Michigan Basketball: Here Come the Dukies

Posted at 8:00AM — 3/20/2011

Michigan Basketball: Here Come the Dukies

Michigan Basketball: Michigan vs. Duke
NCAA Tournament “March Madness”
Third Round — West Region
Date: Friday, March 20
Time: 2:45 p.m.
Venue: Time Warner Cable Arena
Location: Charlotte, N.C.
Channel: CBS
DirecTV Channel: Check Local CBS Channel.
Radio: Sirius Ch. 26 / XM Ch. 243

Duke:
Not quite so big, not quite so bad, but plenty good. Good enough to be the defending national champions. This is Michigan’s opponent in Sunday’s match-up. Michigan will need to be careful to play the game and not focus on the name on the opponent’s name on the jerseys.

That should happen as Michigan has played the number one and number two teams in the country without melting; now comes number three.

Duke is what every program wants, winning with scholarship and integrity. The NCAA has no road-map to Duke University. Duke also has a legendary coach who is a big time competitor. But Duke can lose games just like any other program.

First, here is some information of Duke, most of which is common to all. This team started out after the first few weeks as number one and then a key injury was sustained by vaunted freshman Kyrie Irving. He is now back, but his minutes will be limited. If healthy, Irving gives Duke another true superstar to go along with the talent currently on the floor.

Quick Nolan Smith can make defending Duke near impossible if he is not stopped as a first option. He gets to the hoop, can score and can dish; he simply does it all. Big guard/wing Kyle Singler provides the wow effect when he is hot. Mason Plumblee provides some inside help, an area thought to be a weakness of Duke’s over the past several years. Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins are far better than the average role players teams depend on for support.

Collectively, Duke shoots about 48% from the field and about the magic 38% from the three-point area. Foul shooting is a solid 75% and rebounding is adequate. But the defensive stats of Duke, often ignored, are excellent. Duke holds opponents to under 40% on field goals and allows only 31% on three point attempts. This means avoiding a long drought is mandatory to stay in the game with Duke.

So, what is Michigan to do? First, play the Wolverine style as Duke is a bunch of very good athletes but not necessarily dominating.

Second, the precision of Duke’s offense is outstanding. Michigan cannot let Duke get into a comfort zone on offense and become a robotic machine. In some manner, Michigan needs to disrupt the flow, starting with Nolan Smith.

Third there are days Duke launches bunches of threes, some days the threes do not go in as readily; not a strategy just a hope.

Fourth, Duke is a little vulnerable down the middle, so expect Morris to check out that option quickly, Michigan will need to get to the foul line in this game unlike in the Tennessee game.

Finally, stay in the game and resist getting into a firing match with Duke, That is not to say Michigan has no need for threes, the Wolverines do, but if the perimeter is heavily guarded other options must come into play.

Michigan must play well/great to win today.

Written by GBMWolverine Staff

Go Blue — Wear Maize!