Michigan Basketball: 3 Predictions for Wolverines against LSU

Michigan basketball hopes to avoid the upsets that have taken down other top seeds in the NCAA Tournament and here are three predictions for the Wolverines vs LSU. 

When you get down to it, the NCAA Tournament is nothing but a bunch of four-team tournaments. You have to win three of them to be the NCAA champion and Michigan basketball is one away from taking its first four-team tournament Monday night.

It started with Texas Southern, LSU, Michigan basketball and St. Bonaventure and now, the Tigers and Wolverines will play to see who advances to the four-team tournament next week, which will send a team to the Final Four.

Both LSU and Michigan won by double digits in their tournament openers, yet the Wolverines were less than impressive in the second half. That could have been tournament jitters or the team still trying to find itself without Isaiah Livers, but U-M has to play better Monday.

The Tigers are talented and Will Wade has them playing as well as they have played all year. They nearly knocked off Alabama, the No. 2 seed in the East Region in the SEC championship game last weekend and they won’t be an easy out by any means.

Cameron Thomas averaged 22 points during the regular season and poured in 27 Saturday against the Bonnies. 6-foot-9 Trendon Watford is another really talented player and another matchup problem for the Wolverines.

Yet, LSU is going to have to figure out how to guard 7-foot-2 Hunter Dickinson and also how to make tough shots against one of the best 2-point defenses in the country.

It’s going to be a fascinating matchup and here are three predictions for the Tigers and Wolverines.