Who DU FUK is
Story by Cannon Bishop
The Sweet 16 is here, and talented competitive teams are ready to play. All the one seeds remain in the tournament and have looked excellent in their first two games.
Duke,
Houston,
Florida, and
Auburn have shown why they were given their respective seed and are expected to make deep runs into the Elite 8 and Final Four, besides Auburn. The Tigers didn’t look as great as many thought they would against
Alabama State and showed vulnerability versus
Creighton.
Michigan Will Out Muscle The Tigers
The
Wolverines are one of the best teams in the country on the boards.
Vladislav Goldin and
Danny Wolf strike fear into any frontcourt they face off against. The seven-footers average around 38.6 rebounds per game compared to the 33.7 per game of the Tigers. The rebounding edge is crucial, knowing that Auburn struggled massively grabbing rebounds against Michigan’s last team they beat, the
Texas A&M Aggies. The Tigers gave up 29 second chance points to the Aggies that eventually ended up defeating the Tigers 83 to 72.
Auburn’s Offense Is Not Efficient And Will Harm Them
The Wolverines beat out the Tigers in another stat category. The Wolverines have a more efficient offense, shooting 47.1% from the field compared to Auburn’s 40.1%. The Wolverines’ efficiency is heavily credited to their big Goldin, who has provided double-figure scoring in 11 of his last 12 games. Michigan not only shoots more efficiently than Auburn does but also creates second-chance scoring opportunities more frequently.
The Wolverines’ Ball Movement And Play Making
The Michigan offense runs extremely well, the team does not designate one player with the whole work load. The Wolverines average 16.1 assists per game compared to Auburn’s lowly average of 11.3. Guard
Tre Donaldson leads Michigan with more than 150 assists this season, creating scoring opportunities for his teammates.
The Momentum and Great Coaching Michigan Has Will Upset Auburn
Under first-year head coach, Dusty May, Michigan has been on a tear, winning the Big-Ten, and entering the
Sweet 16 with great statistics in their early matchups. No matter what doubters say, the Wolverines can win high-pressure games, and that was shown in their 91 to 79 victory versus Texas A&M. Michigan benefits from momentum immensely, and with an experienced coach like May, who made a Final Four appearance two years ago with
Florida Atlantic.
End Of My Rant
Michigan ousts Auburn in most stat categories and it will be very difficult for the Tigers to match the momentum that the Wolverines possess. The Wolverines are an experienced basketball program with a new head coach who has been here before. The size and physicality of the Wolverines’ seven-footers will be too much for
Johni Broome and the Auburn frontcourt. Michigan seeks revenge in a possible matchup with their in-state rivals, the
Michigan State Spartans, in the Elite 8. Auburn is an excellent team but nothing that can outmatch the Michigan Wolverines.
