Missouri 65-68 Richmond 74-86 OT LaSalle 61-69 St. Louis 62-76 Temple 76-84 #16 St. Louis 56-62
75.0	Points Per Game	77.6
62.7	Scoring Defense	64.1
951-for-1,963 (48.4%)	Field Goal %	987-for-2,185 (45.2%)
808-for-1,925 (42.0%)	Def. Field Goal %	780-for-1,765 (44.2%)
256-for-665 (38.5%)	3-point %	278-for-784 (35.5%)
220-for-673 (32.7%)	Def. 3-point %	192-for-581 (33.0%)
393-for-556 (70.7%)	Free Throw %	465-for-663 (70.1%)
11.6	FT Made/Game	13.3
34.9	Rebounds Per Game	34.9
32.1	Opp. Reb. Per Game	34.6
14.2	Assists Per Game	14.7
9.2	Turnovers Per Game	11.7
6.0	Steals Per Game	11.8
2.9	Blocks Per Game	3.1
G – Trey Burke (18.8) G – Tim Hardaway Jr. (15.0)	Leading Scorer	G – Treveon Graham (15.2) F – Juvonte Reddic (14.6)
F – Glenn Robinson III (5.4) F – Mitch McGary (5.6)	Leading Rebounder	F – Juvante Reddic (8.3) G – Treveon Graham (6.0)

On Thursday night, Michigan opened up their tournament with a slow-paced, controlling win over South Dakota State in a game that saw the Wolverines cough the ball up only nine times. Today (12:15 on CBS), Michigan opens up Round Three with a matchup that should be about as polar opposite from the SDSU victory as possible when they welcome Virginia Commonwealth to The Palace of Auburn Hills.

VCU coach Shaka Smart’s rise to prominence despite only four years of head coaching experience has been well-documented after bringing his 11th-seeded Rams to the Final Four two years ago with a high-pressure style of basketball that has come to be known as The Havoc. This has all the makings of a March Madness classic, and only one team can advance. Here are three quick keys to the game if Michigan is to dance to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in nearly 20 years:

Minimize The Havoc: There is not much secret to Virginia Commonwealth’s success – the Rams employ a variety of full-court press looks after every made basket in an attempt to turn their opponent over and get an easy look at scoring again. In all 27 of their wins, the Rams’ enemy turned the ball over 15 or more times. In seven of their eight losses, they forced fewer than 15 cough-ups. When VCU is able to effectively press and cause chaos in the backcourt, thus generating easy buckets and only speeding the game up more, they are at their best. Smart unleashes three “wild dogs” in the form of Briante Weber, Darius Theus, and Rob Brandenburg to do the vast majority of his hounding; they are all 6’3″ or less, but their headiness and athleticism make up for it as they average 2.7, 2.5, and 1.3 steals per game, respectively. Lone big man Juvonte Reddic, listed at 6’9″ and 235 pounds, is also one to keep an eye on, as he swipes the ball 1.4 times per outing.

What this all adds up to is a team that is far and away the best at forcing turnovers in the country. The good news for Michigan is that the Wolverines turn the ball over on fewer possessions than any other team in Division 1. If Michigan can simply play calm basketball in the backcourt and get the ball over the timeline, they should have no problems exploiting a defense that struggles away from their bread and butter of the press. The troubles will arise when the Wolverines fear a 10-second violation or start throwing wild passes across half court. Play smart and the better team will advance.

Exploit the Matchups: As already noted, the Rams are not a team that will wow anyone with their size, and Michigan should be able to use a little bit of an advantage in that department themselves. VCU will start a lineup that goes 6’2″, 6’3″, 6’3″, 6’5″, 6’9″ across the board. Trey Burke is one of the best in the country at getting around and by his defender, so a slight disadvantage on his man shouldn’t hurt, while Tim Hardaway, Jr. and Nik Stauskas need to look to shoot over the top of their smaller defenders or drive on them to get them into foul trouble, which they struggle mightily with. Glenn Robinson III would also be wise to launch the same inside-out game he played in the opening round, as he will again be the best athlete on the court and enjoy a slight size advantage himself.

As one might imagine, the Rams’ defensive style makes them highly susceptible to putting their opponents on the free throw line, and they do so at a 41 percent FTA/FGA clip, meaning the game plan might be as simple as taking care of the ball and making free throws for Michigan.

How Michigan handles VCU's havoc will determine whether the Wolverines win

On the defensive end, Michigan does need to be careful about letting VCU’s quick, attacking guards into the lane too often, where they will finish or dish off to Troy Daniels, a 41 percent sniper from deep who takes nearly 87 percent of his shots from behind the arc. Interestingly enough, Brandenburg is the only pick-pocketer who puts in more than 10 points a game, as Theus and Weber combine for just over 12 a game and shoot a meager 44.4 percent from the floor; neither are major threats from downtown but Brandenburg takes nearly half his shots from there. The major scoring threats are inside, where Reddic and Treveon Graham total nearly 30 points per game together.

Smart Subs: In a frenetically-paced game like today’s is certain to become at times, both teams will get tired and have to sub. For Michigan, that means liberally bringing in more ball-handlers and better big-man defenders. Spike Albrecht should see a good uptick in minutes today while Caris LeVert also needs to be prepared to handle the ball from off the bench. Burke should still see 35-plus minutes and will be the key in breaking the press, but he’s going to need help when the Rams attempt to trap him. Hardaway, Stauskas, LeVert, and Albrecht need to be prepared to bring that help, take the ball up the court quickly and under control, and get the ball back to Burke to facilitate in the halfcourt.

It is always a concern when freshmen face defenders that are going to hound them for the ball, and especially so when the game is played on such a big stage as the Big Dance, but they are a crucial part of Michigan’s success and need to play smart basketball. Hardaway has also experienced some ball control issues in the past and needs to make sure he doesn’t let the ball get stripped time and again.

On defense, Jordan Morgan could be huge. Mitch McGary is likely to get the start again after an outstanding performance Thursday night, but Morgan, the redshirt junior, needs to shake off any negative thoughts he may have after some disastrous performances late in the season and a one minute outing in the SDSU victory to be ready when called upon today. McGary is still not in tip-top shape and will not see more than 20 minutes. Morgan needs to be able to come in and provide great defense down low on VCU’s bigs while also finishing easy looks that Michigan should expect to get when breaking the press.

Prediction: Today’s turnover game should be a classic case of the unstoppable force against the immovable object as the number one team in forcing turnovers challenges the number one team in holding onto the ball. Whoever wins that matchup will likely have the upper hand overall. For me, Trey Burke is again the difference in today’s game. Burke’s point guard skills are incredibly advanced for this level, and his smooth play overall should be huge in a bounce-back effort for him. VCU will snatch a couple passes here and there and may even pick a few pockets, but Michigan should be able to bring the ball over halfcourt and score some easy points led by their tested and true floor general. Stauskas and Hardaway combine for six threes while Burke pours in 23 in a 73-68 Michigan win.

#10 Michigan (4) vs South Dakota State (13)
Thursday, Mar. 21 | 7:15pm ET | CBS
26-7 (12-6)	Record	25-9 (13-3)
Slippery Rock 100-62 IUPUI 91-54 Cleveland State 77-47 Pittsburgh 67-62 Kansas State 71-57 NC State 79-72 Bradley 74-66 W. Michigan 73-41 Arkansas 80-67 Binghamton 67-39 West Virginia 81-66 E. Michigan 93-54 C. Michigan 88-73 Northwestern 94-66 Iowa 95-67 Nebraska 62-47 #9 Minnesota 83-75 Purdue 68-53 Illinois 74-60 Northwestern 68-46 #10 Ohio State 76-74 OT Penn State 79-71 Illinois 71-58 #9 Michigan State 58-57 Purdue 80-75 Penn State 83-66	Wins	Tennessee State 78-71 Marshall 78-77 Univ. of D.C. 96-48 SW Minnesota St. 81-72 North Dakota 71-70 Nebraska-Omaha 78-63 Dakota State 83-52 Cal-St. Bakersfield 69-63 Montana 687-67 2OT #16 New Mexico 70-65 Kansas City 77-61 Oakland 81-74 IPFW 83-57 W. Illinois 59-53 IUPUI 80-65 N. Dakota State 69-53 South Dakota 67-54 Kansas City 88-57 IPFW 80-74 IUPUI 82-45 W. Illinois 64-55 Nebraska-Omaha 100-82 IUPUI 66-49 IPFW 72-56 N. Dakota State 73-67
#15 Ohio State 56-53 #3 Indiana 73-81 Wisconsin 62-65 OT #8 Michigan State 52-75 Penn State 78-84 #2 Indiana 71-72 #22 Wisconsin 59-68	Losses	Alabama 67-70 Hofstra 63-66 #14 Minnesota 64-88 Belmont 49-76 N. Dakota State 62-65 South Dakota 71-74 Oakland 83-88 Cal-St. Bake. 78-79 2OT Murray State 62-73
75.2	Points Per Game	73.9
62.9	Scoring Defense	65.6
923-for-1,908 (48.4%)	Field Goal %	887-for-1,887 (47.0%)
785-for-1,783 (41.9%)	Def. Field Goal %	839-for-1,897 (44.2%)
247-for-645 (38.3%)	3-point %	266-for-675 (39.4%)
216-for-654 (33.0%)	Def. 3-point %	234-for-656 (35.7%)
387-for-547 (70.7%)	Free Throw %	472-for-619 (76.3%)
11.7	FT Made/Game	13.9
35.1	Rebounds Per Game	34.7
32.2	Opp. Reb. Per Game	30.6
14.3	Assists Per Game	14.5
9.2	Turnovers Per Game	10.4
6.0	Steals Per Game	5.1
2.8	Blocks Per Game	2.3
G – Trey Burke (19.2) G – Tim Hardaway Jr. (14.8)	Leading Scorer	G – Nate Wolters (22.7) F – Jordan Dykstra (12.5)
F – Glenn Robinson III (5.4) F – Mitch McGary (5.5)	Leading Rebounder	F – Jordan Dykstra (7.9) G – Nate Wolters (5.6)

With the regular season and conference tournaments now in the rearview mirror, the focus is clear for 64 remaining teams playing for all the marbles. Win and advance, lose and go home – it really is as simple as that. Such a vicious format lends itself the “March Madness” moniker, but others like to think of it more as one last chance to dance, in a Big way.

For Michigan, the regular season started off promising, with a number one overall ranking achieved and a top-five spot maintained throughout the majority of the year, but the Wolverines were only able to win half of their last 12 games, eventually claiming a five seed in the Big Ten Tournament and a four seed in this one. Tonight, the Maize and Blue will look to start their season anew just down the road in Auburn Hills (7:15 on CBS) against a South Dakota State team that boasts one superstar and a cast of shooters. Here are three keys for Michigan to keeping the season alive:

1. Limit Nate Wolters: If anyone has heard of one player on the Jackrabbit squad, it’s 6’4″ senior point guard Nate Wolters. The lone NBA prospect on coach Scott Nagy’s roster is a hyper-efficient scorer that can keep his team in just about any game. Wolters uses a variety of moves to score 22.7 points per game and makes an incredible 49.3 percent of his shots, including a solid 39 percent from downtown. His deep stroke is pure and he will attack any opening in the half-court set to traverse into the lane, where his full arsenal is on display. The shaggy-haired floor general is not very fast or athletic, but he has a great knack for putting the ball in the hoop that few possess. Wolters recorded 30-plus points in four games this season (including a 53-point outburst against IPFW), 20-plus in 19 of the 32 Jackrabbits games he played in, and never failed to put up double digits.

Overall, he is in the top five in the country in efficiency margin for guys that use more than 25 percent of their team’s possessions; Trey Burke is in the same category for Michigan.

The problem with defending Wolters is his and his teammates’ size, as no Jackrabbit starter is shorter than 6’4″. Burke, listed generously at 6’0″, will have to cover someone, and while he has been a solid defender at times, his counterpart tonight could shoot over the top of him. Guarding Wolters will be a team effort. If Michigan lets him score 30 and allows his teammates to get involved as well with Wolters’s 5.8 assists a night, they could be sent home packing after their first game for the second time in as many years as a four seed. If the Wolverines can limit Wolters and cut off his driving lanes while keeping a hand in his face from the outside, they shouldn’t have too much trouble prevailing.

Nate Wolters is the nation's fourth-leading scorer

2. Close Out Hard: While Wolters is a prolific scorer in his own right and the engine that keeps the team running, he is not alone in being able to fill it up from deep. The three players besides Wolters that have attempted more than 125 three-pointers all make more than 35 percent of their attempts, and two of them, Jordan Dykstra and Chad White, make a terrific 43 percent from deep. Michigan has had troubles throughout the season with collapses on defense and lackadaisical closeouts, leaving shooters to knock down open threes. A shooting barrage from the Jackrabbits will at the very least keep them in the game until the bitter end, but if Michigan is able stick with the shooters on the outside, they will keep South Dakota State out of their element. The more you look at this team’s offensive profile, the more they mirror Michigan’s, but the Wolverines should be able to use their superior size and athleticism to dominate on the glass and to play better defense, which both teams struggle with.

3. Run the Sets: South Dakota State can certainly put points on the board, but their Achilles’ heel is on the other end of the court, which also happens to be the exact place Michigan thrives. The Jackrabbits’ lack of length, athleticism, and size make it difficult to guard teams, and they have given up more than 80 points three times this year. In an early season 88-64 loss at Minnesota, SDSU allowed the Gophers to shoot nearly 57 percent from the floor and grab almost half their misses.

Michigan has by far the best offense that the Summit League champions will see all year, and if they are calm on offense and run their sets while also taking advantage of the fast break, they should be able to put up points in bunches tonight. Don’t be surprised to see Michigan eclipse 1.25 points per possession if they are able to do this effectively. If Trey Burke looks to play hero ball early on and his teammates are not getting involved, however, it could be the last time he suits up for Michigan.

Prediction: After a rough and tumble Big Ten season, Michigan should be prepared for just about any team they will face in the Big Dance, starting tonight with South Dakota State. The next loss for the Wolverines will be the last of a season that seemed to pass so quickly, and will also likely mean the loss of sophomore superstar Trey Burke to the NBA, perhaps along with Glenn Robinson III and Tim Hardaway, Jr. Last year’s early exit at the hands of Ohio has certainly left a sour taste in the mouths of all the Wolverines who experienced it, and I expect the freshmen to step up in a big way to keep this team rolling. Wolters will get his points, but it will be Burke who shines in the spotlight in front of a crowd that should heavily favor Michigan. Hardaway, Jr. will also pick his game up now that it counts most and Michigan advances with a 78-62 win.

Selection Sunday produced little in the way of anxiety for Michigan, but it did show the path the Wolverines will have to travel to win the NCAA title. John Beilein’s squad was given a 4-seed, which is somewhat disappointing considering the Maize and Blue were once 16-0 and ranked No. 1 nationally. But a 6-6 finish to the season slid the team down in the seedings and into a matchup with Summit League champion South Dakota State.

Almost right away the chorus of “experts” – both national and armchair alike – declared it an upset special. ESPN’s Doug Gotlieb put Michigan on upset watch and virtually wrote off the Wolverines’ Sweet 16 hopes by saying the likely Round of 32 opponent, VCU, would be able to beat 1-seed Kansas. But before we look ahead, let’s take a look at who exactly South Dakota State is.

Nate Wolters will give Trey Burke a run for his money

The Jackrabbits of Brookings, S.D. wear yellow and blue and finished the season 25-9 overall and 13-3 in the Summit League. They’re currently ranked 102nd by KenPom and 62 in the RPI. They played just three top-50 RPI teams all season, No.2 New Mexico, No.20 Belmont, and No.34 Minnesota, and won just one of those, a 80-75 victory over New Mexico on Dec. 22.

Minnesota beat SDSU 88-64 and the only other common opponent between Michigan and SDSU was IUPUI, who the Jackrabbits played – and beat – three times. They average 73.9 points per game and give up 65.5. They shoot 47 percent overall and 39.5 percent from three-point range, which would rank third and second, respectively, in the Big Ten. They have a plus-four rebound margin and plus-four assist to turnover ratio.

The Jackrabbits’ leading scorer is senior guard Nate Wolters who averages 22.7 points per game, shoots 49.3 percent overall and 39 percent from downtown. He’s also an 81 percent free throw shooter, ranks second on the team with 5.6 rebounds per game, and leads the team with 5.8 assists per contest. In his conference tournament game, he scored 27 points and he had four 30-plus scoring games during the season, including a 53-point outburst against IPFW on Feb. 7. He’ll be a tough matchup for a Michigan squad that has had trouble guarding anyone lately.

Three others average in double figures – forward Jordan Dykstra (12.5), forward Tony Fiegen (10.1) and guard Chad White (10.0). Both Dykstra and White are dangerous three-point shooters, hitting at a clip of 43.0 and 43.4, respectively. Guard Brayden Carlson is the only other high-usage guy and averages 8.7 points. No one else on the team averages more than 14 minutes a game. The big five are all upperclassmen – three juniors and two seniors – so they’ll have the experience advantage over Michigan.

It’s not going to be an easy matchup for Michigan by any means, but it’s still a game the Wolverines will be expected to win. The line opened up with Michigan an 11-point favorite, but if the Wolverines don’t turn up the intensity on defense, SDSU can shoot them out of the building.

#6 Michigan (5) vs #22 Wisconsin (4)
Friday, Mar. 15 | 2:30pm ET | ESPN
26-6 (12-6)	Record	21-10 (12-6)
Slippery Rock 100-62 IUPUI 91-54 Cleveland State 77-47 Pittsburgh 67-62 Kansas State 71-57 NC State 79-72 Bradley 74-66 W. Michigan 73-41 Arkansas 80-67 Binghamton 67-39 West Virginia 81-66 E. Michigan 93-54 C. Michigan 88-73 Northwestern 94-66 Iowa 95-67 Nebraska 62-47 #9 Minnesota 83-75 Purdue 68-53 Illinois 74-60 Northwestern 68-46 #10 Ohio State 76-74 OT Penn State 79-71 Illinois 71-58 #9 Michigan State 58-57 Purdue 80-75 Penn State 83-66	Wins	SE Louisiana 87-47 Cornell 73-40 Presbyterian 88-43 Arkansas 77-70 Cal 81-56 Nebraska-Omaha 86-40 Green Bay 65-54 Milwaukee 74-43 Samford 87-51 Penn State 60-51 Nebraska 47-41 #12 Illinois 74-51 #2 Indiana 64-59 #12 Minnesota 45-44 Illinois 74-68 Iowa 74-70 2OT #3 Michigan 65-62 OT #13 Ohio State 71-49 Northwestern 69-41 Nebraska 77-46 Penn State 63-60
#15 Ohio State 56-53 #3 Indiana 73-81 Wisconsin 62-65 OT #8 Michigan State 52-75 Penn State 78-84 #2 Indiana 71-72	Losses	#10 Florida 56-74 #14 Creighton 74-84 Virginia 54-60 Marquette 50-60 Iowa 66-70 #13 Michigan State 47-49 #11 Ohio State 49-58 Minnesota 53-58 OT Purdue 56-69 #10 Michigan State 43-58
75.7	Points Per Game	66.1
62.8	Scoring Defense	56.0
900-for-1,851 (48.6%)	Field Goal %	743-for-1,747 (42.5%)
763-for-1,816 (42.0%)	Def. Field Goal %	658-for-1,669 (39.4%)
244-for-632 (38.6%)	3-point %	234-for-696 (33.6%)
208-for-632 (32.9%)	Def. 3-point %	124-for-409 (30.3%)
377-for-530 (71.1%)	Free Throw %	329-for-522 (63.0%)
11.8	FT Made/Game	10.6
35.0	Rebounds Per Game	37.0
32.0	Opp. Reb. Per Game	32.7
14.5	Assists Per Game	13.4
9.2	Turnovers Per Game	9.6
6.0	Steals Per Game	5.5
2.8	Blocks Per Game	4.1
G – Trey Burke (19.2) G – Tim Hardaway Jr. (14.8)	Leading Scorer	F – Jared Berggren (11.5) G – Ben Brust (11.3)
F – Glenn Robinson III (5.5) F – Mitch McGary (5.5)	Leading Rebounder	F – Ryan Evans (7.5) F – Jared Berggren (7.1)

After a relatively easy dispatching of Penn State in the first round of this year’s Big Ten Tournament, Michigan moves on to face Wisconsin, who earned a bye to Day 2. The Wolverines only met the Badgers one time during the regular season, a 65-62 overtime heartbreaker of a loss for Michigan, and will continue to have revenge on their minds from here on out, as each likely future foe will have beaten the Maize and Blue at least once already. With less time to prepare for each matchup in a play-everyday-til-you-lose style format, today we will only focus on two keys to this matchup. Here they are:

1. Control the Pace: Wisconsin’s biggest strength is in its ability to seemingly control the speed at which every single one of their games is played – slow, methodical, and bruising. Bo Ryan thrives despite not always having superior talent by maximizing each possession and cutting down on the overall opportunities for opponents to make up points by limiting possessions overall, thus practically eliminating the possibility of a blowout loss in every game.

The Badgers in fact never gave up more than 70 points in a Big Ten game all year, and held opponents to 60 or fewer points in a remarkable 13 of 18 Big Ten games.

Michigan is the type of team that plays best when some free-roaming opportunities to run and showcase an attack that consists of speed, athleticism, and precision are available. Obviously that is very difficult to do against a Wisconsin outfit that rarely turns the ball over and gets back on defense with the best of them, but a few quick, early buckets for Trey Burke and company will do wonders to get Michigan going. When Burke can get the break started surrounded by shooters like Nik Stauskas and Tim Hardaway, Jr. and finishers like Glenn Robinson III, this Wolverine squad becomes nearly unbeatable. A couple easy buckets in the opening minutes should pave the way for a Michigan win.

2. It’s all about the Team: By this time of the year, we all know Trey Burke is, at the very least, one of the best players in America. The Big Ten Player of the Year can score with the best of them from anywhere on the floor and dishes out dimes like a police officer handing out parking tickets in Ann Arbor.

What can make Michigan special, however, is their ability to spread the floor and devastate the enemy with all five guys on the court at all times. In yesterday’s win over Penn State, Mitch McGary had a first half double-double, Stauskas and Hardaway filled up the scoring column, and Jon Horford provided a very nice production boost in the second half to help seal the rout. Yes, Burke got his 21 points on 15 shots, but the supporting cast provided a threat, thus opening up driving lanes for the ringleader. In March, one-name teams usually don’t go far, and if Michigan hopes to make a deep run in both tournaments, everyone needs to play a part.

This is especially the case against a lockdown defensive team like Wisconsin. If the Wolverines send a message to the Badgers early that every player on the court is worthy of attention, Wisconsin will not be able to key in on the All-American and Michigan will win. In the first game between these two teams, Hardaway and Burke combined for nearly 60 percent of the team’s scoring output, which is altogether too high. Another number like that could spell doom this afternoon, but a more reasonable 40-50 percent would be music to coach John Beilein’s ears and a strong indication that Michigan is playing as a team.

Prediction: One-day turnaround games are tough enough to begin with, but when having to face a solid team that did not have to play the day before, the task becomes nearly impossible. For the Wolverines, however, I truly think that anything is possible if all the pieces come together, and the sour taste left by the first matchup should give the Maize and Blue the extra fuel in the tank to pull off the victory. Four guys reach double figures, led by Trey Burke’s 18 points and 10 assists. Stauskas, Hardaway, and Morgan carry the rest of the load and help send Michigan to the semis with a 71-64 win.

#6 Michigan (5) vs Penn State (12)
Thursday, Mar. 14 | 2:30pm ET | Big Ten Network
25-6 (12-6)	Record	10-20 (2-16)
Slippery Rock 100-62 IUPUI 91-54 Cleveland State 77-47 Pittsburgh 67-62 Kansas State 71-57 NC State 79-72 Bradley 74-66 W. Michigan 73-41 Arkansas 80-67 Binghamton 67-39 West Virginia 81-66 E. Michigan 93-54 C. Michigan 88-73 Northwestern 94-66 Iowa 95-67 Nebraska 62-47 #9 Minnesota 83-75 Purdue 68-53 Illinois 74-60 Northwestern 68-46 #10 Ohio State 76-74 OT Penn State 79-71 Illinois 71-58 #9 Michigan State 58-57 Purdue 80-75	Wins	St. Francis PA 65-58 Providence 55-52 OT Bucknell 60-57 Penn 58-47 Army 78-70 Delaware State 80-76 OT New Hampshire 72-45 Duquesne 84-74 #4 Michigan 84-78 Northwestern 66-59
#15 Ohio State 56-53 #3 Indiana 73-81 Wisconsin 62-65 OT #8 Michigan State 52-75 Penn State 78-84 #2 Indiana 71-72	Losses	#6 NC State 55-72 Akron 60-85 Boston College 61-73 La Salle 57-82 Wisconsin 51-60 #5 Indiana 51-74 Northwestern 54-70 Purdue 42-60 #18 Michigan State 72-81 Nebraska 64-68 #7 Indiana 49-72 #14 Ohio State 51-65 Iowa 67-76 Purdue 49-58 Nebraska 53-67 Iowa 72-74 #4 Michigan 71-79 Illinois 59-64 Minnesota 44-73 #22 Wisconsin 60-63
75.4	Points Per Game	61.5
62.6	Scoring Defense	67.7
871-for-1,788 (48.7%)	Field Goal %	632-for-1,612 (39.2%)
734-for-1,756 (41.8%)	Def. Field Goal %	640-for-1,500 (42.7%)
238-for-614 (38.8%)	3-point %	153-for-519 (29.5%)
205-for-624 (32.9%)	Def. 3-point %	200-for-581 (34.4%)
358-for-507 (70.6%)	Free Throw %	427-for-613 (69.7%)
11.5	FT Made/Game	14.2
35.0	Rebounds Per Game	35.0
32.0	Opp. Reb. Per Game	33.5
14.5	Assists Per Game	9.8
9.3	Turnovers Per Game	12.4
6.0	Steals Per Game	5.4
2.6	Blocks Per Game	3.2
G – Trey Burke (19.2) G – Tim Hardaway Jr. (14.8)	Leading Scorer	G – D.J. Newbill (16.1) G – Jermaine Marshall (15.5)
F – Glenn Robinson III (5.5) F – Mitch McGary (5.3)	Leading Rebounder	F – Ross Travis (7.3) G – D.J. Newbill (5.0)

Just two weeks ago, Michigan traveled to Happy Valley for what many figured would be an easy victory. But things didn’t go as planned and Michigan suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the then-winless in conference Nittany Lions. Many national analysts have dubbed it the upset of the season, and it certainly ranks right up there with TCU’s win over Kansas. Was Michigan looking ahead to its impending battle with Michigan State, or does Penn State simply present a tough matchup for the Wolverines, having played them tough in the first meeting as well?

Today, we get a chance to find out in the rubber match. Michigan and Penn State face off in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament at 2:30pm EST in Chicago. The winner will move on to face Wisconsin at the same time on Friday, while the loser will be knocked out. Michigan has nothing to fear as far as continuing its season, though it could lose a spot in the Auburn Hills pod, but Penn State is playing for a chance to extend its season at least another day.

While the Nittany Lions enter this one 10-20 overall and 2-16 in the Big Ten, they have been playing much better basketball at the end of the season than what was displayed for most of it. Aside from a 73-44 loss to Minnesota, Penn State picked up its second conference win of the season at Northwestern and then nearly knocked off Wisconsin to close the season.

If Michigan wants to advance to face Wisconsin, it will have to find a way to slow down the guard combination of Jermaine Marshall and D.J. Newbill, who scored 25 and 17, respectively, in the upset. The good news is Michigan has been playing much tougher defense since that loss. The Wolverines will need to continue that intensity on the defensive end this afternoon.

Another key for Michigan will be protecting the ball. In the loss, Michigan turned it over 15 times, which led to 20 Penn State points. That’s really what doomed Michigan, since the Wolverines shot 51.7 percent from the field, out-rebounded Penn State 37-30, and dominated the paint, 44-24.

Finally, Michigan needs to embrace the moment. The Wolverines have struggled away from home the past couple of seasons and need to treat this game like the opening round of next week’s NCAA Tournament, which will be a very similar situation: neutral site against an inferior opponent. As mentioned above, a loss wouldn’t ruin Michigan’s season, but it would drop their seeding for the NCAA Tournament and make their road to a title much harder, so the Wolverines must stay focused and play with the intensity they played with against Michigan State and on Sunday against Indiana. Do that, and Michigan will face another revenge game against Wisconsin tomorrow.

Prediction: Michigan 81 – Penn State 68