The Michigan Wolverines are set to square off with the Alabama Crimson Tide tonight with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line. Alabama has a prolific offense, led by Labaron Philon Jr., which is predicated on the idea that all three-point shots are good three-point shots.
With that in mind, what should Michigan’s defensive strategy be against such a unique offense?
At Michigan, head coach Dusty May has preached that mid-range jump shots aren’t statistically efficient. Especially given the makeup of
the roster, nearly every shot the Wolverines take it either at the rim or behind the three-point line.
Nate Oats and Alabama take that same concept to the extreme. Alabama has attempted a whopping 1,209 three-pointers this season. That is by far the most in the country, with the team with the second-most (the Wisconsin Badgers) having shot 1,131 three-pointers. More importantly, they hit those threes at 36.1 percent clip, meaning they’ve also made the most three-point field goals in the nation this season at 436.
The Tide also play at a torrid pace. At roughly 74 possessions per 40 minutes, they play at the fastest pace of anyone in the NCAA Tournament this season. Likewise, they lead the tournament field in percentage of shots that are three-pointers at 53.9 percent. For context, Michigan shoots 41.7 percent of its shots from deep.
Put it all together and you have a team that wants to push the tempo, shoot threes, and shoot those threes fast.
So what should Michigan’s defensive strategy be?
The first question centers around Aday Mara’s role. He should be able to feast on the offensive end, as Alabama’s interior defense is suspect at best. The Tide don’t start a true center, as Aiden Sherrell is more of a forward who is a 33 percent shooter from three. However, both of Sherrell’s other front court teammates can also shoot the three — Amari Allen shoots it at 35 percent while London Jemison shoots 34 percent. In Michigan’s losses this year, Michigan tended to let the opposing center shoot threes. I would expect Mara to play closer to the perimeter than we’ve ever seen before.
Elsewhere, Michigan should be able to continue to switch nearly everything 1 through 4. Philon, Latrell Wrightsell, Allen and Jemison all want to shoot a ton of threes. Fortunately, Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr. are more than capable of defending the perimeter despite being forwards.
Another important note is Alabama is still without Aden Holloway due to his recent legal troubles. While not a crippling blow to the Crimson Tide, it means they have next to no depth at guard. I would expect May and company to play very physically and press when possible to tire out Philon and Wrightsell.
Your turn — how do you think Michigan should Michigan things defensively? Should Mara’s minutes be somewhat limited? Should Michigan be content to let Aiden Sherrell fire away from deep and hope he misses? Should the Wolverines limit crashing the offensive glass in order to get back on defense?
Let us know what you think down in the comments below.
