When No. 1-seed Michigan faces No. 4 seed Alabama in the Sweet Sixteen on Friday, the Wolverines will have to deal with a style of play that has become increasingly familiar during this postseason run. But familiarity and comfort are two very different things, and the Crimson Tide present the most extreme version of a challenge Michigan has been quietly preparing for all tournament long.
The Tide play a “five-out” offense, which means they space all five players to the perimeter, run guard-to-guard
ball screens with creative angles, and dare defenses to chase them off the three-point line while simultaneously threatening at the rim. The Tide have mastered this system, leading the nation in scoring at 91.7 points per game, and they rank in the top-10 in points per possession.
The easiest way to lead the country in scoring baskets is shooting the three. And of course, Alabama’s shot diet comprises more three-pointers than any other team in the country — 53.9 percent of the Tide’s field goals are from beyond the arc, per KenPom, and they make those at a 36.1 percent clip.
“They shoot the ball really well, and when they’re on top of their game, they rebound exceptionally, especially the long rebounds,” Michigan head coach Dusty May told the media on Tuesday. “… They’ll shoot 40 or 50 (three-pointers). They’re going to take good shots. They’re not going to shoot a lot of contested mid-range shots. They’re going to try to get to the rim and they’re going to try to shoot threes, and we’re going to try to do a good job of keeping their shots from going in.”
Preventing Alabama’s shots from going in will be no easy task, especially with how well that guard Labaron Philon Jr. has been playing, even with the absence of starting guard Aden Holloway. Philon has been playing himself into a lottery pick this season, as he averaged 21.6 points, 5.0 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game. He is shooting the ball at a 50 percent clip from the field and nearly 40 percent from three.
However, on Sunday against Texas Tech, the Third-Team All-American shot a season low 17 percent (2-of-12). Nonetheless, he still made a big impact, dishing out a career-high 12 assists to help Alabama beat the Red Raiders, 90-65.
“Their playmaking — I think Philon is as creative a playmaker as there is in college basketball,” May said. “Their ability to make threes off the bounce and off the catch is unique. We do it some, but not nearly as much as them … They’re going to try to take advantage of matchups. They’re going to try to create creases, but I think just the playmaking that they have, and in the range that their guys shoot it with — they have deep, deep range, which makes that court look even bigger. And with our size, we typically want it to look as small as we can.”
Michigan has been quietly exposing itself to Alabama’s style of offense, and the Wolverines are up for the challenge yet again. Wisconsin used elements of a five-out attack in the Big Ten Tournament, knocking down 16 three-pointers while making just seven shots from two-point range. Howard and Saint Louis both spread the floor, employing similar principles of corner spacing and guard-to-guard ball screens. Howard went 14-for-29 from behind the arc while the Billikens went 10-for-32.
In three of its last four games, Michigan has faced teams that averaged 33 three-point attempts per game, while the Wolverines took an average of 24. Nonetheless, Michigan won all three games, with the last two resulting in blowouts. Each game served as a test run, and May believes that repetition has real value.
“ I think the reps have helped just being on the perimeter,” May said. “We’ve seen an improvement, and obviously Wisconsin did some things, and a few teams this year did some things to exploit our plan defensively. But seeing things in succession, I think, helps. You see it in one game, you practice it, and then you see it in another game. I think it just makes it more familiar where you can respond better the next time you see it, or quicker.”
Ultimately, this matchup will come down to whether Michigan’s size can neutralize Alabama’s spacing without surrendering the rim. If the Wolverines can limit open threes and keep Philon from creating plays, their front court advantage could prove decisive. If they can’t, Alabama’s shot efficiency alone may be enough to pull off the upset.
