Michigan Basketball: Top 3 players who got Wolverines to Sweet 16
Matthews his double figures in both games
At times this season, Charles Matthews has been the forgotten man for Michigan basketball. He started the year with boatloads of hype and lived up to it early. Yet, as the season went on, Moe Wagner, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and others got more pub.
Well in the first round against Montana, Matthews reminded why he is so exciting and so pivotal to this team. The Grizzles tormented Michigan guards in the screen-and-roll and made it tough to get the ball inside, or to Wagner on a pick-and-pop.
Times in the #Sweet16 since 2013:
— Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) March 19, 2018
4 - Michigan, Duke, Arizona, Kansas, Wisconsin, Kentucky and Gonzaga.
No team has more in that span. #GoBlue | #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/OTi3Abo4d8
What eventually opened up was Matthews. Wagner and others found Matthews on a few different cuts to the basket and he was able to finish. The junior made 7-of-13 shots for 20 points against Montana and also grabbed 11 boards.
Matthews was also good against Houston. He didn’t stand out quite as much, but still scored 11 points, grabbed five boards and had a steal before fouling out. His defense was also essential and he checked Rob Gray when Zavier Simpson couldn’t. He also hit a big three that helped tie the game at 51-51 after two John Teske free throws.