2014 NCAA Tournament Midwest Region Elite Eight Game Breakdown
Louisville and Wichita State were gaining all of the attention in the top half of Midwest Regional bracket, and rightfully so, but the young Wildcats knocked them both off to earn a berth in the Elite Eight. Kentucky may not have played a great game for most of the contest like they did against Wichita State, but Kentucky pulled it together in the end. In all, they led Louisville for just 65 seconds. After beating Kansas State, Wichita State and now Louisville, there is no reason for Michigan to be overconfident. In fact, the Wolverines road to the Elite Eight has been, in comparison, extremely simple. They beat #15 Wofford, #7 Texas and #11 Tennessee. And now they are expected to do the same against #8 Kentucky and folks will still complain that it was the easiest road to the Final Four since their in-state rival’s 2001 run.
Once again this should be a very interesting game. It seems like at some point Kentucky’s youth will catch up with them. It also seems that at some point Michigan will have an off shooting night. Neither have happened yet. Kentucky had four players who scored 14 or 15 points against Louisville, led by Julius Randle’s 15 points and 12 rebounds. Point guard Andrew Harrison dished out seven assists and committed just two turnovers. If the Wildcats can keep the turnovers down, they will dominate Michigan on the glass, even without Willie Cauley-Stein who is doubtful with an ankle injury. He played just four minutes against Louisville before leaving for the game with that injury. Without his presence in the paint and his three blocks per game, Michigan will have an easier time attacking the basket. But for Coach John Beilein and company, it comes down to making shots. The team went 11-for-20 from beyond the arc against Tennessee. Nik Stauskas is going to get his, but Kentucky will have to watch out for Caris LeVert, Derrick Walton Jr. and Zak Irvin. Those three can quietly score a dozen points while the opposition worries about Stauskas, Glenn Robinson III and Jordan Morgan.
