Juwon Howard and his Michigan Wolverines were left at the side of the road without a tournament bid until they turned it around and scored an at-large bid.
Instead of proving the critics right, Howard and the Wolverines have taken full advantage of their second chance. With wins over sixth-seed Colorado State and third seed Tennessee, Michigan finds themselves as an underdog (again) against Villanova.
Jay Wright has been a staple of tournament excellence.
At the start of the tournament, the Wildcats weren’t anyone’s favorite to get to the Final Four but they now have a clear defined path to get there. A win over Michigan and then another over the winner of the Arizona-Houston game would do the trick.
Villanova cruised over Delaware after a slow start and then had to hold off Ohio State.
Keys:
Man in the Middle: Michigan has depended heavily on Hunter Dickinson and why not? Dickinson has improved leaps and bounds on the offensive side of the floor. He’s also showed an ability to stretch but it’s a limited weapon. Wright’s biggest decision will be whether he’ll double Dickinson on the touch, on the dribble, or at all.
Three Point Shooting: Michigan isn’t a strong three point shooting team but they know they’ll have to find the balance tonight. If Dickinson is doubled, the Wolverines will have to hit threes and drive the ball successfully against Villanova’s rotating defense. That makes Eli Brooks’ night an important one for Michigan.
Gillespie: Collin Gillespie’s experience and versatility will be a problem for Michigan tonight especially if Gillespie goes to the post late in games. That could be a challenge to Brooks and Devante Jones. Gillespie can post either one up and that could bring not only personal fouls and penalty into play.
