I've only seen one game from UCLA so I can't speak to their game but I have a couple thoughts on Michigan since I've been watching them all year. If someone can add a UCLA perspective, that would be very helpful.
Coming in to the tournament, the Isiah Livers injury was expected to be their downfall, but it's actually forced them in to being a more disciplined offense. If you watched UM throughout the year, they were much more reliant on shooting 3s because that was a big part of the Livers game. After the injury, Juwan Howard has reformed the offense into a half court game that relies heavily on ball movement and the threat of 7'1" Hunter Dickinson lurking in the paint. They can still shoot 3s but Franz Wagner (the main threat) has not been shooting well thus far. With only 48hrs to prep, this is not the style of team I'd be looking forward to playing if I was UCLA. Preparing for a style of play has to be a lot more difficult than trying to shut down a team's star player.
Famous last words: I like Michigan in this spot.
Coming in to the tournament, the Isiah Livers injury was expected to be their downfall, but it's actually forced them in to being a more disciplined offense. If you watched UM throughout the year, they were much more reliant on shooting 3s because that was a big part of the Livers game. After the injury, Juwan Howard has reformed the offense into a half court game that relies heavily on ball movement and the threat of 7'1" Hunter Dickinson lurking in the paint. They can still shoot 3s but Franz Wagner (the main threat) has not been shooting well thus far. With only 48hrs to prep, this is not the style of team I'd be looking forward to playing if I was UCLA. Preparing for a style of play has to be a lot more difficult than trying to shut down a team's star player.
Famous last words: I like Michigan in this spot.
