For the first time since 2013, the Michigan Wolverines are heading to the Final Four. It comes after another signature defensive performance against Florida State 58-54.
When the Big Ten conference started league play, there were two tiers of the teams. Michigan State and Purdue had separated themselves from the rest, and all the others looking to just simply get into the NCAA Tournament.
One of those teams was the Michigan Wolverines, who was having a good – but not a great season by the midway point. But the Wolverines took their games to another level, led by their top-10 defensive unit. They went on a run that included rolling through the final stretch of the regular season, before going to Madison Square Garden and winning the Big Ten Tournament.
Michigan was given a third sed in the West Region, which was filled with upsets. The expected path was different, but they were able to defeat Montana, Houston, and Texas A&M to get to the regional final.
Florida State was an opponent Michigan hasn’t seen too much of, able to play as many as 12 guys in a game. Their size and length early on bothered the Wolverines, causing their offense to suffer in the first half.
Yet once again, Jon Beilein’s team relied on their defense to keep the Seminoles at bay before their shooting could get into form. They held Florida State to 32% shooting from the field while forcing 15 turnovers.
Moritz Wagner didn’t have a great night from the field (3/11) but was able to deal with the multiple FSU big men that were thrown at him. Kentucky transfer Charles Mathews led all scorers with 17 points along with eight rebounds and has been one of the biggest impact transfers in college basketball this season.
The Wolverines were a popular pick to make the Final Four out of the West Region and will be a popular pick to make the national title game, with their semifinals opponent being Loyola-Chicago. But while the Ramblers are an 11 seed, don’t expect them nor Sister Jean to go quietly, as their defense is just as good as Michigan’s.
Next: Loyola-Chicago is Final Four bound
There’s going to be a ton of dissecting the upcoming matchup for next Saturday, But for now, it’s time for the University of Michigan players and fans to celebrate a monumental achievement.