- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,130,247
- Reaction score
- 59
James Hawkins, Connor Earegood, John Niyo and Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News predict the outcome of Monday's national championship game against UConn (8:50 p.m., TBS).
▶James Hawkins: UConn has taken down one Big Ten team after another to reach the national title game, knocking off UCLA in the second round, Michigan State in the Sweet 16 and Illinois in the Final Four. Can it take down the Big Ten’s best? Yaxel Lendeborg won’t be anywhere close to 100% after suffering an ankle and knee injury in the national semifinal. The Huskies have a championship pedigree after winning two of the last three titles and a battering ram inside in former Wolverine Tarris Reed Jr. But that won’t matter much if Michigan continues to knock down outside shots at a high clip, defend at a high level and control the paint on both ends. Pick: Michigan, 82-75
▶Connor Earegood: It's a peculiar twist of fate that in three of the past four NCAA Tournaments they both made the field, Michigan and Michigan State both got knocked out by the same team. Texas Tech in 2019, and that crazy UCLA team that went from First Four to Final Four in 2021. Last year Auburn swept the state. Will UConn do it again? The Huskies are the only one left that could. It's incredible (insane?) that even with its best player Yaxel Lendeborg on a sprained MCL, off the court against what seemed an equally dominant Arizona team, Michigan laid waste in such dominant fashion. Trey McKenney could be the first Flintstone to win it all since Mateen Cleaves, and he's sure delivering well beyond his freshman status. Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara are still dominating the post even without their "Dominican LeBron" Lendeborg to bring a playmaking spark. This team looks unstoppable, which would make a loss to UConn abrupt. Tarris Reed Jr. could get a lick back against his old squad, and Braylon Mullins is a March hero after all his clutch shooting. And Lendeborg's noticeable limp means he won't be the same player in the title game if he sticks to his word and plays. Still, I don't think anything is standing in UM's way of a title. As far as the basketball world goes, there's no shock here. Pick: Michigan 87-79
▶John Niyo: Michigan just thrashed my pre-tournament pick to win it all. So there’s no chance I’m picking UConn to pull the upset Monday night. But there is a chance, especially if Yaxel Lendeborg is seriously limited or even sidelined. Dan Hurley won back-to-back championships with more talented teams, but getting back to a third title game in four years with this group only validates what we already knew: He’s one of the best coaches in basketball, pro or college. The task for him here, though, is pretty tall. The Huskies have to turn this game into a slog by slowing the tempo, and then they’ll need the 3s to fall the way they finally did Saturday night in the win over Illinois. But as we’ve seen all season, Michigan’s pretty comfortable playing at any pace. And the Wolverines’ frontcourt dominance and elite 2-point defense — Arizona shot 10-for-32 in the mid-range Saturday — solves the Tarris Reed problem that many teams can’t. Pick: Michigan, 81-72
▶Bob Wojnowski: The Wolverines face another imposing frontline and a team with championship pedigree. Danny Hurley’s Huskies will play vicious defense and try to slow the pace, but they’re not overly efficient 3-point shooters. Well, except they hit 12 3s against Illinois, most in their Final Four history. Braylon Mullins’ sharp-shooting and Tarris Reed Jr.’s inside power will test Michigan. But at this stage, the Wolverines have proven they can play at any pace with the depth to adjust to any circumstances, even if Yaxel Lendeborg is slowed by his knee injury. UM’s guards, with floor leader Elliot Cadeau and scorching freshman Trey McKenney, just keep rising, and Dusty May’s free-flowing offense and interior defense have been breathtaking at times. The Wolverines will stay hot from 3 and Aday Mara will clog the middle, and their mission will be completed. Pick: Michigan, 79-71
NO. 1 MICHIGAN VS. NO. 2 UCONN
▶ What: NCAA Tournament championship game
▶ When: Saturday, 8:50 p.m.
▶ Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
▶ TV: TBS/TNT/TruTV
▶ Records: Michigan 36-3, UConn 34-5
▶ Line: Michigan by 6.5
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Predictions for Michigan basketball vs. UConn in national championship game
Continue reading...
Predictions for Michigan vs. UConn in national championship game
▶James Hawkins: UConn has taken down one Big Ten team after another to reach the national title game, knocking off UCLA in the second round, Michigan State in the Sweet 16 and Illinois in the Final Four. Can it take down the Big Ten’s best? Yaxel Lendeborg won’t be anywhere close to 100% after suffering an ankle and knee injury in the national semifinal. The Huskies have a championship pedigree after winning two of the last three titles and a battering ram inside in former Wolverine Tarris Reed Jr. But that won’t matter much if Michigan continues to knock down outside shots at a high clip, defend at a high level and control the paint on both ends. Pick: Michigan, 82-75
▶Connor Earegood: It's a peculiar twist of fate that in three of the past four NCAA Tournaments they both made the field, Michigan and Michigan State both got knocked out by the same team. Texas Tech in 2019, and that crazy UCLA team that went from First Four to Final Four in 2021. Last year Auburn swept the state. Will UConn do it again? The Huskies are the only one left that could. It's incredible (insane?) that even with its best player Yaxel Lendeborg on a sprained MCL, off the court against what seemed an equally dominant Arizona team, Michigan laid waste in such dominant fashion. Trey McKenney could be the first Flintstone to win it all since Mateen Cleaves, and he's sure delivering well beyond his freshman status. Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara are still dominating the post even without their "Dominican LeBron" Lendeborg to bring a playmaking spark. This team looks unstoppable, which would make a loss to UConn abrupt. Tarris Reed Jr. could get a lick back against his old squad, and Braylon Mullins is a March hero after all his clutch shooting. And Lendeborg's noticeable limp means he won't be the same player in the title game if he sticks to his word and plays. Still, I don't think anything is standing in UM's way of a title. As far as the basketball world goes, there's no shock here. Pick: Michigan 87-79
▶John Niyo: Michigan just thrashed my pre-tournament pick to win it all. So there’s no chance I’m picking UConn to pull the upset Monday night. But there is a chance, especially if Yaxel Lendeborg is seriously limited or even sidelined. Dan Hurley won back-to-back championships with more talented teams, but getting back to a third title game in four years with this group only validates what we already knew: He’s one of the best coaches in basketball, pro or college. The task for him here, though, is pretty tall. The Huskies have to turn this game into a slog by slowing the tempo, and then they’ll need the 3s to fall the way they finally did Saturday night in the win over Illinois. But as we’ve seen all season, Michigan’s pretty comfortable playing at any pace. And the Wolverines’ frontcourt dominance and elite 2-point defense — Arizona shot 10-for-32 in the mid-range Saturday — solves the Tarris Reed problem that many teams can’t. Pick: Michigan, 81-72
▶Bob Wojnowski: The Wolverines face another imposing frontline and a team with championship pedigree. Danny Hurley’s Huskies will play vicious defense and try to slow the pace, but they’re not overly efficient 3-point shooters. Well, except they hit 12 3s against Illinois, most in their Final Four history. Braylon Mullins’ sharp-shooting and Tarris Reed Jr.’s inside power will test Michigan. But at this stage, the Wolverines have proven they can play at any pace with the depth to adjust to any circumstances, even if Yaxel Lendeborg is slowed by his knee injury. UM’s guards, with floor leader Elliot Cadeau and scorching freshman Trey McKenney, just keep rising, and Dusty May’s free-flowing offense and interior defense have been breathtaking at times. The Wolverines will stay hot from 3 and Aday Mara will clog the middle, and their mission will be completed. Pick: Michigan, 79-71
NCAA Tournament
NO. 1 MICHIGAN VS. NO. 2 UCONN
▶ What: NCAA Tournament championship game
▶ When: Saturday, 8:50 p.m.
▶ Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
▶ TV: TBS/TNT/TruTV
▶ Records: Michigan 36-3, UConn 34-5
▶ Line: Michigan by 6.5
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Predictions for Michigan basketball vs. UConn in national championship game
Continue reading...
