Michigan's Path to the Championship Game...
Michigan has two 9 seeds and an 11 seed left to face in order to make it to the national championship game.
With the way we are playing, I am not sure it matters who we play. However, having improved odds by playing all the Cinderellas is certainly something we can appreciate as fans.
Who wants to face Michigan right now? No sane coach or team would want a piece of this Michigan action right now.
Pick your poison. This team always finds a way to win. Today it was decimation mode, but it does not really matter. Michigan basketball has risen to elite program status (3 elite 8s in 6 years). However, the fun is just beginning...
Go blue!
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:22 AM ^
Yeah!
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:23 AM ^
I think FSU is better than both teams left in the South region. Their D was very good against Gonzaga, better than their rating would suggest--they're stepping up. And if they press that could cause problems.
The key is to cover the kickoff properly after Evans puts us ahead.
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:25 AM ^
FSU's defense has 1 day worth of prep for Michigan's offense. I'll take our chances especially with our defense.
TAMU's defense was the best defense left on our side of the bracket.
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:32 AM ^
According to kenpom defensive numbers I literally just looked at, Houston is 11th and TAMU is 12th. FSU is 54th.
They've played a lot better than that in the tournament. We'll see if it carries over.
EDIT: K-State 19th, Loyala 22nd.
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:44 AM ^
Exactly Occam. They don't look like very sharp kids IMHO. Just long and athletic. Here's to hoping they get overwhelmed with info and are all messed up. Michigan should be able to run their scheme with ease. Out-smart the gomers from Flordida.
Brilliant!
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:25 AM ^
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:30 AM ^
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:42 AM ^
Too soon, man. Too soon...
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:24 AM ^
you couldn't have asked for things to turn out any better for us tonight. Now up to 47% chance to make it to the championship game and 17% to win it all per 538's model.
WIth the way the team is playing right now, I like our chances.
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:24 AM ^
Gotta go through a 9 and then either a 9 or an 11. Literally best case scenario for Michigan. I had no idea luck was allowed to break M's way.
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:47 AM ^
the answer is no.
North Carolina made it in 2016 after playing a 16, 9, 5, 6, and 10.
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:42 AM ^
Gonna sting if we lose. But we earned our seed and our matchups and we don't have to apologize for them. MSU fans might gripe about the opponents we play, but who are they playing?
BTW, what a great turn to get bumped out of Detroit. That half of the bracket still has the superpowers left.
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:46 AM ^
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:49 AM ^
After getting skull-crushed by Michigan twice this year; with an athletic department that is exploding and a coach with the wherewithall of a chicken crossing the road. Yeah, they won't say anything. Wait a second, yes they will... lol!
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:47 AM ^
MSU fans are whining about our seeds that we played. Izzo was whining that "their (Michigan's) shot went in (against Houston), but ours didn't (against last team in Syracuse), that is the only difference."
MSU needs to STFU, because they won a fraudulent BigTen Title, by not playing a single good team in conference twice in the regular season.
MSU finished 3-5 against teams that made the tournament.
MSU has two tourney wins combined the past 3 years and against nobodies.
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:24 AM ^
The dominoes have all fallen exactly how we want them, I need to knock on wood for the thoughts I'm thinking right now.
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:24 AM ^
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:27 AM ^
I’m with you, uncanny.
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:26 AM ^
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:26 AM ^
but we would be foolish to see everyone else in the 1-8 seeds go down in our half of the bracket and think "Good thing we won't lose like those guys!". Most of these teams left have beaten someone of our approximate caliber (Loyola beat a 3, K State beat UK, and FSU beat Xavier and Gonzaga). We shouldn't start counting our chickens before they hatch
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:27 AM ^
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:31 AM ^
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:35 AM ^
All the people who "know basketball" didn't predict we'd blow TAMU off the floor.
When we're on, anything is possible.
FSU is Texas A&M, except that their players, despite being taller, don't block as many shots (partly because they can't stay on the court due to foul trouble).
Gonzaga couldn't buy a basket today. 5 of 20 from 3 -- mostly on good looks -- and 15 of 39 from 2. Sure, FSU altered some of the 2s, but Gonzaga also missed some uncontested layups.
And, for long stretches of the game, FSU looked like they had no idea how to attack Gonzaga's defense.
There's a reason that KenPom, 538, and Bart Torvik have Michigan at about a 65-70% chance to win. It's not a gimme, but those are some great odds for an Elite 8 matchup.
I would say they mean less, but still mean something. Would you rather be playing FSU tomorrow or Kansas/Villanova/Duke tomorrow in the other half of the bracket?
Don't tell me you would be indifferent.
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:31 AM ^
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:33 AM ^
Hope so much to see Michigan-Loyola battle for the Final Four - and Michigan prevail, of course!
Every game is tough, but it's nice to be favored - with good reason.
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:38 AM ^
There was an attempt to quantify what that shot meant relative to other pivotal plays. I'm a fan of the Burke shot (they're like kids, you don't have to dislike one to like the other) in part because of how far we went after.
Poole's shot grows with every subsequent game, because it won a game we were going to lose. The ceiling for it... there is no ceiling.
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:43 AM ^
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:46 AM ^
Get Duncan six quick points in each game, then cruise to a win.
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:49 AM ^
FSU is a middle of the pack ACC team. KSU is a middle of the pack big 12 team. We should beat these teams if we play decent to good. Can't have a let down though.
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:59 AM ^
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:52 AM ^