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Final Score: Michigan 95, St. Louis 72.
Yikes! That is the dominant-looking Michigan team from earlier this season. The Wolverines seem rejuvenated getting out of the grind of Big Ten play. Today was a testament to Head Coach Dusty May putting together one of the more versatile and devastating front courts in recent memory. Yaxel Lendeborg finishes with 25 points on 9-13 from the field after just 9 points in the first round, Aday Mara has 16 points on 7-of-12 from the field, playing the role of a skilled passer in the second half, and Morez Johnson, Jr. finishes with 15 points and 8 rebounds. All five starters were in double figures, with Burnett scoring 11 and Cadeau 12 (all scored in the first half, during which he set the tone with his aggression). The Wolverines shoot 55.7% from the field, including 49.7% from the three. If Michigan is this hot and balanced, good luck to everyone else in the field. That was a good St. Louis team who ran into an impossible match up. In other regions or brackets, SLU would be a Sweet Sixteen, potential Elite Eight team. Schertz is quite the coach, as is May. With the resources of Michigan, May is going to win big in Ann Arbor for a long, long time. Make the jump to see the game's final stats and read my live reactions throughout Michigan's dominant victory against St. Louis.
Final Four Minutes Live Reactions
Mara punctuates a victory with a put-back dunk while Schertz does a classy thing, taking out the senior Avila with 2 minutes left. Avila gets a standing ovation from the crowd. He had just 9 points today. He didn't shoot the ball well (3/13 from the field, 3/10 from three), but it is clear the kid has a high-basketball IQ. He was the hub that made this 5-out offense work.
Second Half, Under-4 Minutes Live Reactions
Michigan is leading 90-70 with 2:30 remaining. Michigan's ability to score a bunch of points very quickly has been a huge difference today, along with the Wolverines' offensive versatility. Michigan started this half 15/23 from the field. Lendeborg scores in the post and follows up with a three from the top of the key, with great, unselfish basketball by Cadeau, who made the extra pass. This version of the Wolverines is scary. SLU has cooled off from deep, missing at least its last four from beyond the arc. Michigan is now coasting to the Sweet Sixteen in Chicago.
Second Half, Under-8 Minutes Live Reactions
Michigan leads 81-63 with 7:17 remaining. Michigan has really made it a point to get Morez Johnson the ball this half. Mara feeds Johnson for an alley-oop dunk. A few possessions later, Cadeau feeds the ball inside to Morez for an easy layup. Michigan is pulling away from the Billikens, though Kellen Thanes had a highlight-worthy one-handed slam on Mara during this stretch. Johnson had only two shots and four points at the half. He now has 14 points on 5-9 shooting. This has been the most balanced game I have seen from Michigan in a while. The Wolverines are unbeatable when the spreading out the scoring (Lendeborg has 20, Mara and Johnson both have 14, Cadeau has 12, Burnett and McKenney have 8 each).
Like in the first half, SLU gets a big three of the bench to stay alive. Ishan Sharma hits a tough three at the end of the shot clock to cut the Michigan lead to 73-61, but an aggressive Lendeborg gets fouled on an ensuing drive and swishes two free throws. Kellen Thames misses two big throws. Mara feeds Morez Johnson who gets fouled. The Wolverines are starting to get to the line. Avila has three fouls.
Michigan leads 73-58 with 10:30 remaining. Lendeborg comes out with a three off of beautiful ball movement from the Wolverines. There were six passes on that possession. Dusty May then throws a press at SLU, which leads to a turnover and a Burnett dunk. Great coaching there. Timeout SLU. The Billikens are not winning if Lendeborg is gong to shoot 70% from the field (7/10 so far). While Lendeborg can float at times on offense, he is engaged today! His dunk has taken Michigan's energy to another level.
Second Half, Under-12 Minutes Live Reactions
Michigan leads 66-57 with 11:44 remaining. Lendeborg just had a poster dunk. That was nasty, running off the wing, taking one dribble, and throwing it down. He has 15 points on 6/9 shooting. Michigan is the more explosive team as McKenney comes in and drills a three. McKenney and Burnett have hit opportune threes today. Avila misses a layup off of a beautiful cut but holds his ground in the post, forcing a Johnson travel. Overall, though, Michigan is involving Johnson more this half, which is a good thing as this is getting his motor going. St. Louis is fine offensively, with Quentin Jones scoring 7 already this half. He is a tough down-hill driver. Avila has missed two shots off drives.
Second Half, Under-16 Minutes Live Reactions
Michigan leads 61-55 with 14:17 to go. St. Louis has hit 4/6 from three, including two for Avila and one for Trey Green. Michigan is getting Johnson involved, posting him for a layup out of the half. He has four shots so far, though two of them were three point attempts that missed and led to SLU transition. Michigan can't get three happy. Keep going down low. On one possession, Michigan posted Johnson who made a beautiful pass to a cutting Mara for a dunk. After a SLU miss, the Wolverines then hit Lendeborg ahead for dunk. St. Louis is starting to get the ball moving from side to side and is spreading the court, leading to threes and open driving lanes. St. Louis must limit Michigan's explosive runs. Cadeau needs to keep his emotions in check.
Halftime Adjustments
Michigan has to be feeling good at the break as the Wolverines have been focused. The Wolverines need to get Morez Johnson, Jr. some shots (he only has two so far). Don't be surprised if Michigan tries to run a screen and lob for Johnson out of the half. As for St. Louis, the Billikens are naturally being affected by Michigan's size. St. Louis has to keep spreading the floor, attacking off cuts and dribble drives into the lane, and trying to spray some threes. St. Louis needs to get Avila going. It might be wise to post-him up and see if the big guy get an inside hoop or at least facilitate some easy baskets for his teammates as Avila is a good passer. St. Louis shouldn't expect Michigan to hit 60% from three this half. For May, the plan has to be to keep getting the ball into the post to open up the wide-open threes. Cadeau had a great first half but needs to play within himself and not try to do much. If Michigan can keep this balanced scoring, the Wolverines will be in very good shape. Michigan has already doubled up SLU in free-throw attempts (14 to 7). Michigan will keep getting to the line this half, but must convert better than 57%, especially as their size starts to wear out the Billikens.
Halftime: Michigan 48, St. Louis 39.
Michigan gets two free throws from Lendeborg and Mara blocks Trey Green's three at the buzzer. Michigan has 6 blocks. The Wolverines have been focused, aggressive and balanced. Cadeau has 12 points, Lendeborg has 11 and Mara has 10. Avila only has 3 points and is just 1/6 from the field. This has been a game of runs, which Michigan leading by as much as 12 and St. Louis hanging in on a couple of spurts. Below are the halftime stats.
Final Four Minutes Live Reactions
Michigan leads 46-39 with 24.1 seconds remaining. Michigan has left the door open with several misses on the back end of free throws, and two turnovers the last two possessions. Michigan has 4 turnovers, SLU 5. SLU went three minutes without a basket until Avila found McCottry for a cutting banker in the lane. McCottry has 10 points on 5-8 from the field. The Billikens just got a nice baseline jumper from Dion Brown after some tremendous ball movement. Michigan is 6/12 from the free throw line, SLU is 5/7.
The refs are reviewing whether an Otieno elbow was intentional with Michigan leading 42-34 with 2:34 remaining. Otieno has been physical, but that wasn't smart. Both Lendeborg and Johnson have two fouls for Michigan. The foul has been overruled, with the refs calling a foul on Burnett. That was horrible. Ball don't lie as Otieno misses the free throw. Michigan responds with a lob dunk to Lendeborg. Michigan has 18 points in the paint and then goes down to Mara, who is fouled. Mara's development this year has been amazing. He is such a skilled offensive player for a guy who is 7-3.
First Half, Under-4 Live Reactions
Michigan leads 42-34 with 3:41 remaining. Michigan is starting to assert itself, going on an 8-0 run, and just locking down the Billikens, with a Johnson block of Avila leading to a shot-clock violation. Cadeau is having a great first half, with 12 points on 3-4 from three. Lendeborg also hit a three during this stretch, and Mara is dominating. He has 9 points and 3 blocks, and is starting to impact SLU drives. Michigan has 5 blocks, SLU 0. The Billikens have five turnovers. Dunlap hits another big three to keep SLU within striking distance. This feels like danger time for SLU. The Billikens must keep this game around this deficit and not let the Wolverines get a double-digit lead at the half. Michigan is 6/9 from three, SLU is 5/13 with Avila 1/5.
First Half, Under-8 Live Reactions
Michigan leads 30-29 with 7:28 remaining. St. Louis is getting a big boost from its bench, including three-point plays from Ishan Sharma and Paul Otieno. SLU has a 15-5 advantage in bench points. Michigan has responded with big threes from Cadeau and freshman Trey McKenney. The Wolverines used a 7-0 run to take the lead back. The Wolverines are 4/5 from three. After starting 8/10 from the field, Michigan is 4 for its last 12. Rebounding is pretty even, with Michigan +2 (12 to 10). St. Louis continues to get nice looks at the rim. Avila is a nice passer, hitting Amari McCottry for a layup on a nice back cut to the rim. The game is getting a bit chippy, with Cadeau jaw jacking heading into the last timeout. Cadeau has been aggressive with his drives and even has a blocked shot. Michigan will be in the bonus on the next SLU foul. Points in the paint are even at 12 apiece.
First Half, Under-12 Live Reactions
St. Louis leads 21-20 with 11:14 remaining. St. Louis has stemmed a 13-2 Michigan run with a 9-0 run of its own, keyed by two Brady Dunlap threes. St. Louis is doing a great job pushing the ball off Michigan turnovers and misses. This Billikens team is a really strong cutting team. Michigan has made it an emphasis to go inside, with Lendeborg throwing a beautiful pass up ahead to Mara for a nifty, backward finish at the rim. The Wolverines started this stretch with an immediate post touch and score for Johnson. The Wolverines also got a nice righty half hook from Mara. Avila has two fouls five minutes into the game, but Schertz has left him in the game. Avila is 1/4 from three. Michigan has been a bit sloppy and ragged the last few possessions. SLU has 5 fouls, Michigan 1. Despite Mara having two blocks, the Billikens are continuing to drive the basket.
First Half, Under-16 Live Reactions
Michigan leads 13-10 with 15:58 remaining. St. Louis began the game 4/4 from the field, but hasn't scored in the last three possessions, including a Mara block at the rim and a SLU turnover. Michigan's game plan is apparent, get the ball inside. Lendeborg has 4 points on 2/2 shooting. The Wolverines are 2/2 from deep, with Eliot Cadeau and Nimari Burnett hitting threes. Every Michigan starter has scored, with the exception of Morez Johnson, whom Michigan tried to get a lob dunk on the first possession of the game. SLU has two fouls, including one on Avila.
Prediction: Michigan
I was unable to watch both Michigan's and St. Louis' first-round games as I was respectively watching the VCU-UNC and Penn-Illinois games Thursday night. With that said, I am quite excited for this second-round game. I have seen Michigan many times this season, and it's safe to say the Wolverines are a problem with its super big and talented front line of Big Ten player of the year Yaxel Landeborg, active power forward Morez Johnson Jr., and highly-skilled seven footer Aday Mara. While I haven't seen St. Louis play, the Billikens caught my attention with a 102-77 drubbing of Georgia. While Billikens big man Robbie Avila gets a lot of national attention, St. Louis seems incredibly balanced. This game matches two of the best young coaches in the sport, with St. Louis' Josh Schertz and Michigan's Dusty May having much success the past few seasons at their current and former schools (Indiana State and Florida Atlantic, respectively).. Ultimately, the Wolverines are the more physically-gifted team and will wear out St. Louis with its immense size. The Billikens shouldn't be underestimated, though, and this game will have some tense moments for the Wolverines. As I have Michigan going to the Final Four, the Wolverines will rule out today in a much closer game than some may be expecting.
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