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Final Score: Michigan 91, Arizona 73.
And it wasn't even that close. At one point, Michigan hit 7 of 9 threes to start the second half and led by as many as 30 points. Arizona did not lead one time tonight. Arizona clearly never got punched in the face like that this season, and the Wildcats were stunned and helpless defensively after the break. The Wolverines cruise, with Yaxel Lendeborg playing on one leg. As one of my favorite musicians Ty Segall sings, "It's over." Crown this Michigan team. As good as Dan Hurley is as a head coach, his Huskies are not beating the Wolverines, a juggernaut that will win its first title since 1989 on Monday night. Make the jump to see the final stats of Michigan's beatdown of Arizona.
Halftime Score and Updates: Michigan 48, Arizona 32.
Uh oh spaghettios. It's Michigan's world and every other team in the Final Four is just living in it. Here's how you know this game is over. MIchigan's Yaxel Landeborg has played just five minutes, picking up two quick fouls, scoring five points, and dealing with an injury. Michigan has gotten Aday Mara involved. The big man is 6-for-8 from the field with 15 points. For the Wildcats, freshman point guard Brayden Burries is rattled with just two points on 0-for-5 from the field. Good luck UCONN as this Michigan team is not being beat. Dusty May is such a good coach. He realized Mara was not involved enough last weekend and has gotten the big man involved. Somehow, Eliot Cadeau is 2-for-14 from the field and having a tremendous impact on this game. Arizona's guards Burries and Jaden Bradley, who has three fouls, don't look ready for this moment. The Wolverines are getting great games off the bench from Trey McKenney and Roddy Gayle Jr. This game is over, and this tourney is over. UCONN Head Coach Dan Hurley was lucky to get by Illinois tonight; there's no chance the Huskies get past Michigan. Here are the halftime stats.
Prediction: Michigan
Prior to the NCAA Tournament, Arizona was my choice to win the national title as the Wildcats looked to be playing the best basketball of any team in the country, including Michigan, which had lost to Purdue in the Big Ten title game and looked a bit disinterested. After the first two weekends, Arizona has done nothing to change my thoughts about the Wildcats' potential to win its second national title in school history, with its second-half annihilation of those same Boilermakers during last weekend's Elite Eight victory especially impressive. Tommy Lloyd's Arizona team has it all with stud freshmen Koa Peat, Brayden Burries and Ivan Kharchenkov, a dynamic senior in Jayden Bradley, a skilled big in Motiejus Krivas, and a dynamic bench in Tobe Awaka and Anthony Dell'Orso.
With that in mind, Dusty May's Michigan Wolverins have been the most dominant, intimidating and difficult team to play all season, largely due to its frightening front line of Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara. The Wolverines have been devouring teams so far this tourney, with the scary thing being that Michigan is not even playing its best basketball. Lendeborg has made a conscious decision to score the ball and has been unstoppable getting to the rim. While Arizona has a decided advantage with its guard play, and has enough bodies to throw at Lendeborg, Michigan just seems to be too big, explosive and diverse down low to be beaten, though the Wolverines need to get Johnson going and involve Mara more.
Expect this game to be incredibly close and entertaining as both teams love to run and get out on the break, where Michigan is especially scary with Lendeborg attacking the rim and the Wolverines hitting threes in secondary transition, with guards Eliot Cadeau, Nimari Burnett, Trey McKenney and Roddy Gayle Jr. especially dangerous in this regard. Arizona is as explosive and composed of a team as there is left in the tournament, and Michigan's emotional maturity, especially during a close game, is a bit worrisome and something to monitor. While Michigan hasn't played a close game this tournament, the Wolverines know how difficult defeating Arizona will be and will maintain the right edge to outlast the Wildcats in what should be a classic. Whatever team emerges from this game will have earned the victory and be the favorite on Monday night against Illinois or UCONN.
National Semifinal #2 (Game 62): #1 Michigan Wolverines vs. #1 Arizona Wildcats - 7:49 p.m. CT (TBS)
With that in mind, Dusty May's Michigan Wolverins have been the most dominant, intimidating and difficult team to play all season, largely due to its frightening front line of Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara. The Wolverines have been devouring teams so far this tourney, with the scary thing being that Michigan is not even playing its best basketball. Lendeborg has made a conscious decision to score the ball and has been unstoppable getting to the rim. While Arizona has a decided advantage with its guard play, and has enough bodies to throw at Lendeborg, Michigan just seems to be too big, explosive and diverse down low to be beaten, though the Wolverines need to get Johnson going and involve Mara more.
Expect this game to be incredibly close and entertaining as both teams love to run and get out on the break, where Michigan is especially scary with Lendeborg attacking the rim and the Wolverines hitting threes in secondary transition, with guards Eliot Cadeau, Nimari Burnett, Trey McKenney and Roddy Gayle Jr. especially dangerous in this regard. Arizona is as explosive and composed of a team as there is left in the tournament, and Michigan's emotional maturity, especially during a close game, is a bit worrisome and something to monitor. While Michigan hasn't played a close game this tournament, the Wolverines know how difficult defeating Arizona will be and will maintain the right edge to outlast the Wildcats in what should be a classic. Whatever team emerges from this game will have earned the victory and be the favorite on Monday night against Illinois or UCONN.
National Semifinal #2 (Game 62): #1 Michigan Wolverines vs. #1 Arizona Wildcats - 7:49 p.m. CT (TBS)
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