The team viewed as a betting favorite throughout the season is Michigan (35-3), which dominated the competition in ways no team has before. The blowout-minded Wolverines continued their run through their region, getting double-digit wins over Howard, Saint Louis, Alabama, and Tennessee en route to the Final Four.
Michigan’s semifinal opponent is Arizona, which has only two losses this season. They’re one of the only teams that can match up with the Wolverines size, making this a great matchup to watch on Saturday. Here are some keys for the Wolverines to reach the national title game.
1. Interior defense
Michigan’s defense from inside the arc has been second to none, allowing just 44% (4th nationally) from the three-point line and 38% FG overall. Teams don’t try to score on them and just shoot a ton of shots from deep, with Wisconsin and Purdue’s upsets over them being a result of making a ton of three-pointers. Arizona is the opposite, ranking at the bottom nationally in threes taken, focusing exclusively inside. If the Wildcats can’t get anything going inside on the Wolverines, the advantage will be to the Big Ten team.
2. Solid game from Elliot Cadeau both ways
The one concern for Michigan heading into the game is the status of Cadeau, who suffered an allergic reaction earlier in the week and joined the team in Indy late. He takes on one of the best point guards in the nation in Jaden Bradley, an All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year. While Cadeau’s scoring has been inconsistent, he’s averaging just under 10 apg in the last five games. If he can just match Bradley’s production, that’s a big win for the Wolverines.
3. The “other” key freshman in this game
Arizona has a trio of freshmen double-digit scoring starters, led by a pair of projected top-10 NBA Draft picks, Brayden Burries and Koa Peat. But while the upperclassmen dominate Michigan’s roster, they do have a freshman of their own in Trey McKenney (9.8 ppg). The former five-star prospect scored in double figures in three of the four games, including 17 points against Alabama. McKenney will be an x-factor in this matchup, along with the other key freshman player to watch.