ESPN Men's Basketball

Forward Glenn Robinson III and center Mitch McGary both have decided to return for their sophomore seasons at Michigan.

ATLANTA -- When Louisville made its late second-half run to survive Wichita State, and Michigan held on against Syracuse down the stretch, the two teams set up one of the great between-the-lines national title matchups in recent memory.

Michigan wields the nation's best offense. Lousiville destroys opponents with the nation's best defense. The Cardinals force the second-highest turnover rate in college basketball; Michigan turns the ball over less frequently than any team in the country. You do the math.

But as obviously fascinating as that dynamic is -- and we'll spend time discussing it below -- there is far more to this game than a mere strength-on-strength matchup. If that was all there was to it, Rick Pitino and John Beilein wouldn't be spending so much time watching tape with their staffs and players even as you read this paragraph. In fact, at least one of them is having fun.

"A lot of teams when you watch them, you get nervous a little bit because they do so many things well," Pitino said Sunday. "You have fun watching Michigan play basketball. The way they pass, cut, shoot, it's a John Beilein team. They're fun to watch. As a coach going to play them, I really enjoy watching them on film."

"I started at 5:45 this morning," Beilein said Sunday, when asked whether he was having as much fun breaking down Louisville in advance of the national title game. "I didn't think they were fun, because they give you so many looks. With a one-day prep, it's almost impossible to get ready for all of those things."

If Beilein can't cover all the bases, we can't either. But we can try to hit the major points. Informed by last week's in-depth, coach-assisted scouts, let's break down the things each team will need to execute on both sides of the ball in Monday's national title finale.

WHEN LOUISVILLE HAS THE BALL

Michigan's key: Stop dribble penetration. Wichita State couldn't finish the job Saturday night, thanks to a late Luke Hancock-led Louisville run, some sudden turnovers and a couple of questionable late calls (one a double-foul on Ron Baker and Stephan Van Treese, the other a way-too-quick held ball that robbed Wichita State of at least one final possession). So I'm sure it will be no consolation to the Shockers to know that they made at least one incredibly impressive strategic contribution to this Final Four. No Cardinals opponent since February had really figured it out, and it's something you can bet Beilein will be poring over: The Shockers showed everyone how to guard Louisville.

Of course, it isn't exactly a revelation that Louisville isn't a great perimeter shooting team. It's right there in their numbers. The Cardinals have shot just 32.9 percent from 3-point range this season, compared to 51.0 percent from inside the arc. The more challenging thing is to figure out how to keep the Cardinals, who spread the floor and run adjusted-angle ball screens with two of the fastest guards in the country (Peyton Siva and Russ Smith), out of the lane in the first place.

Wichita State cracked the code. They played under every screen. They over-sank into the lane, building a defensive stronghold from the inside out. They rebounded well, preventing second chances and tip-returns to the perimeter, where they'd be stuck scrambling to close out in odd-man situations. And they basically begged Louisville to shoot. For most of the game, particularly in the first half, this worked perfectly: Siva and Smith probed and probed and couldn't crack the Shockers' shell, and so the Cardinals were forced to settle for one bad shot after another.

On Saturday night, Pitino said Wichita State was the best lane-defending team they'd played all season, which would seem to suggest he doesn't think Michigan can replicate Gregg Marshall's strategy. But what if they can?

Louisville's key: Get into the lane; the earlier the better. The first half of this directive is explained above. The second half is a bit less obvious, but probably just as important. The Cardinals might want to attack in transition.

For one thing, that's where Ohio State assistant coach Jeff Boals said he thought Michigan was most concerned about its defense, even if it was just as likely to benefit their own attempts to get on the break. But it's also generally a good idea for Louisville, because the Cardinals are clearly better when they're flying at you when Smith is hurtling down the court and Eurostepping and making defenders feel vulnerable and alone.

That was one of the surprising things about Louisville's performance Saturday. They didn't really look to push. Had they done so slightly more often, they might have been able to shake Wichita State's stranglehold on the game. And we can't know if Michigan is set on employing Marshall's strategy or if Beilein is cooking up something entirely different; it's not like he's going to tell us this could be the obvious counterpunch.

WHEN MICHIGAN HAS THE BALL

Louisville's key: Control Mitch McGary. Make Michigan shoot 2s. Before the NCAA tournament, McGary was a promising freshman who had not quite put it all together this season. Now he's verging on a top-10 lottery pick. What changed? McGary was always a good offensive rebounder, and he's transferred that skill seamlessly into greater minutes. But it's what he does with the ball after those rebounds -- his passing on kickouts, his finishes at the rim -- that has added a whole new dimension to Michigan's attack.

Louisville can't have that. If Michigan avoids breakneck speed and leaves it up to Trey Burke to break the Cardinals' matchup zone in the half court, then things get really simple: Louisville has to run shooters off the 3-point line and clear the defensive glass.

This serves two purposes. For one, though Michigan is an excellent outside shooting team, any team's long 2s are preferable (to the defense) than 3s. The Wolverines are typically happy to take long 2s. Meanwhile, Louisville would probably prefer long jumpers of any sort to McGary bruising his way inside for putbacks and dunks. You can't get a long rebound on four-footers, but you can when a 3 careens errantly off the rim, and Louisville can get Smith out in the open court much more easily that way.

In the end, though, it has often been difficult to untie Louisville's defense from its offense this year. Turnovers turn into points, which turn into leads, faster for Louisville than almost any team in the country. The fact of the matter is, the Cardinals are more than capable of guarding in the half court, too. How they choose to go about the task of guarding the nation's No. 1 offense will be fascinating, to say the least.

Michigan's key: Don't turn it over. Attack. And then go play. This is almost blindingly obvious, but that doesn't make it any less true. Michigan simply cannot turn the ball over against the Cardinals and hope to win Monday night.

The Wolverines' offense is good for a wide variety of reasons, particularly its accuracy from beyond the arc (37.7 percent) and especially inside it (53.3 percent). But you can't get those usually-accurate shots up if you give possessions away. The main reason Michigan is the most efficient offense in the country is the Wolverines turn it over less than any team (just 14.5 percent of their possessions). Despite its status as the second-best turnover-enabling squad in the country (which is a nice way to put it, I think), Louisville can score without forcing turnovers, and Michigan is as die-hard in its devotion to preventing transition defense as anyone. There are some caveats here, in other words. But it's almost impossible to imagine Michigan not taking care of the ball and still finding enough in other areas to compensate. Once the Cardinals put you in that blender, it is very difficult to get out.

Of course, the difference between Louisville and VCU -- the nation's chief practitioners of the turnover arts -- is the Cardinals can guard on possessions even when it doesn't force the opponent to cough up the ball. After the press has exhausted itself, the Cards switch back into their matchup zone defense. It is as tough as any half-court formation Michigan will have seen all season, Syracuse included.

This is why when Villanova coach Billy Lange discussed the Cardinals with me last week, he stressed the importance of attacking Louisville after you break the press. You'd rather face one defense than two on the same possession, and if you can inbound the ball running, and get across half court with a 5-on-4 or 4-on-3 advantage, you have to attack and try to get an easy shot.

That is especially the case for Michigan, which is perfectly suited to get good looks in the fast and secondary break. Burke is the best decision-maker in the country. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Nik Stauskas are deadly spot-up shooters. Glenn Robinson III and McGary are constantly rim-running, ready to finish from any which angle. If this gets into an up-and-down game and Michigan routinely breaks the press, look out.

And if the game doesn't get into breakneck speed? If the Wolverines are stuck grinding it out in the half court? Fine. Then it's time to just go -- to play conceptually, as Lange termed Villanova's anti-Louisville-zone philosophy last week.

Not for nothing, Beilein agrees.

"What you're hoping is that you've been getting ready for that since October 15th," Beilein said. "You don't know whether you are, but just you got to dribble it strong, you got to pivot well, pass well, play with your eyes up. Those are things these guys have been working on all year long."

All the X's and O's scouting in the world -- or less scouting than either coach would prefer, in this case -- doesn't change that simple fact that the end of the day, it's just players making plays.

Enjoy the title game, everyone.

ATLANTA -- Gorgui Dieng stumbled through his freshman year in the 2010-11 season.

The player who will make millions once he turns pro in a few weeks -- per Rick Pitino -- resembled most first-year talents then.

That season involved more confusion than confidence. He missed the first two months of team workouts awaiting the outcome of an appeal after an NCAA ruling that declared him ineligible for the first portion of the season.

Since then, he has become a defensive and rebounding force for a Louisville team that will face Michigan on Monday night at the Georgia Dome in the Cardinals' first title game since 1986. Dieng has made 81 starts for the Cardinals in his career. The raw big man from two years ago is now an elite player averaging 9.8 points, 9.4 rebounds (led the Big East in rebounding), 1.3 steals and 2.5 blocks.

And as he contends with a surging Mitch McGary (16.0 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 11 steals, six blocks, eight assists in five NCAA tournament games) -- a freshman who has competed like a lottery pick in recent weeks -- he is certain that those extra games, battles and experiences will give him an edge in one of the most critical matchups in the national title game.

“I think [experience] will be [a factor]. I think for maybe one play or something, little, little things,” Dieng said. “It is going to be important on rotations and hustle plays, just little things. Like Coach Pitino always tells me, you can have a good freshman but sometimes they will make mistakes.”

McGary, who will turn 21 in June, agrees that Dieng has the advantage in the matchup thanks to his experience as a player who’s competing in his second consecutive Final Four with Louisville.

“He is a great shot-blocker, great length in his arms and is very athletic, too,” McGary said. “I think it is going to be difficult. They play that matchup zone, which will be difficult for us. He has played so many more games than me, having gone through this process before. … Having a few more games under his belt could give him a little bit of an edge.”

But McGary’s journey from rugged, rumbling 6-foot-10 big man to the polished athlete who led the Wolverines in assists over Syracuse suggests he should be judged according to his most recent achievements and not by his age. Young players tend to shed labels in March and April.

After months of acclimation and adjustment, the playbook is more digestible now. Cuts, ball screens and spacing make more sense, too.

McGary’s evolution, however, is still surprising because he seems to have grasped every basketball tenet coaches preach to young big men in the most significant chapter of the season.

That’s why the tape from the first four months of the season might be meaningless for Pitino as he prepares his team to deal with the player who has transformed Michigan into a more balanced squad and a national championship contender. Opponents always had backcourt dilemmas whenever they faced the Wolverines (see: Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr.).

But McGary’s late maturation has turned John Beilein’s program into a more ferocious threat, especially inside.

Some might assume that Burke, Hardaway, Peyton Siva and Russ Smith would dictate the final score of the national championship matchup.

But coaches and players from both teams acknowledge that Louisville’s ability to push McGary off the block and limit his impact on the defensive and offensive boards will matter. The Cardinals’ matchup zone could get confused if Michigan's inside-outside attack persists.

Plus, McGary is as strong as any player Louisville has encountered in the tournament. That bulk has been a challenge for some of the top defenses in America -- VCU, Kansas and Florida -- to overcome in the Big Dance.

“Mitch McGary, in the beginning of the year, was a good player who had really good potential. Now he’s a great player, one of the premier big guys in our country,” Pitino said. “So he’s not a freshman, doesn’t play like a freshman. Nobody on their team does.”

The Wolverines know Dieng is the cornerstone of a defensive attack that has ranked first in adjusted defensive efficiency, per Ken Pomeroy. Dieng’s scrappiness inside and shot-blocking ability have helped the Cardinals win 15 games in a row.

Multiple players are responsible for Louisville’s unyielding defense. But Dieng’s ability to contest and alter shots is certainly tied to Louisville outscoring its opponents by 19 points in the paint entering the Final Four.

“We’ve gotta be physical, keeping them off the boards, and try to get as many second-chance opportunities as we can because they’ve got great shot-blockers and they play good defense, so it’s important for us to follow in there and get some easy points on putbacks,” Jordan Morgan said.

Dieng and McGary affect games with contrasting styles.

But their quests to the final games of the season feature similarities.

Both players needed time to finally portray the tools they’ve used to lift their programs to this stage.

A year at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire after high school molded McGary on and off the floor, he said. At the time, he had struggled with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Prep school, he said, allowed him to develop ways to manage it while enhancing his athletic skills. Talents that have led many to doubt his recent declaration that he will return to school for another season.

“It helped me grow as a player and off the court,” he said. “It helped me build a lot more character. On the court, it helped me with making better decisions, focusing a lot more. I was going through the ADHD and wasn’t handling it very well. I just tried to focus on the little things that I could, and I turned to Brewster and it helped me a lot.”

Dieng understands that growth process and the development it incites. So he’s far less focused on his advantage in experience than he is concerned about the talents of a big man who’s been a handful for veteran post players for weeks.

“I have a lot of respect for him,” Dieng said. “He’s a good basketball player. If it gets to the point that experience is going to separate us, I am willing to do my best to stop him and protect the paint."

Michigan freshman Mitch McGary talks with Andy Katz about leading the Wolverines to a 61-56 win over the Syracuse Orange to advance to the national championship game.

ATLANTA -- The possibility that became reality following Michigan's 61-56 win over Syracuse in the Final Four on Saturday night began to materialize weeks ago.

As the Wolverines stomped Jackrabbits (South Dakota State), corralled Rams (Virginia Commonwealth), caged Jayhawks (Kansas) and wrestled Gators (Florida) to pave their path toward the national semifinals, they awakened the way contenders must in March.

But every scenario that involved Michigan competing in its first national championship game in 20 years would demand another phenomenal effort by Trey Burke -- America's best player -- conventional wisdom suggested.

Those ideas did not include Mitch McGary (10 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists) playing like a lottery pick. Again. Or Caris LeVert logging 21 minutes and going 3-for-4 in Atlanta. Spike Albrecht (2-for-2 from beyond the arc) wasn't even mentioned.

Jon Horford making the most important free throw of the game, while Burke struggled in a Michigan victory? Unimaginable … to everyone else.

"It's not a one-man team," said Tim Hardaway Jr. "Everybody in the media has been talking about it. That's why it's a team. It's a team win. That's what we focus on. We know Trey is our leader. He's not going to have a game like he's [usually had] the whole season. That's when our team steps up, just tries to picks him up. He really doesn't need it, but we try to pick it up anyway, try to go out there and do a great job of competing."

Prior to Saturday's win, the concept of Michigan reaching its first national championship matchup since the Fab Five wore maize and blue was nullified by one thought: What if Burke goes cold?

To read Myron Medcalf's full story, click here.

It will be Michigan and Louisville playing for the national championship after the Wolverines edged Syracuse in Saturday’s second semifinal.

It wasn’t the prettiest of wins for Michigan, which shot 39.6 percent from the field (the lowest it has shot in an NCAA tournament game since a pair of games in 2009) and 55 percent from the free throw line.

The Wolverines are one of three teams to have both percentages that low in the same game this tournament. The other two (Memphis and Pacific) lost by 22 and 29 points, respectively.

This was a good time for Michigan's John Beilein to get his first win in 10 tries against Syracuse as a head coach. Let’s run through the statistical highlights.

The history
This was Michigan’s sixth straight win in a national semifinal game (though the wins in 1992 and 1993 were later vacated).

The Wolverines will try to win their first national title since 1989 and become the second No. 4 seed to win one, joining the 1997 Arizona team that beat Rick Pitino’s Kentucky team in the championship game.

Syracuse fell to 3-1 all time in national semifinals under Jim Boeheim. The Orange are 2-8 all time against the Big Ten in the NCAA tournament.

Another big game for McGary
Mitch McGary had 10 points and 12 rebounds, good for his third double-double of the tournament (he had one in the regular season and one in the Big Ten tournament), and also finished with six assists.

He became the first player with at least 10 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in a national semifinal win since Andre Miller for Utah in 1998.

The only two other players to do that in any Final Four game (regardless of win or loss) in the time since assists became official in 1984 were Grant Hill for Duke in 1994 and Erick Dampier for Mississippi State in 1996.

Michigan won despite McGary, Trey Burke, and Nik Stauskas combining to shoot 5-for-29 from the field.

Michigan assisted on 17 of 21 field goals, its highest assist percentage in a game this season.

The Wolverines are 22-0 this season when they assist on at least half of their field goals.

Rough day for Carter-Williams
Michael Carter-Williams was responsible for a season-low 10.7 percent of Syracuse's points (6 of 56), including only two of its 31 points in the second half.

Carter-Williams scored a season-low two points and had two assists that led to another four points.

His previous season low for points created was 17 (against South Florida), and his previous season low for percent of points created was 26 percent (versus DePaul).

 
ATLANTA -- Michigan hasn’t been to the NCAA title game in two decades. And Saturday, it didn’t allow a 2-3 zone -- no matter how lengthy or athletic or frustrating -- to keep it from returning.

Led by Tim Hardaway Jr., Mitch McGary and Glenn Robinson III -- and helped by the fact that Syracuse’s James Southerland and Michael Carter-Williams, who average double digits, combined for only seven points -- the Wolverines survived a last-minute push from their fellow fourth seed to win 61-56 in the national semifinals of the NCAA tournament and advance.

A quick look at the game:

Turning point: Trailing 17-15 with 10:14 left in the first half, Michigan outscored Syracuse 21-8 before halftime, shooting over Syracuse’s defense (including two 3-pointers from freshman Spike Albrecht and a loooong one from Trey Burke) when it wasn’t beating it down the floor. The Wolverines led 36-25 at halftime -- and 43-32 with 15:08 left, before the Orange painstakingly patched together a 13-5 comeback that cut their deficit to 48-45 with 7:41 left.

But it didn’t get interesting again until the final minutes, when Southerland -- scoreless to that point -- dunked with 1:58 remaining to cut his team’s deficit to four and then hit a 3-pointer with 48 seconds left to cut it to 57-56.

Michigan’s Burke and Jon Horford bookended a Brandon Triche offensive foul with a free throw apiece. And after Trevor Cooney missed for Syracuse (30-10), Jordan Morgan sealed it with a breakaway dunk for Michigan.

Key player: McGary finished with 10 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high six assists.

Key stat: Southerland and Carter-Williams -- who had been averaging 10 and 13 points, respectively, during the NCAA tournament -- were a combined 3-for-15 from the field.

Up next: Michigan (31-7) advances to play top-seeded Louisville in Monday night’s championship game. The Wolverines last reached the title game in 1993 (although that season record was vacated because of NCAA sanctions).

 
ATLANTA -- The evolution happened.

No one knows exactly when, but at some point last season and into the summer, the shift had gone to Trey Burke.

He would take over Michigan. The ball would be in his hands often. The shots would be dictated, in some respect, by him. He would create the break, find Tim Hardaway Jr. and Nik Stauskas on the wing, Glenn Robinson III in transition and Mitch McGary on a dump-down pass inside.

He would read the passing lanes to jump-start the defense, as he did in plucking two steals to seal a crucial victory over Michigan State.

Not every shot went down. He couldn't finish off Indiana by himself. He couldn't convert at Ohio State.

But he came up with the shot of the NCAA tournament so far: a step-back 3-pointer to send the regional semifinal game against Kansas into overtime, where Michigan eventually won.

The Wolverines are here in the Final Four, and will get a chance to play for the title for the first time since 1993 if they can beat Syracuse on Saturday night. The only way the Wolverines get past the Orange and their mesmerizing, suffocating zone is if Burke solves it.

Burke won three national player of the year awards Friday -- the Wooden, Associated Press and Oscar Robertson -- all because of his ability to elevate this team and take over games when it matters most.

The trust Burke has gained from Michigan coach John Beilein happened without much hesitation. Darius Morris' abrupt departure meant that Burke, then a freshman, had to play more than expected last season.

"I think in the first couple of months, he was reading me, he was putting deposits in my trust bank more and more every time," said Beilein. "That's really important. The more deposits he made, the more I knew I could trust him."

Beilein said Burke has done things that many before him hadn't.

"Now I've seen him do it in practice and I said then, 'I'm fine with that.' So there's been this mutual respect for each other and I mean it," Beilein said. "I've never had him one time show any frustration in practice with a coach. I've probably at times coached him in practice ways. At the same time, I've seen great growth by showing a lot of patience and trust."

That trust had to be there for his players. They had to defer. And they did.

"Last year, the ball was in his hands so much," Hardaway said of Burke. "He does a great job of pushing the ball. He does a great job of getting the ball to the outlets. He can push the break. He can push the tempo. It comes down to making big shots. We would prefer the ball in his hands."

Hardaway had no issue allowing Burke to take over the lead role. He had the name. But Burke had the better, all-around game.

Yet he didn't have any of the ego.

"That's the beauty of it," Stauskas said. "Trey is the most talented player in the country and he shows up and keeps working hard -- and at the end of the day, he just wants to win a national championship. He would take that over any award. We're happy for him, but we understand that there's another goal and he's really pushing us for it."

McGary has become a major piece for the Wolverines. He has made 33 of 45 field goals in the NCAA tournament. The freshman has shed weight, run the floor more effectively, worked on his shot (he apparently is nimble enough to be quite an accomplished unicyclist) and become a tough matchup for opposing teams.

But he said he wouldn't be where he is now if it weren't for Burke.

"He does it all for this team," McGary said. "He's such a good leader. He's a good friend off the court. He sees a lot of things guards don't see. He knows time and score. He knows when to pass it and find the easy drop-off passes. [My development] is based off his play and getting the easy drop-offs. All I have to do is put the ball in the basket. He's doing all the work, penetrating in the lane and kicking it to me."

Burke is averaging 20.2 points in the past 12 games, including 15.5 points and 7.8 assists in the four NCAA tournament games.

"He's very aggressive both offensively and defensively," Syracuse senior guard Brandon Triche said. "He's able to get to the basket, but he also makes his teammates better. The one thing we need to do is stop him from either scoring points or getting assists. When he's getting assists, his team is a whole lot better."

Burke credited his teammates for putting him in position to win the national awards. And that tag as the national player of the year carries with it a target.

"He's a great player and the player of the year is well deserved," Syracuse sophomore guard Michael Carter-Williams said. "I'm just looking forward to it. It's going to be a great challenge for me. There's no pressure on me. You know, he's got a lot of pressure on him to come off player of the year and hold up expectations and such. I have no pressure, so I'm just going out there, playing freely and enjoying myself."

Carter-Williams is right -- the onus on getting into the Orange zone will be on Burke. Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said Michigan can get shots against the zone, but whether the Wolverines (30-7) make them is another question. Most teams have struggled against the zone, questioning their offensive sets deep into the possession, using most of the shot clock. Triche doesn't think that will happen with Michigan, since the Wolverines will want to push tempo and take shots more quickly.

Carter-Williams said he fully expects that, as always, the Orange (30-9) will be able to lock in on defense in those final 10-12 seconds when they know a team has to shoot.

"It will be very critical for us to take care of the ball," Burke said. "They excel in turnovers and are very good in transition, especially with their length. They may be able to get a steal, take two dribbles and it is either a layup or a dunk. It is my job to set the tone for the team, my job to make sure we are making the right pass. We just want to find ways to exploit the defense early on. I think we definitely will be able to."

As the Michigan Wolverines bounced around their locker room at Cowboys Stadium last Friday night, celebrating a Sweet 16 victory over Kansas, a member of the team's traveling party walked from stall to stall, carrying a box filled with hamburgers wrapped in foil.

After what was easily their most hard-fought win of the season -- Michigan rallied from a 14-point deficit and won in overtime -- the Wolverines were eager for a postgame snack.

Well, most of them.

"You know I can't eat hamburgers, man," forward Mitch McGary. "I'm on a diet."

By turning away from the food, the 6-foot-10, 255-pound McGary provided a small glimpse into why he's blossomed into the top postseason performer for a Michigan squad that has advanced to its first Final Four in 20 years.

McGary -- who is averaging 17.5 points and 11.5 rebounds in Michigan's four NCAA tournament wins -- said he's lost 20 pounds since the beginning of the season. Back then, McGary probably would've accepted that offer for the postgame hamburger and then ordered a pizza back at the hotel.

M&M's were another favorite of McGary -- "because of my initials," he said -- and he often chose poor times to eat his meals.

"My metabolism slowed down," McGary said. "I guess it was from getting old and not eating the right foods. It wasn't the healthiest [diet].

"To get on the court, I knew I needed to make a change."

Click here to read the rest of the story from Jason King.

"Digging In" is our in-depth look at what makes each of the Final Four teams tick, with an assist from the coaches who scout and prep for these teams all season. Next: Michigan.

Is Michigan's offense enough to win them a national title?

That was the question we asked about the Wolverines in the preseason, and the nonconference season, and throughout January, February and March: Could a hyperefficient offense led by the nation's best point guard do enough on one end of the floor to make up for the flaws on the other? Don't you need to specialize in stops to progress in the NCAA tournament? Weren't the Wolverines too lenient on the defensive boards to be considered a legitimate national title contender?

Originally, I thought asking that question one final time would be a clever way to open this post -- convenient bookends, the writer's best friend -- but it would have been pointless, because we already know the answer. Yes! Yes, the Wolverines can win the national title; when you survive Kansas and trounce Florida in the matter of a weekend, and when you are a mere two wins away from "One Shining Moment," and when you have Trey Burke and a suddenly dominant Mitch McGary anchoring an offensive attack with weapons at every position, yes, you can win the national title. Obviously.

Of course, can does not automatically sum to will. There is the small matter of solving a team -- Syracuse -- that is allowing just 0.72 points per possession in its four NCAA tournament games, to say nothing of whatever challenge may be waiting in Monday's national title game. The first item of business is making sure that No. 1-ranked efficiency offense can maintain its torrid pace against the tournament's hottest and most imposing defense to date.

To figure out how that might be possible -- and how an opposing coaching staff works to prevent it from happening -- I asked Ohio State assistant coach Jeff Boals to help me scout the Wolverines in advance of the most intriguing matchup of the Final Four. Let's take a look.

When Michigan has the ball

1. Stop transition. Wait … really? A sidelong glance at Michigan's efficiency and tempo statistics wouldn't give you the impression the Wolverines love to get out and run -- Michigan's 65.3 possessions per game ranked No. 200 in Ken Pomeroy's adjusted-tempo rankings this season. That's not Wisconsin-level deliberation, but it's not exactly seven seconds or less, either. But ask Boals what most concerned him about Michigan's offense when he and the rest of Thad Matta's staff prepared for the Wolverines this season, and he doesn't even hesitate: "It's funny -- they're a slow-paced team overall but the place they hurt you most is transition," Boals said. "That's where Glenn Robinson is really good, that's where Tim Hardaway's really good, and obviously it starts with Trey. Then you've got [Nik] Stauskas running to the 3-point line. It's kind of oxymoronic, because they're not a fast-paced team, but the biggest thing you have to take away is transition points. You just can't let them have any easy ones." According to Synergy data, the Wolverines scored 1.208 points per trip on their 472 transition possessions this season, and they get into the break more -- on 17.2 percent of their total possessions -- than you might think.

So … how do you stop Michigan in transition? "The No. 1 thing is you have to stop the ball," Boals said. "Trey does a great job of probing you and finding gaps. Then you have to identify the 3-point line, get to the shooters, and force guys to put it on the floor." This is especially true of Hardaway. The shooting guard is excellent on catch-and-shoots (1.227 PPP), but his efficiency drops precipitously once he is forced to put the ball on the floor. Once Hardaway takes a dribble, his points per trip drop to just 0.711. Fly by on closeouts if that's what it takes, but make Hardaway do more than stand with his finger in the wind on the perimeter -- especially in the open floor.

2. Slow the two-man game. Typically, this is almost impossible: Burke is simply too good playing off ball screens at the top of the key that no matter how a defense decides to play those ball screens -- whether defenders hang close to second-option perimeter shooters, or sink, or hedge hard, or you name it -- as Boals said, "you're going to give something up." In a sport in which approximately 150 percent of all offense runs through ball screens, Burke is the best of them all -- a do-everything nightmare happy to shoot, pass and penetrate with no discernible preference for any of the three.

But Syracuse won't be as worried as most. After all, while teams do screen the top of the Orange's 2-3 zone, the classic pick-and-roll/pop action is pretty much a non-starter. To get a similar pick-your-poison advantage against the zone, Boals said the Wolverines would have to make plays out of the middle of the zone, which is easier said than done. "I think they'll probably try and put Hardaway in there, because you have to have a playmaker at that high-post spot -- that's why I was surprised Indiana had [Cody] Zeller in that role as opposed to near the basket," Boals said. "If you do set a ball screen, they try to funnel it to the free throw line, so it's hard to get much out of it." This is an issue for the Wolverines, as 14.9 percent of their possessions this season ended with a shot by the ball handler (usually Burke) on a pick-and-roll action. If that entire dynamic is lost against a lanky 2-3 zone that doesn't have to decide how to defend constant ball screens, can Burke still be Burke?

Oh, and speaking of which, can McGary still be McGary? The freshman forward has emerged as an absolute stud in the wake of Jordan Morgan's ankle injury; in four tournament games he is 33-of-45 with 46 rebounds. McGary is a beast on the offensive glass, which is always good news against a zone, but will the lack of a two-man game hurt his ability to catch in good spots? And how will he fare against a Syracuse interior that blocks 19.4 percent of its opponents' shots, highest in the nation?

3. Challenge all 3s, but especially in the corner. And now we arrive at what is almost certainly the most important aspect of Saturday's game: Whether Michigan makes 3s.

The Wolverines' most frequent shot type is the jumper, which they use on over 53.4 percent of their possessions, and of those 944 jumpers in Synergy's database, 631 -- or 66.8 percent -- have come from beyond the arc. They've scored 1.138 points per possession. The Wolverines don't shoot as many 3s as they have in recent years past (when their talent required a quirkier, less-conventional approach), but the shot is still a major facet of their offense. It also just so happens to be the one most likely to exploit Syracuse's zone -- at least theoretically.

On Wednesday, Sports Illustrated's Luke Winn published a chart of 3-point specialist Stauskas's perimeter-shooting habits during Big Ten and NCAA tournament play, and the pattern was clear: Stauskas feasts on left-corner 3s, on which he shot 23-of-42 in those 24 games. The freshman guard's specific proclivities are just one (important) piece of the larger puzzle, in which Michigan is happy to do exactly what the Syracuse zone wants: shoot 3s.

"If you actually look further at their shooting numbers, they shoot it the best from the corner," Boals said. Usually, a 2-3 zone is vulnerable there, but Syracuse has held opponents to just 14-of-92 from beyond the arc (!) in the tournament, just 5-of-26 from the corner (per Winn's chart), and just 28.2 percent overall on the season. "I'll be interested to see how many uncontested 3s they can get out of the half court," Boals said. "Typically if you overload it and get the ball to the wing and the corner, you're going to get a good look. But can you get it to the corner? With [Syracuse's] length and athleticism and how wide they are? That's the question."

On its face, this looks like pretty simple stuff. Everyone knows you have to make outside shots against a 2-3 zone! Michigan is a good shooting team! All the Wolverines have to do is make shots! Simple, right? Actually, no, because Syracuse is basically not even letting fans sitting on the opposite baseline look at the rim these days, and when a zone can do that, the entire classic anti-2-3 strategy gets very thorny.

Also, the Orange owe those fans a refund. Just saying.

Trademark set: "Two-Play" and "Five." "Two-Play" is probably coach John Beilein's most famous offensive set, which starts his two-guard front offense and ends in a wide pindown for Stauskas or Robinson or Hardaway. "Five" begins with a pass to the center and a reverse to the four, which begins a series of possible reads Boals recited like his Social Security number: "They'll get the ball to the four and then run a bunch of different things out of that," he said. "They can go back screen-ball screen, back screen-flare screen-ball screen, or wing iso for Burke." This stuff is unlikely to be used as often against the zone, and Michigan might have to rely more on its arsenal of quick-hitters in addition to the usual floor-spacing zone offense. But for the junkies who want the full scout anyway, there you go.

When Michigan is on defense

1. Be patient. On Tuesday, Temple coach Fran Dunphy said one of the most difficult things about Syracuse -- among many difficult things -- was how versatile the Orange are in their pace. That could come in handy against Michigan, because "if you come down the floor and pass it twice and take a shot, you're playing right into their hands," he said. This goes back to the prevention of transition points and the desire to make Michigan play half-court offense, but it is also about the Wolverines' defense. "That's where you get them, on that end of the floor," Boals said. "If you're patient, you'll get a good shot. It's not a matter of if you get it but when." The good news? Michigan wants you to play half-court offense. "It's weird. They're not a great transition defense, sure, but they want to you play in the half court," Boals said. "That's a big emphasis for them -- preventing transition. We think the more you pass against them, the more likely you are to get a good shot."

2. Beware the help. With the exception of Burke, who is fully capable of turning opposing penetration, none of the Wolverines is particularly stout defensively. With a little ball movement and rotation, you can stretch them, drive past close-outs and get it to good spots on the floor. But you have to be careful. "They're not a team full of great individual defenders, and they're not a shot-blocking team," Boals said. "But they are a team of great help defenders. They take a lot of charges. When Michael Carter-Williams and Brandon Triche get into the lane, they'll be looking to come over and get in position and take charges."

3. Hit the glass. The emergence of McGary on the back line has been huge for Michigan, but the Wolverines are still just an OK defensive rebounding team -- they finished eighth in the Big Ten in defensive rebounding rate. So while this is a piece of scouting that is probably a good idea for any team to utilize against Michigan, it is especially useful for Syracuse, whose offense is basically just OK at everything except offensive rebounding, where it is top-10-in-the-country awesome. If Michigan is overmatched by all that Syracuse size and athleticism, and the Orange get easy putbacks, it's going to be a long night in Ann Arbor and the surrounding territories.

Defensive style: Mostly man-to-man. Beilein became famous for his tricky 1-3-1 zone at West Virginia, but he has played less and less of it this season -- per Synergy, 94.7 percent of Michigan's defensive possessions are man-to-man. "They don't play nearly as much zone as they used to, but they do still mix in some stuff -- a 2-3, a 1-3-1 -- just to keep you off balance," Boals said.

Takeaway: Most people surely tune in to the Final Four because they want to hear a story -- the coach on the cusp of greatness, the star player leading his team to the finish, the uplifting homecoming tale of injured Louisville guard Kevin Ware. Believe me: I like stories, too. I'd be in the wrong business if I didn't.

But I also like to geek out about the actual basketball, which is why it's just as much fun to sit here and try to figure out exactly how Michigan is going to beat that Syracuse zone, provided it's the same Syracuse zone that allowed 0.72 points per trip en route to Atlanta. From what I can tell, a two-point plan seems to be in order:

1. Beat the zone down the floor.
2. Hope 3s go in.

"I think they have to get out in transition and try to beat the zone down the floor," Boals said. "They've got to try to get those easy points."

I'm not sure if Michigan can get uncontested 3s against Syracuse, because almost no one does. But I do think the Wolverines can get 3s, period, and they may just be the only team in the country good enough and confident enough to fire away from 3 with those big Orange wings flying out at them. Transition is the first option. Failing that, let fly -- and pray for rain.

Editor's note: Before heading to Atlanta, Eamonn Brennan and Myron Medcalf met at the watercooler to discuss both of Saturday's Final Four matchups.

Myron: Here we are again, Eamonn. We've already discussed Wichita State vs. Louisville. But there's another Final Four matchup that's probably more difficult to assess. A pair of No. 4 seeds, Michigan against Syracuse. Between tweets, emails and conversations with college basketball fans, they all have the same question about this game, E. Can Michigan crack this relentless 2-3 Syracuse zone that's just not interested in letting anyone score (see Marquette's 12 field goals in last weekend's loss)?

Eamonn: I'm torn on this, as pregame analytic predictions go, because on the one hand, Michigan appears to be awfully well suited for it. Syracuse's main strengths in that zone are its ability to eliminate passing lanes and force turnovers; Michigan was the least turnover-prone team in the country this season. The Orange protect the rim at all costs; Michigan would typically prefer -- or at least happily acquiesce -- to shoot 22-footers anyway. Syracuse is determined to keep teams out of the middle of the zone, particularly on the dribble; Michigan has one of the few players in the country who might be able to get the ball there without making a pass (Trey Burke).

But on the other hand, all of those things sound really nice until you actually get into a game with Syracuse, and its size and athleticism and length out in the front of that 2-3 formation completely overwhelm you. Watch Michael Carter-Williams and Brandon Triche play the top of that thing lately; it's like their movements are regulated by an invisible, gap-destroying string. Jordan Hulls and Yogi Ferrell couldn't even see the rim over those two, and sure, neither is Burke, but Burke is still 6-foot-2.

So, Michigan has to get good shots in the first place -- and good shots against Syracuse turn bad when guys like C.J. Fair start flying at you, arm outstretched, in those wing close-outs -- and then make them. It all sounds very simple, as does the anti-zone strategy itself, but nothing is simple about this defense right now.

Myron: All true, man. I think it's important to note that this is a more ferocious version of the zone that Cuse utilized in the regular season. Not different in scheme but better, more fluid. Marquette outplayed Syracuse (barely) on Feb. 25. On Saturday, Marquette was clearly facing a different team. Syracuse has basically delivered this message throughout the NCAA tournament: "You're not coming to the lane and we're going to challenge everything you do inside the arc, too. Feel free to jack up 3s for the next 40 minutes. Good luck with that."

But Michigan's versatility, limited turnovers and Burke will make life tough on the Orange. Jim Boeheim's team can't win with D alone. And these guys have had some shaky moments on offense thus far. James Southerland has been streaky from beyond the arc. Carter-Williams committed five turnovers against Cal. Triche's jump shot comes and goes. But the Orange's defense has been so strong that they haven't had to score 70 points to win.

Let's say, however, that Michigan exploits the gaps in the zone, creates space and hits shots. Can Syracuse compete with the Wolverines in a back-and-forth, high-scoring battle?

Eamonn: Another interesting question! Because I think Syracuse is actually kind of OK with just getting up and down and letting MCW run at people. I don't know if that's the game the Orange want to play with Michigan, but it's a game they CAN play.

The one other interesting matchup is the rebounding side of things: Michigan has not been a particularly good defensive rebounding team this season, and even with Mitch McGary going nuts right now, the defensive glass remains a weakness. That just so happens to be where Syracuse does its best work: It uses all that size and athleticism to just bang people on the boards. So I'm guessing a half-court game that forces Michigan to crack the zone on one end and allows Syracuse to get after the boards on the other is probably just about Jim Boeheim's ideal.

I already kind of thought this, but after thinking through it with you I really do now: This could be a capital-G Great game.

Myron: I agree, man. On paper, it's a very intriguing matchup. Plus, there's always the possibility that Burke might go Kemba Walker on the whole event and just carry the Wolverines to a title. But I think MCW could do the same thing for Cuse. Goodness. You're right. This could be a very good game. How lucky are we to have the chance to see it live?

Eamonn: Very, very lucky. See you in Atlanta.

Four for Four is our quick look at a few things you need to know right here and now about the 2013 Final Four. We did it last April too, but I can’t remember why the introduction was so long.

"Guards win in the tournament."

There are a lot of cliches in sports, and pretty much all of them drive me crazy -- grit, toughness, any and all war-related analogies, we're taking it one day at a time, we move on to the next play, etc. -- mostly because they often make it maddeningly difficult to get to the actual thing itself. How are you taking it one day at a time? What kind of discipline does that entail? How can you move on to the next play when failure is so fresh in your mind? What about high-level athletes fosters that mindset?

But if we're going to use a cliche, it better at least be true, rather than a nonsense series of words designed to prevent anyone from having to actually say anything. Many seemingly pedestrian cliches began as simple, obvious truths.

Here's one: Good guards win in the NCAA tournament.

It is easy to bristle at this, because it feels like the basketball equivalent of some of baseball's silliest arguments. Actually, no, I don't want that gritty guy who bunts for a living and plays chill music in the clubhouse; just give me the best players, please.

Thing is? The best players in this year's Final Four most frequently happen to be guards.

• Trey Burke isn't just the best player of the tournament, or the best guard, he is the national player of the year. He's just … complete. He scores efficiently when he needs to, he drives and kicks to one of the Wolverines' number of shooters, he handles, he hits step-back jumpers (not all of them as crazy as Kansas, but still). Mitch McGary has made Michigan a legitimately challenging physical proposition on the front line, but Burke has had this offense humming pretty much all season.

• Russ Smith and Peyton Siva lead the way for Louisville, not only by attacking and scoring and starting every play on the offensive end, but by being some of the handsiest and most unrelenting steals-creators in all of college basketball. When those two create turnovers, particularly in the backcourt, Louisville's offensive efficiency soars.

• I could make an argument for why the 6-foot-8 Cleanthony Early is really more of a guard than a forward -- he did shoot 144 3s this season, after all -- but Wichita State's postseason success has been especially driven by its backcourt core: Malcolm Armstead, Ron Baker, Demetric Williams, Tekele Cotton, and even Fred Van Vleet.

• Then there's Syracuse, which features one of the nation's best assist men in guard Michael Carter-Williams -- whose 6-6 frame has always screamed "shooting guard" but whose innate passing ability has made him one of the more unguardable forces in the tournament -- paired alongside savvy vet Brandon Triche. Together, their size at the top of the 2-3 is an absolute nightmare for opposing coaches and players.

Of course, none of these players got to the Final Four by sheer individual skill. Louisville might not get here without Gorgui Dieng. Michigan certainly doesn't without McGary. Syracuse's back line is nearly as imposing as its front, with C.J. Fair really blossoming into a dangerous all-around player. Wichita State's best players -- the aforementioned Early and Carl Hall -- are both 6-8.

But as we saw in Michigan's win against Kansas, it really does help to have a guard who (a) knows what he's doing, and (b) knows he knows what he's doing. Having Burke on their team is an incredible advantage for the Wolverines in a big game, because he can handle it all the time, facilitate offense, get scoring when he needs to. Smith and Siva have some of that too, but they're great for entirely different reasons -- their unique ability to speed the whole thing up, rather than slow it down or make it more manageable. Certainly, none of the four teams at the Final Four would be here without good guard play, which is also obvious. But the extent to which each team relies on that position is a clear theme -- and, if we're willing to admit it, some proof of a hoary old cliche.

Louisville dominates from in-close again

Louisville dominated in transition and in the paint to earn Rick Pitino his first NCAA tournament coaching matchup with Mike Krzykewski and Duke since Christian Laettner’s shot beat his Kentucky team in the 1992 Elite Eight.

Russ Smith’s 81 points (including a career-high 31 Friday versus Oregon) through his first three games of the tournament are the most by a Louisville player in the first three games of this tournament in school history.

Smith scored 14 of Louisville's 18 transition points Friday, 12 of which came in the first half. Smith has now scored 31 of Louisville's 58 transition points (53 percent) in the 2013 NCAA tournament.

Entering the tournament, Smith had scored 36 percent of Louisville's transition points this season.

Smith is averaging 10.3 transition points per game in the tournament. Entering Friday's games, no player in the field was averaging more than 9.0 transition points per game in the tournament.

Louisville scored 42 points in the paint Friday and is averaging 42.7 paint points in the tournament.

The Cardinals are the first team in the past four tournaments to score at least 40 points in the paint in three consecutive games.

Louisville won despite coming up five deflections short of its goal of 35 (we counted!).

Gorgui Dieng had 10 of the Cardinals' 30 deflections against Oregon, nearly matching his total of 13 from the first two games.

The victory made No. 1 seeds 19-0 all-time against No. 12 seeds. It also improved Pitino's record to 11-0 as a head coach in Sweet 16 games, though Oregon’s late push made this his first single-digit such win.

Burke, McGary key epic late comeback

Michigan will make its first Elite Eight appearance since 1994 after stunning Kansas with an amazing rally and overtime win.

The Wolverines outscored the Jayhawks 25-13 in the final 2:22 of regulation and overtime.

Trey Burke scored all 23 of his points in the second half and overtime. He’s the first player to have 20 points and 10 assists in a Sweet 16 game since current Florida coach Billy Donovan did so for Providence in 1987.

Burke’s 10 assists led to 22 Michigan points. Burke was responsible for 45 of Michigan's 87 points in the Wolverines' victory over Kansas, including 33 of 53 points after halftime. It was the most points responsible for by a single player in a game in this year's tournament.

Michigan is 7-0 this season when Burke scores or assists on at least 45 points.

Mitch McGary had 25 points and 14 rebounds, the first Michigan player with that many points and that many rebounds in an NCAA tournament game since Juwan Howard in 1994.

McGary and Blake Griffin (2009) are the only players in the last 15 seasons with consecutive games of 21-plus points and 14-plus rebounds in the NCAA tournament.

McGary is just the sixth player since seeding began in 1979 to have two such games in a single tournament.

Kansas has now failed to reach the Final Four in each of the past three times it has been a No. 1 seed (2010, 2011, 2013).

Kansas scored a season-high 60 points in the paint in its loss to Michigan. It was the most paint points in a loss in the past four tournaments. The Jayhawks made 30-of-43 field-goal attempts in the paint, but were 6-for-23 outside the paint, including 2-for-9 in the final 15 minutes of the game.

Michigan now has six overtime victories in the NCAA tournament, tied with Louisville for the second-most all-time. North Carolina has the most with seven.

Curry hot, takes down Michigan State

Seth Curry’s 29 points, the most by a Duke player in a Sweet 16 game since Jay Williams scored 34 against UCLA in 2001, made the difference in Duke’s win over Michigan State.

Curry outscored Michigan State 22-15 outside the paint. Curry was 8-of-15 on such attempts while the Spartans were 6-of-22.

Curry's 22 points outside the paint are tied for the most by any player in this year's tournament (Troy Daniels, VCU versus Akron) and are more than either of the Spartans' first two opponents in the tournament.

Michigan State fell to 1-7 against Duke under Tom Izzo. The Spartans were 7-for-23 from the field in the second half with seven turnovers. How bad did it get? From the 18:11 to 2:33 mark in the second half, there were four television timeouts and only one Michigan State basket.

FGCU can't handle Florida's offensive-board dominance

For the first 15 minutes of its matchup with Florida, Florida Gulf Coast looked like the giant-killer that won the first two rounds.

But the Gators put the clamps on in the final 25 minutes.

Florida has won six consecutive Sweet 16 games. A 15-6 edge on the offensive glass and 16-8 advantage in second-chance points were key.

Florida Gulf Coast scored only 14 transition points, including six in the second half.

In their first two tournament games, the Eagles averaged 23.5 transition points per game, including 17.0 in the second half. They got 12 free-throw attempts as a result of transition in their first two tournament games, but none in Friday’s loss.

The Eagles finished with 50 points, tying their season low. They averaged 79.5 points in the first two games of the tournament.

 
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Quick thoughts on Michigan's 87-85 overtime victory over Kansas on Friday at Cowboys Stadium:

Overview: In what was easily the best game of the NCAA tournament thus far, Trey Burke scored 23 points -- all after intermission -- to lead Michigan into the Elite Eight.

Kansas -- the No. 1 seed in the South Region -- appeared to be in command leading 74-66 with 1:22 remaining. But Burke led a charge that saw Michigan outscore the Jayhawks 10-2 in the next 72 seconds to force overtime. The dagger came after KU's Elijah Johnson missed a foul shot with his team leading 76-73. Burke capitalized with a 25-foot 3-pointer that made it 76-76 with four seconds left. Jayhawks guard Naadir Tharpe missed a 3-pointer as the horn sounded.

Kansas (31-6) had led by as many as 14 points in the second half.

No. 4 seed Michigan (29-7) had all the momentum during the extra period. The Wolverines went up 87-82 on two foul shots by Glenn Robinson III before Johnson drilled a 3 on the other end to pull KU within two, 87-85, with 45 seconds left. Jayhawks center Jeff Withey blocked a layup attempt by Burke on the other end. Michigan's Mitch McGary snared the offensive rebound but missed a putback attempt. Kansas snared the board as the shot clock sounded with 9.4 seconds left.

Johnson had the ball on the game's final possession and drove into the lane, where he appeared to have an open layup. But Michigan's Jordan Morgan came over at the last second and appeared to be in position to block Johnson's shot. So Johnson fired a pass to Tharpe on the right wing. Tharpe's 3-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark, and Michigan began to celebrate.

What's next: The Wolverines, after making their first Sweet 16 appearance in 19 years, will meet Florida on Sunday for the chance to go to the Final Four.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Seven-foot Kansas center Jeff Withey couldn’t help but do a double-take when he spotted Michigan’s Mitch McGary in the bowels of Cowboys Stadium Friday.

“He’s not as tall as I thought,” Withey said of the 6-foot-10 McGary. “But he definitely looks strong.”

Indeed, McGary -- who had started just two games all season before last week -- has been one of the top performers in the NCAA tournament thus far. He averaged 17 points and 11.5 rebounds in victories over South Dakota State and VCU to help Michigan advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 19 years.

His matchup against Withey in Friday’s Sweet 16 showdown could be one of the more entertaining battles of the evening.

“[McGary] brings intensity to the game,” Wolverines point guard Trey Burke said. “He’s kind of like our X factor. He’s the guy that gives us the spark and makes our engine run in the frontcourt.”

McGary’s biggest test to date will come against Withey, the second-leading shot-blocker in NCAA tournament history. Withey may have a few inches on McGary, but there aren’t many players in all of college basketball as thick and strong and agile as the UM freshman, who weighs 250 pounds.

“I guess I kind of have a football mentality,” McGary said. “I played it growing up, but that’s my mentality. I’m just a hard-nosed, blue-collar guy who likes to do the nitty-gritty stuff.”

The attitude is fitting for where McGary plays, as Michigan natives have always adored physical bruisers such as Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman and Rick Mahorn.

McGary certainly commanded Withey’s attention during film sessions last week.

“Just how physical he is and how hard he plays,” said Withey when asked what impressed him the most about McGary. “He loves to dive after loose balls and he loves to screen people. He likes to hit [people].

“I’m used to getting hit and whatnot. I’m not worried about that.”

Michigan coach John Beilein is counting on McGary to do everything he can to neutralize -- or at least limit -- Withey on both ends of the floor. ESPN.com’s Big 12 Player of the year, Withey averages 13.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.9 blocks. He had 16 points, 16 rebounds and five swats in Sunday’s victory over North Carolina.

“You run a beautiful play,” Beilein said, “it couldn’t be run better, and he somehow blocks a shot and they’re going the other way. It can be very deflating to a team.”

WHO TO WATCH

Burke, Michigan's point guard, averages 18.8 points and 6.7 assists per game and leads the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio. “He’s the national player of the year,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “He deserves it. He’ll get it. I think he’s terrific.” KU's Ben McLemore is a projected top-five pick in this summer’s NBA draft, but he’s averaging just seven points in his last four games.

WHAT TO WATCH

Michigan, which is making its first Sweet 16 appearance since 1994, was ranked No. 1 in early February but hasn’t played as well down the stretch. The Wolverines lost five of their final 10 regular-season games and ended up with the No. 5 seed in the Big Ten tournament. Kansas, which has a huge alumni base in Dallas-Fort Worth, will have the homecourt advantage.

STAT TO WATCH

Kansas ranks first in the nation in field goal percentage defense (35.7 percent) ... Jayhawks coach Bill Self has won 300 games and counting during his 10 seasons in Lawrence for an average of 30 wins per year ... All of Michigan’s key players are non-seniors.