March Madness is the greatest sports tournament and no one can tell me otherwise. Unfortunately, the event has officially ended and we won’t get another chance to see it until next year. However, we should still talk about the team that just won: Michigan. Sorry Vandy, they just put BTA on some of the teams that we were all rooting for. I had Arizona as the team to beat (beat up a tough conference schedule pretty well), and they sucked horrendously against the now reigning champs in the final four. What is interesting to me, from football to basketball, is the importance of having IQ instead of relying on actual athleticism. It seems to be the main contributor to championship-winning teams. Indiana won the College Football National Championship due to all the transfers they acquired and the fact that they brought in multiple coaches established a strong foundation. The transfers usually had experience playing at their previous schools, even if limited. In my eyes, the fact that Michigan Basketball did the exact same thing makes them an interesting team to watch. It’s not just about getting the athletic, one-year wonders and freaks anymore. It’s about getting the guys that understand the situation, play good defense and capitalize on mistakes. Another item of note is the eligibility executive order that was just put in by the NCAA. When transferring to multiple schools, you now are required to sit out for a year at the school you just transferred to. If you’re transferring for the first time, then you’re ok. I think this will bring some more balance to the NCAA in terms of basketball, especially regarding the transfer market. If not, a top prospect could regularly hop around from one school to another without consequence. Now that I’ve given my two insights, I really want to talk about the actual game that occurred.
Michigan played UConn in the National Championship, and what I can tell you is that Michigan showed pure dominance in the paint. They understood that two-pointers have become more valuable than three-pointers, and that having big men who can get rebounds is still a very valuable tool. I think it’s interesting that you can actually see how the pace of play is slower compared to what we are traditionally used to seeing nowadays, even at the college level. Different rules allow for different play styles to be utilized. Obviously, you can have a center in the paint for a lot longer and they can have more of an ability to grab those offensive rebounds. So technically, having height DOES matter when it comes to having a center that has those traditional traits you’re looking for. Michigan capitalized on that. It seems to me that two big men can just really sit in the paint and take a lot of contact, working that low man game that Michigan has. Obviously, they have good talent, even with their best player having an off night in the championship game. I think that was the best part of seeing a complete team. When your star player has an off night, can the others step up? Look at Boozer on Duke. He was that star, but when it hit the fan, did anyone around him elevate or make the play? I don’t think so. UConn can say what they want, but let’s be real, they’re lucky they got there. It was a scrappy win, but as soon as I saw the way Michigan steamrolled Arizona, it was over. I mean, what the…? It seemed like Michigan just didn’t really change their style. Their pace was on point with their players, but they still have fast enough wings to really push in transitions. So they can capitalize on the mistakes you made.
Scratch this whole article. Congrats Michigan, but I hate you.
Featured image: 40/29 News
Leave a Reply