Over the weekend, Michigan basketball reminded everyone why it's the favorite to win the national championship.
The second half against Saint Louis was one of the best performances we have seen from the Michigan team in a while, at least since the injury to LJ Cason.
Just when Saint Louis pulled within four, Michigan ripped off a 27-10 run. Yaxel Lendeborg went off, throwing down slam dunks and knocking down 3-pointers.
It had to be frightening for fans of other teams with national championship dreams. Winning the next four games won't be easy, though. Every matchup is difficult, and the Wolverines need to keep playing at a high level, which they did for most of the first two rounds.
Looking ahead, here are three adjustments Dusty May could make before the Sweet 16 with Texas Tech/Alabama on deck, followed by either Iowa State, Virginia, or Tennessee.
Do away with the press
Michigan didn't press that much over the two NCAA Tournament games, but it was still more than my liking. It forced a turnover against Saint Louis in the second half. Yet, the Wolverines forced just 13 turnovers in two games.
The Wolverines were having trouble keeping their player in front of them. A press doesn't help, and this team just isn't great at it. Sometimes it leads to steals, but when you have the best defense in college basketball, you don't need to speed things up.
I get the logic. Michigan is a long, athletic team. But when it sits down, doesn't reach or jump needlessly, and just plays defense, using its length, it's hard enough for teams.
From here on out, most teams will have guards who can deal with the press, and once you break it, the offense gets the advantage, so unless the Wolverines are trailing late in the game, the press should be put on hold.
Less Will Tschetter
The super senior averaged 14 minutes during the first two games. He played 21 against Howard and seven against Saint Louis. That (7) feels like the more appropriate number.
In a perfect world, Tschetter wouldn't play at all, except late in the game. He did make 2 of 5 3-point shots. He also had a nice take against Saint Louis, but he's a liability on defense.
That will become more evident in the Sweet 16, and hopefully beyond. Tschetter can play a role as a floor spacer, but it's not really needed unless there is foul trouble. 5-7 minutes max, if any.
Channel the second-half defense
Michigan basketball scored over 95 points in each of the first two games. They scored 50 in the first half against Howard and 48 against Saint Louis.
The offense looked as good as it has since the Cason injury. It also felt as efficient as it was earlier in the season when Michigan was routinely beating teams by 30-40 points.
One negative is that Michigan allowed 42.5 points per game. Saint Louis has a strong offense, but it was ranked 45th in adjusted efficiency via Kenpom. Howard wasn't ranked high either.
Texas Tech, for instance, has a top-10 offense, with an elite point guard, once committed to Michigan (Christian Anderson).
The Wolverines haven't faced that in this tournament. They have struggled at times to get stops, especially in the first half. Holding Saint Louis to 10 points in 10 minutes was the best this defense has looked in a minute.
It didn't look like that in the Big Ten Tournament, outside of a couple of stretches against Ohio State and Wisconsin. The on-ball defense needs to be better. The discipline and communication, too.
There were signs of Michigan being the best defense in college basketball this weekend, but if the Wolverines want to reach the Final Four, May will need to get that from his team more consistently.