Meet The Opponent- Michigan Wolverines
Fun Facts
- Michigan will be going for its second national championship, last winning in 1989.
- Michigan basketball is most notably known for the “Fab Five” team in the 90’s, going to back to back championship games as freshmen and sophomores.
- Michigan would be the first 4 seed to win the tournament since Arizona, back in 1997.
Notable Alumni
Gerald Ford, Tom Brady, Larry Page
Starting Five
Guard-#11 Nik Stauskus,6-6,190 lbs, Freshman
Stauskus averaged 20 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists his senior year at St. Marks School. Also leading them to a 28-2 record, Nik them to a championship, where he was voted MVP of the game, and also the team. Nik was named one of the top 25 three-point shooters in the 2012 class by ESPN. Also being recruited by Villanova, Iowa State, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Florida, and Providence, Stauskus committed to Michigan. This year he averages 11.2 points per game, along with 3 rebounds a game. Shooting .439 from behind the arc, Stauskus has emerged as a threat beyond three-point land.
Guard-#3 Trey Burke, 6-0, 190 lbs, Sophomore
Trey Burke’s name has been in lights all season long. However, it wasn’t until recently when he won the AP College Basketball Player of the Year that his fame really rose above everybody else’s. Burke made the Varsity team as a freshmen in high school. As a sophomore he led his team to the state championship game where 10 points and 9.1 assists throughout the year. His junior year he lead Northland High School to a spot on the number 1 AP rankings for multiple weeks. Burke also played AAU basketball which he lead to the national title in 2009. Trey originally gave a verbal offer to Penn State but later changed his mind and eventually committed to Michigan. His freshman year Burke lead all freshmen in the Big Ten in scoring, and a Big Ten tournament record of 30 points. His Sophomore year he improved his vertical by 4 inches and was selected as a third team pre-season All American. Trey currently averages 18.5 points per game and 6.8 assists per game. Only a sophomore, Trey Burke is the leader of this young Michigan squad.
Guard-#10 Tim Hardaway Jr., 6-6,205 lbs, Junior
As a three-time All-City performer for Miami Palmetto High School, Tim is no stranger to success. His father, Tim Hardaway, was an NBA All-Star. During his senior season he averaged 31.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4 assists. His only other offers were from Minnesota and Kansas State, and Hardaway wasn’t even a top ranked recruit by Rivals.com. He went to Michigan where his freshmen year he won 4 Big Ten Freshman of the Week awards, he was also 1 of 21 players selected to the 2011 CollegeInsider.com Freshmen All American Selection. Tim finished the season with 16 consecutive double-digit games. As a sophomore he was put on the preseason top 50 watch list for the Wooden Award and the Naismith College Player of the Year Award. He averaged 14.6 points a game and earned All Big Ten 3rd team honors. This year CBS Sports listed him as #35 in the preseason top 100 players poll, while he is averaging 14.6 points and 4.6 rebounds, the effort by Tim Hardaway Jr. cannot be ignored.
Forward-#4 Mitch McGary,6-10, 250 lbs, Freshman
Being ranked as the third top prospect in the country, McGary was a highly touted recruit. Growing up he also played baseball and football but chose to solely focus on basketball. He became best friends with now teammate Glenn Robinson III and played AAU ball before switching to Varsity basketball for two years. Mitch also has ADHD. After attending multiple camps like the Nike Global Challenge and Pittsburgh Jam Fest, it should also be noted that while participating in the Boost Mobile Elite 24 event, he shattered the backboard. In August, ESPN reported that he had narrowed his choices down to Florida, Maryland Michigan, North Carolina, Duke and Kentucky. When he narrowed his list to just Michigan, Florida, and Duke, his parents had liked Coach K and hoped he would sign at Duke. However, it was Michigan as to where he would be going. McGary currently averages 7.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Throughout the tournament, McGary has been in the double digits in scoring every game, with only two games in single digits for rebounding as well.
Forward-#1 Glenn Robinson III, 6-6,210 lbs, Freshman
Glenn Robinson III is no stranger to basketball success. His father was the first overall pick in the NBA Draft in 1994. Leaving Lake Central High School with offers from Colorado, Valparaiso, Missouri State, IUPUI, and Indiana State, Robinson signed with Michigan early before his Junior year to take away recruitment pressure and to focus on polishing his skills. By the end of his senior campaign, Robinson was considered a 5 star player by Rivals.com and attended the ESPNHS All American Championship Game and was elected MVP, putting up 16 points and 4 rebounds. This year, Robinson was immediately named a starter and almost had a double-double in his first game. He currently averages 10.9 points per game along with 5.5 rebounds per game.
Breakdown
With 4/5 players in the lineup underclassmen, this Michigan team is young. They can also shoot, ranking 27th in points per game, and 9th in field goal percentage. Trey Burke is the leading scorer however only 1 player on the starting five does not average over 10 points a game. To put it simple, Michigan can shoot and will make you pay. UM can run with the best teams in the country. Rebounding is not a strong point, ranking 156th in the category and the highest rpg is 6.3, maintained by Mitch McGary. Michigan does have one of the best backcourt duos in the country, with a combined 33.1 points and 9.2 assists per game. Look for Burke and Hardaway Jr. to run the offense and keep the game under command. UM can be careless with the ball, only averaging 9 turnovers a game, so look for UL to try to force the young guns to play a fast paced game.
How They Got Here
March 21 vs SDSU W 71-56
March 23 vs VCU W 78-53
March 29 vs KU W 87-85 (OT)
March 31 vs UF W 79-59
April 6 vs SU W 61-56
April 8 vs UL 9:23 EST
