Frank looks at Monday night’s championship game:
No. 4 (South) Michigan (31-7) vs. No.1 (Midwest) Louisville (34-5), 9:23 p.m., CBS
Records vs. NCAA tournament field: Michigan 13-6, Louisville 16-5.
Records vs. common opponents: Michigan State beat Pittsburgh (67-62) and Syracuse (61-56); Louisville won two of three with Syracuse (winning 58-53 and 78-61 and losing 70-68) and beat Pittsburgh (64-61).
Best individual matchups: Trey Burke (6-0, So., Michigan) vs. Peyton Siva (6-0, Sr., Louisville) when Louisville is in man-to-man; Mitch McGary (6-9, Fr., Michigan) vs. Gorgui Dieng (6-10, Jr., Louisville) when Louisville is in man-to-man.
Team strengths: Michigan – 1. The Wolverines have the most skilled, offensively, group of perimeter players anywhere in the country this season; 2. Trey Burke contributes in so many ways, even when he isn’t shooting well, as was the case Saturday night when he helped to defensively blanket Syracuse’s Michael Carter-Williams; 3. Mitch McGary has been the most productive and influential freshman in the tournament; Louisville – 1. The Cardinals’ depth has been underrated all season, as Luke Hancock, Tim Henderson and Montrezl Harrell demonstrated Saturday night; 2. The team’s defensive pressure is relentless, either in full court, half-court man-to-man or zone; 3. Russ Smith is prone to shaky shot selection but he can also shake up opposing defenses by scoring via jumpers off the catch and dribble and contortionist drives in and around traffic.
Keys to the Game: 1. How well – if at all – will Louisville be able to disrupt the best set of ball handlers and passers in college? 2. Can Michigan keep the Cardinals from scoring so effectively in transition? 3. Can the Cardinals keep Mitch McGary from having the kind of impact he has had, at both ends of the floor, throughout the tournament for the Wolverines?
Frank Says: Each team won Saturday night without their best players having very good games (at least as scorers), which speaks volumes for their depth of quality performers. Michigan’s defense has been vastly underrated all season and will be a big factor Monday, especially in terms of limiting the Cardinals’ transition opportunities and cutting down the ability of Peyton Siva and Russ Smith to penetrate off the dribble.
The winner will be: I picked Louisville to win the national (for Lindy’s Magazine) way back last June. I have to stay with that choice although the Wolverines will present the Cardinals with what should be by far their biggest challenge since their started their 15-game winning streak on Feb. 14. Louisville, 73-70.
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