Michigan Basketball: Grading Wolverines Sweet 16 win vs FSU

Michigan basketball took down Florida State on Sunday and notched its fourth Elite 8 appearance in the last eight NCAA tournaments. Here are the grades.

When Isaiah Livers went down with an injury, there were legitimate questions about how far Michigan basketball could go in the NCAA Tournament.

We didn’t know how the Wolverines would respond without one of their best players and one of the best 3-point shooters in the country.

However, others have stepped up — guys like Brandon Johns, Chaundee Brown, Eli Brooks, Terrance Williams and Austin Davis.

After a back-and-forth game against LSU, Michigan basketball had no such problems with Florida State. U-M was in control throughout in one of its most impressive wins of the season, all things considered.

The offense finished with 1.10 points per possession, compared to just 84.1 for Florida State, thanks to the Wolverines suffocating defense and spectacular job on the boards.

This win felt much like many of Michigan’s in the middle of the season when this team was at its peak. Now, it looks like the Wolverines might be peaking again at just the right time.

We will start our breakdown of UCLA later today, but here’s a final look at the win over Florida State with grades for each player starting with Franz Wagner and the wings.

Wings

Franz Wanger: A

To put it simply, Sunday was one of Franz Wagner’s finest moments in his two seasons as a Michigan Wolverine. He didn’t score a career-high in points but his line of 13 points, 10 rebounds and five assists was both efficient and elite. If we want to get nit-picky, Wagner could have shot the ball better from deep, but his playmaking, plus his defense was a major difference.

Wagner was the best player on the floor and he wasn’t even hitting deep shots, meaning his game still has another gear, which should be a scary thought for the rest of the field. And in terms of perimeter defenders, is there anyone in this tournament better than Wagner?

Chaundee Brown: A

Looking back at his time with Wake Forest, Brown had averaged 15 points a game and shot 53 percent from deep against Florida State in the past, so it was no shock that he was completely comfortable against the Noles style of play. He was also extremely effective.

In 21 minutes, Brown scored 12 points, made 5 of 6 field-goal attempts, and was 2-for-2 from deep. He also grabbed three boards, played stellar defense and delivered in a huge way.