Michigan 58, Florida State 54, West Region Champions
Champions of the West. [Patrick Barron/MGoBlog]
Say it again, Dana Jacobson. Say it again and again, everyone.
Michigan is going to the Final Four. John Beilein, the true king of Ann Arbor, is one victory—against, of all teams, 11-seed Loyola—away from his second championship game in six years and an opportunity for the program's first national title since 1989.
The Wolverines got there in a most un-Beilein way. This was not Thursday, when they rained fire on Texas A&M. This is what many fans feared Thursday would look like, as a very large, athletic Florida State squad held Michigan well under a point per possession. Michigan, meanwhile, couldn't hit a three-pointer, going an appalling 4-for-22 from beyond the arc. Any past Beilein team would've lost this game.
But not this one. For as good as FSU's defense played, Michigan's was a cut above. The Seminoles had one more field goal (16) than turnovers committed (15). They kept a transition-reliant FSU scoreless on fast breaks; the Wolverines scored 12 in transition because of live-ball turnovers. That, above all, made the difference in a game featuring great halfcourt defense and ugly shooting.
"I've never seen a team work so hard and be so connected on both ends of the floor, even when things do not go right on the offensive end," said Beilein. "They were exceptional on defense. We had that string of plays where Moe was wide open, Charles is wide open, Duncan was wide open, and they didn't go down and sulk at the other end. They ended up just playing better defense so that we could win the game."
Charles Matthews surprised a lot of people tonight. [Barron]
Michigan's heroes weren't the ones you would've expected a month or two ago. Charles Matthews scored M's first points on an and-one dunk, flashed a rare smile, and proceeded to carry the offense through some truly ugly stretches. Using strong drives, sharp pivots, and tough finishes, Matthews finished with a game-high 17 points, eight rebounds, two blocks, a steal, and only one turnover.
"It was special," he said. "Last year all I used to hear in practice was turnover Matthews, turnover Matthews. And go see 212, that's when I have to run up to the top of the bleachers. But I stayed with it. Coach stayed on me. He continued to believe in me, and that continued to help my confidence grow. My teammates believe in me, and I believe in them. So it's just been a special feeling."
Zavier Simpson set the tone early, as well, when he ripped the ball away from FSU's Terance Mann as a parent would take a toy from an unruly child. While the stat line is packed—nine points on 4/8 shooting, three boards, five assists, one turnover, three steals—it doesn't do justice to Simpson's masterful control over the game. On a normal Michigan shooting night, Simpson threatens double-digit assists. Meanwhile, he hit a couple huge shots late and played his usual superlative defense. The two Seminole point guards, Trent Forrest and CJ Walker, combined to go 1-for-9 from the field with five turnovers.
Nobody else, though, could find any consistency on offense. Moe Wagner had an especially brutal outing, failing to hit a field goal in the first half before finishing with 11 points on 15 shot equivalents. Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman needed ten shot equivalents to net his nine points. Duncan Robinson didn't make his first three-pointer until 2:25 remained, when his corner triple gave the Wolverines a seemingly insurmountable ten-point lead.
Florida State nearly surmounted it. Free throws, that familiar bugaboo, nearly cost Michigan dearly this time, as Simpson and MAAR went on a 2-for-5 stretch that included missing the front end of two one-and-ones to allow FSU to pull within a single possession twice. After Phil Cofer's putback got the 'Noles cut the margin to two, however, Robinson calmly sunk two free throws. PJ Savoy missed a wild, contested three-pointer with 13 seconds to play, Robinson grabbed the rebound, and for reasons unbeknownst to everyone other than Leonard Hamilton, Robinson was allowed to dribble out the clock.
"We knew they were going to make a run," said Abdur-Rahkman. "We each had to weather the storm and get stops when we needed it. And I think that's what we did."
Michigan is going to the Final Four—say it again—because they got stops. What a team. What a coaching staff. What a world.
[Hit THE JUMP for more photos and the box score.]
All photos by Patrick Barron.
Why is Matthews' smile being called rare? Every slow motion pre-commercial break player face shot they show has Matthews with a huge grin on his face lol.
is very thankful he transferred here. He's having a blast, especially now
This is awesome. Just awesome.
That's all I've got.
GO BLUE!
Flight booked. Tickets bought. Not missing this chance to watch more nets get cut down.
Harbaugh is playing second second fiddle until further notice.
lmao i was at skeeps and it was one of the best days of my life
that was some godawful ugly basketball. Shooting 4-22 on 3 pointers while probably our best 3 point shooter (Poole) plays only 2 minutes and doesn't attempt a 3? That's ridiculous. I know he isn't great on defense but we need Poole's offense in a game like this. And sitting him in the last couple minutes while playing two horrible FT shooters? That;s also ridiculous. These decisions almost cost us this game. We should have won by 20-25. We were very lucky that FSU is simply not a good basketball team.
I must admit it takes talent to bitch and complain about coaching after a win to get to Final Four. If this doesn't provide you with pure joy I feel sorry for you and wonder how you can ever enjoy sports.
for taking the opportunity to act like a complete asshole and huge crap on a fellow Michigan fan. You must be proud of yourself. And you have the gall to call me "a miserable fuck?" Unbelievable.
I guess you missed the first fucking sentence saying "I was thrilled that we won."
Hope you have a good day, enjoy the win and treat people better.
I’m sorry but your take is wrong and you need to let it die.
March 25th, 2018 at 10:34 AM ^
March 25th, 2018 at 11:02 AM ^
March 25th, 2018 at 10:22 AM ^
March 25th, 2018 at 10:44 AM ^
March 25th, 2018 at 10:56 AM ^
have been thrilled with losing a game because we made less than 20% of our 3 pointers and missed most of our free throws at the end of the game?
I guess I should have given more credit to our incredible defense. That certainly may have been the reason FSU looked so bad. If we lost though, I think most people here would have posed the same questions I did. Zero shots for probably our best shooter while we are shooting 4-22 from the 3? And leaving our two worst free throw shooters on the floor when you know they will intentionally foul? That seems strange, doesn't it? Why is it unacceptable to ask these questions? Unlike others here, I have always supported coach Beilein - and the players. He's a Hall of Fame coach. Questioning certain decisions doesn't change that.
I am disheartened by the general lack of civility on this board. I did enjoy the victory - I guess you missed the first sentence saying "I'm thrilled we won,' lol. Try to enjoy the win yourself and be more polite to fellow posters.
It's fine to question decisions, but calling the decisions made "ridiculous" doesn't help your claim to just being dispassionately analytical.
I don't claim to be dispassionate though, lol.
March 25th, 2018 at 10:04 AM ^
Poole gave up a blow-by layup right down the middle of the lane. That was it for him. Shooting 40% from 3 isn't good enough when you're giving it right back @100%.
March 25th, 2018 at 10:34 AM ^
Brilliant satire!
...It is satire, right?
FSU is terrible. All they did was knock off the 1 seed and the 4 seed to reach the Elite 8.
i love the guy but play D and get the W.
to our margin of victory.
Maybe Poole would have gotten hot and hit some shots, maybe not. But we didn't need him to loosen up the FSU defense. They were doing a good job of defending the 3 point line. That would have meant sitting Rahk or Matthews, the two players who carried the offense in the first half.
In a game where our defense was dominant, maybe it's easy to underestimate how much effect one poor defender would have had on the game. Anyone remember the Oregon game last year?
intelligent and polite reply. It stands out from the others here, lol. You make some great points. I thought we were getting great open looks from the 3 and missing them, looks that I don't see Poole missing. I understand why Poole wouldn't play a ton of minutes given his flaws on defense compared to those ahead of him. He's not all bad on that end though and has shown an ability to make key steals. But zero shots in the game for probably our best shooter? When we have our worst shooting night in recent memory? That's very strange. Why not a couple plays to get him some looks? And then there's the free throw issue. Anyway, I didn't mean to sound negative, just trying to stir up some intelligent debate. I appreciate the incredible defense and maybe that's a good enough reason to keep Poole on the bench. And usually other players step up and hit shots. They just weren't doing that much yesterday. Beilein has done an amazing job this year and is probably the best coach in the country. I am one of the few here who has literally always supported him. My questioning of certain decisions doesn't change that.
Go Blue!
The problem with your argument is threefold.
One, you're assuming that Jordan Poole is the best three-point shooter on the team. Actually, Wagner is, and he went 0-7. (He was at 41% prior to the game and is at 39.5% now). Next is Duncan Robinson, at 38.9%. Then, Rahkman and Poole are essentially tied at 38%.
Two, you're assuming that Poole would have made the shots. Whether or not open looks fall is basically random. The kind of shooting that the team had in the first half of the A&M game is unsustainable. So is the kind of shooting that Wagner had yesterday. If you give Wagner 100 open 3s, he'll make about 40. However, it's entirely possible that if you give him 10 open 3s, he'll make 0 or 1 -- or 8 or 9. It's mostly just luck, and there's no reason to think Poole's luck would be any different than Wagner's.
Three, you're dramatically underselling Poole's defensive lapses. He's a freshman, and he will get better, but defense, not offense, is how you get on the floor. It's always been how you get on the floor, it's just that this team is better at defense than previous Beilein teams.
Swapping out Poole for Rahkman is no different than changing from red to black on the roulette wheel because "black has been hot" or "black is due." You're attempting to find a pattern where none exists.
remdog - 1) you don't know how Poole would have shot. You assume he would have made 3s. Who knows?
2) I would never resort to calling you nmes as others have but I think it's safe to say that we're all glad that Coach B is coaching and not you. I laugh at sports fans that choose to analyze a few minutes of a game and decide they can outcoach the coach, when the reality is they couldn't propely coach a minute of a real game.
3) Go Blue!
The lack of civility here is a constant theme. But I disagree with you. It's perfectly normal and appropriate to ask questions and express opinions about coaching decisions on a sports blog. It's not appropriate to call somebody names or downvote them for doing so. It's childish. And treating a fellow Michigan fan that way is reprehensible. I'm one of Beilein's biggest fans, always have been, always supported him, unlike others here. But even the best coaches make questionable decisions. Zero shots for probably your best shooter when the team is having a historically bad night shooting 3 pointers is questionable. Zero. And then there's the free throw problem. Maybe it was best to keep our best defenders in the game and not try to get Poole a chance to shoot a 3 or even a free throw. But I have my doubts. And that doesn't mean I think I can outcoach Beilein, lol.
Once again, I'm disappointed by the jerks on this blog. But I think most Michigan fans are better than that. You seem to be one of them.
Go Blue!
in my original post. That wasn't my intent. I did have a few beers in me and did greatly enjoy the victory. I stand by my original thoughts but should have credited our incredible defense - that probably made FSU look bad. And I should have mentioned that I am one of coach Beilein's biggest fans and supporters. He has done an amazing job this year and did an amazing job yesterday as well. Just because I question some decisions doesn't change that.
I love this team and our coaches, win or lose.
Go Blue!
I wish others here would be more polite. That's all.
Translation: "I bet on Michigan to cover (and placed a side wager on how many points Poole would score) and lost."
This post has the whiff of gambling-related angst.
I believe so. They asked Beilein about it in the press conference (specififcally about only playing Poole 2 minutes) and he said with Hamilton taking early TOs and the media TOs, he didn't think the guys needed to come out of the game for breaks.
was critical IMO.
FSU is crazy deep, and in their tournament wins they wore down their opponents.
Keeping the pace glacial kept us out of foul trouble and left some gas in the tank for the end.
The strategy proved smart when we controlled the end of the game (until that last chaotic bit).
Not only does Coach B play chess - he's a grandmaster.
this team has won every way possible. This time of year is when being that versatile comes in handy.
(Since there doesn't seem to be an official snowflake thread for this game, here are my thoughts)
For those of you who complain that Beilein doesn't tend to use timeouts to try to stop the other team's momentum -- if FSU has a timeout available with 20 seconds left, they (a) probably run a better final possession and (b) extend the game by fouling after Duncan got the rebound. Even if he had made 2, it's still a two-possession game at that point.
Now, I suppose it's possible that Michigan only shot poorly because of FSU's timeouts, but Michigan shot pretty poorly when FSU didn't call timeouts too.
Michigan won this game depsite some typical ref insanity -- Robinson managed to get fouled and somehow commit a flagrant foul at the same time? Wagner managed to commit a blocking foul while stationary, which is a neat trick. They won this game despite open threes failing to fall (I'm looking for you, guy who asserts that sight lines and tip times have more to do with three-point shooting outcomes than random chance does).
They won the game by playing some of the best defense I've seen a Michigan team play. Two shot clock violations induced; four blocked shots, and countless others altered; and -- critically -- the second-fewest possessions in an FSU game this season (why, yes, they did play Virginia exactly once in conference -- how did you know? :) If you click onto the Game Plan section for Michigan on KenPom, you'll find that Michigan had the best defensive results of the season amongst all of FSU's opponents.
FSU tried to start the second half by running their offense through the post. It worked on the first possession, when Christ Koumadje managed to get a hook over Wagner. He missed the next two attempts -- Wagner actually played him quite well despite the height disadvantage -- and then FSU gave up and took Koumadje out of the game entirely. Why? Because Leonard Hamilton didn't think that Koumadje could guard Wagner on the perimeter.
It was so much fun watching FSU throw the ball around for 20 seconds, getting visibly frustrated with the defense Michigan was playing.
Michigan may not win the national championship this year, but it won't be because they get run out of the Alamodome. Any opponent that beats them is going to have to go toe-to-toe with Michigan for 40 minutes.
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