Final Four 2018: Michigan vs. Loyola

It was their buy in to defense that changed everything in my mind. If they don’t buy in last year as seniors they don’t have this type of defense this year. Also Derrick’s “I don’t give a f*** I’m gong to beat you” mindset has really carried over as well

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Agree, Charles is the difference…he’s been the best all around player on the floor. Quick hops and he gets those defensive rebounds…the young man just comes to play! He’s playground tough, the kind of kid you have to fight to have next game at the Y. Real passion for the game and puts his teammates first, so happy the transfer worked out for him.

I was thinking last night about the thread early in the year and expectations for Charles…well he’s exceeded all of mine!

Go Blue…and thanks for another week!

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6:10 or 8:50 starting times for FF games. Any preference?

We’ll be the early game. Second game will be Nova/Duke or Kansas. I prefer the early game as it gives our guys slightly more time to rest.

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Imagine you are right. CBS must be happy, though; both games should be a big draw.

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Loyola’s only glaring weakness is averaging 13 turnovers a game in the tournament, but their opponents haven’t capitalized. I feel like this game would be infinitely harder with only a day to prepare but with a full week, I have complete faith in Beilein and staff.

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I imagine the crowd will be against us. Whoever else is at the final four would love to play Loyola instead of us in the title game. Around 3/4 of the crowd will be rooting against us. Gotta stay mentally tough for this one.

Agree; they might take us on giddy excitement alone if the game happened, say, Wednesday. With a week of prep I won’t be surprised by another clinic. How to save some of that and plan for a Loyola or Duke has to be something Beilein’s looking at this morning.

On a side note: he had looked pretty drained in the post-game for a while there but looked funky fresh last night.

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Loyola is obviously good and capable of beating us.

But beating three teams on baskets in the last 4 seconds of the clock screams, to crib Torvik’s term, “Factors Unexplained By Numbers”. Most teams that carry a 4 point margin across three games don’t go 3-0, is what I’m saying.

These guys are obviously mentally tough, but also under-powered in talent, and if you filter on Torvik by “tournament quality games”, their offensive performance sort of goes in the tank (their defense seems to be for real). These guys aren’t going to beat us on the glass, and we would appear to have a pretty substantial advantage in three point rate and turnover margin - in other words, we ought to take more shots, and take higher value shots. Can we lose? Sure, but they need to pretty substantially outshoot us to do it.

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Yes! Matthews, MAAR, Moe, Poole, Simpson, Robinson–all just incredibly delightful kids.

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The weekend gets better for the Beilein family

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Wunderbar!

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Michigan opens up a 5 point favorite

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Sounds like what Miami, Tennessee, Nevada, and k state might have said.

(Agree that we should be in good position, but it’s madness for a reason)

This game HAS to come down to Michigan’s response to Loyola small ball right? Am I crazy thinking their big really can’t be on the floor much? I just don’t see how he can guard Wagner and the pick and roll AT ALL.

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I bet there’s no way Krutwig plays more than 10 minutes in this game. I’d guess they stagger him with Teske whenever he is on the floor.

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Exactly what I was thinking too. They’ll play him any/every time Teske is on the floor.

Nice to be recognized as a ‘blue blood’ by ESPN in their headline: http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/22913028/loyola-chicago-ramblers-michigan-wolverines-kansas-jayhawks-villanova-wildcats-make-interesting-hard-believe-2018-final-four

Loyola is the only one of the four I DIDN’T have in the Final Four. Not being Catholic, I didn’t understand the power of Sister Jean! I know a couple of Presbyterian Ministers who are big Michigan fans. I sure hope they have some clout, too! :smiley: