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thewolverines24
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5th place is on the line! Michigan has a chance to get out of the Bahamas with a pair of victories this evening (6:00 p.m., ESPNU) when it faces Texas Tech in the fifth-place game of the Battle 4 Atlantis.
KEYS
Attack pressure: Michiigan?s offensive key isn?t just to handle Texas Tech?s ball pressure, but to pick the right spots to score against it. If pressure defense makes an offensive passive, the defense wins ? even without forcing turnovers. Michigan needs to find that sweet spot of being aggressive and hitting open shots in the times when it beats the pressure.
Win the jump shooting lottery: Texas Tech is going to take a lot of 3-pointers, and it is going to let Michigan take a lot of 3-pointers. Playing the third game in three days, it really does feel like the big swing in this one will be which team has the legs to make open jumpers early.
Figure out a way: The specifics don?t really matter. This game will probably be a bit messy, and it won?t be perfect. Both teams have blemishes on opposite ends of the court and will likely be exhausted playing their third game in three days. Michigan just needs to figure out how to get a bit more out of this game and execute at a higher level on offense and defense.
BOTTOM LINE
Teams that can?t shoot but shoot a lot of threes are one of the scariest types of teams to face. It?s obvious why they are what they are offensively, but their offensive production is so volatile that they are still dangerous. Add in a tenacious defensive group, and Texas Tech isn?t a fun team to see on a short prep.
KenPom projects Michigan as 72-70 favorites with a 59% chance to win. Michigan opened as a 1-point favorite in Vegas, but that line has crept up to 2.5
KEYS
Attack pressure: Michiigan?s offensive key isn?t just to handle Texas Tech?s ball pressure, but to pick the right spots to score against it. If pressure defense makes an offensive passive, the defense wins ? even without forcing turnovers. Michigan needs to find that sweet spot of being aggressive and hitting open shots in the times when it beats the pressure.
Win the jump shooting lottery: Texas Tech is going to take a lot of 3-pointers, and it is going to let Michigan take a lot of 3-pointers. Playing the third game in three days, it really does feel like the big swing in this one will be which team has the legs to make open jumpers early.
Figure out a way: The specifics don?t really matter. This game will probably be a bit messy, and it won?t be perfect. Both teams have blemishes on opposite ends of the court and will likely be exhausted playing their third game in three days. Michigan just needs to figure out how to get a bit more out of this game and execute at a higher level on offense and defense.
BOTTOM LINE
Teams that can?t shoot but shoot a lot of threes are one of the scariest types of teams to face. It?s obvious why they are what they are offensively, but their offensive production is so volatile that they are still dangerous. Add in a tenacious defensive group, and Texas Tech isn?t a fun team to see on a short prep.
KenPom projects Michigan as 72-70 favorites with a 59% chance to win. Michigan opened as a 1-point favorite in Vegas, but that line has crept up to 2.5
