INDIANAPOLIS — The time for talk is over. We're about to see what Michigan is made of once and for all.
At 12:15 p.m. Thursday afternoon, the 11-seed Wolverines begin the quest for the school's second ever basketball national championship when they tip off with six-seed Colorado State at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Though the Wolverines are the lower seed, they're actually a two and a half point favorite in this matchup. There are several reasons why, with the most obvious being — they are Michigan and the other team is not .
Experience: Brand name value aside, the Wolverines do have a considerable edge in experience. This is the team's 6th straight NCAA appearance. (Guard Eli Brooks has been to four himself). The Rams on the other hand, haven't been here since 2013.
Height: This is a big one (See what we did there). For as good as Colorado State (25-5) is, the Rams only have one player bigger than 6-8 in their rotation. While they've done pretty well playing small big, rebounding has been a major issue in all five of their losses this year. Look for Hunter Dickinson to have a field day.
On the other hand, if Michigan isn't careful they could be a one and done, just like they were in the Big Ten Tournament. Here's why:
Consistency: You can say what you want about difference in conference talent, but it's pretty telling that Michigan (17-14) hasn't had a win streak in over month. It's also problematic to discover they've never had a win streak bigger than three games, when we know to win a championship, you have to win six straight. The Rams are a good team and they've been that way since the start of the season when they came out of the gates winning 11 in a row.
Coaching: Put down your pitchforks. I'm not saying Niko Medved is a better coach than Juwan Howard, but there's no denying Medved's done more with less. When he inherited the program four years ago, the Rams were coming off an 11-21 season. After a rough first year, he's help Colorado State win at least 20 wins each season. Medved might have been a candidate for some big name schools this off season but recently signed an extension to keep him at the school until 2029.
Conclusion: Ultimately, It just comes down to what Michigan team decides to play at the NCAA Tournament. This season, we've seen Michigan hang with the best only to fold under pressure. Should they play to their ability, they shouldn't have a problem taking down the Rams.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
