Half of the final four have been decided! On Saturday, Illinois and Arizona canceled their tickets to indianapolis. Now it’s time to decide the final two positions.
Tennessee takes on top-seeded Michigan in the opener, before a battle of two teams with 11 championships between them in UConn and Duke.
ESPN college basketball reporters Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf make their predictions for both, as well as break down the keys to each team.
2:15 PM ET, CBS
Borzello’s prediction: Michigan, 80-68
Medcalf’s prediction: Michigan, 85-69
How Tennessee can advance to the Final Four: To reach the national semifinals for the first time in program history, the Vols will have to execute a perfect game plan. The X’s and O’s will matter in this game, but they can’t beat Michigan unless Nate Ament And Ja’coby gillespie Combine for a collective performance worthy of making a “One Shining Moment” highlight reel.
felix okparaThe man, who has 10 blocks in his last three games, will have to maintain his dominance against America’s best frontcourt. He has to avoid foul trouble to remain available at the lower level. The Vols will need to dictate this matchup by creating a battle in the paint – the only place they can win as they are the No. 1 offensive rebounding team in the country. Still, it seems they will need extraordinary effort to survive in Michigan.
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No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 1 Michigan Game Preview
Check out some statistics on the matchup between Tennessee and Michigan in the NCAA men’s tournament.
How Michigan can advance to the Final Four: An Alabama team ranked third nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency took 31 shots in the second half of its loss to Michigan, and 23 of them were 3-point attempts. According to Synergy Sports, the Wolverines not only protect the paint – opposing teams make only 48.9% of their shots in the post against them – but they also limit the type of shots opponents can take.
Michigan’s offense has been virtually unstoppable this season. Its jumbo lineup is a problem that only three teams have solved (Duke, Purdue, Wisconsin). If the Wolverines can limit second-chance opportunities for a Tennessee team that ranks first nationally in offensive rebounding rate and force the Vols into shots outside the paint, Michigan could be on its way to the Final Four. — medcalf
5:05 PM ET, TBS/TruTV
Borzello’s prediction: UConn, 71-70
Medcalf’s prediction: Duke, 76-64
How UConn can advance to the Final Four: The Huskies can reach their third national semifinal in four seasons by defeating Duke in the paint. it starts with taris reed jr. Avoiding dirty trouble. cameron boozer Ranks 53rd in the nation in fouls per 40 minutes – a few quick fouls against Reed could make a difference in this game.
Boozer’s fault has been turnovers; Duke had two of their four losses this season (Texas Tech and North Carolina). The Huskies need to force and take advantage of turnovers. And they have the depth and size to keep guards from troubling you even less than 100% of the time. Caleb Foster And Isaiah Evans On the periphery. They must force Duke to make difficult shots and then avoid the scoring drought that caused them to blow a 25–6 lead against Michigan State. This could prove costly against the Blue Devils.
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No. 2 UConn vs. No. 1 Duke Game Preview
Check out some stats on the matchup between UConn and Duke in the men’s NCAA Tournament.
How Duke can advance to the Final Four: It’s clear the Blue Devils are not 100%. Patrick Ngongba II He has played only 29 minutes in two NCAA Tournament games since returning from a right foot fracture that caused him to miss five games. And although Foster scored 11 key points in the second half of their Sweet 16 win, he didn’t look like the standout guard we’ve seen all season. Still, the Blue Devils can move forward with the same punishing approach that has worked for them this postseason.
Since the beginning of the ACC Tournament, Duke has made only 30% of its 3-point attempts. It has made 57% of its shots inside the arc and forced 45% of its missed shots, a top-five mark over that stretch. Even though the Blue Devils have been cold from the perimeter, they continue to win by following Cameron Boozer’s lead and dominating the paint. However, they have to solve Taris Reed Jr. The Huskies’ 6-foot-11 center has been a force on both ends of the floor recently, posting double-doubles in two of his three NCAA Tournament games so far. — medcalf
