It’s not often that you have the top four ranked teams facing off in regular season matches this late into the season. It is even more rare to have a top three matchup between the best of the Big Ten and the ACC. That is what the college basketball world gave fans this week, and both of the games delivered.
The No. 2 team in the country Arizona took the trip to Houston this Saturday and came out with a 73-66 victory. Then the No. 3 Duke Blue Devils went up against the No. 1 Michigan Wolverines in Washington D.C. and won in a 68-63 slug fest. These matchups were tight, physical and a showing of high quality basketball teams. There are always things to learn from every basketball game, but these games showed fans exactly how these four teams stack up to elite competition.
Arizona and Houston served as a matchup for who will be the Big 12 champion, but also who will most likely be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament this March. The stage was set for an all time regular season showdown in Houston, and the game, for the most part, fully delivered to these expectations.
Michigan and Duke will both most likely end up as a one seed in March, but this game served as a test as to who they are right now. Michigan head coach Dusty May had preached on how his team will be treating this game like a sweet sixteen or final four matchup in the tournament. Duke had decided that they will use the actual official NCAA tournament game balls so that their players could feel the differences in the balls. The stage was fully set for this to be a tournament preview, and it felt like that.
Arizona vs. Houston
Arizona went into Houston in what felt like a must-win game for their program. Arizona had suffered two tough losses a week ago, and wanted to show America that they were still the team that started the season 23-0. Houston wanted to gain a marquee victory for their season and also get a bounce back victory after their trip to Ames, Iowa, when they lost to the Iowa State Cyclones.
Early on in the game Arizona was able to establish their size and strength in the paint. They are a team that loves to attack the paint and crash the offensive glass. The front court of Motiejus Krivas and Tobe Awaka create size problems for most teams, especially when you add forwards Anthony Dell’Orso and Ivan Kharchenkov to the mix. This size and strength allowed the Wildcats to get off to a fast start. Houston also started out sluggish with a really poor start from freshman guard Kingston Flemings.
As the game settled in, Houston was able to get some major three point production to hold the game within striking distance. Arizona continued to play at their tempo and gather buckets within the lane. Arizona did this without any scoring production from leading scorer Brayden Burries. Houston settled in as Emanuel Sharp started to get his production going. He provided them with a must needed paint presence and drew some fouls. Then Arizona started to find a bit of success with picking the pockets of Houston’s guards and taking it back in transition. Costly turnovers put the Cougars in a nine-point hole. Houston started to play even and then got a small five point surge heading into halftime leaving them down 36-31.
In the first half it became clear that Arizona was going to feel very comfortable playing a team like Houston. Houston has a lot of the same DNA as Arizona, except Arizona feels more comfortable playing without the three point shot. Houston has a similar identity with the defensive focus and the crashing of the offensive glass, but this allows Arizona to feel very comfortable. Never once in this half did Arizona bat an eye or adjust their playing style. They played their own game, which they believe that when they do, they are the best team in the country. I’m sure because of this the half time message from Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd was to keep playing their game, and keep attacking the paint. Houston’s head coach Kelvin Sampson probably preached more intensity. The Cougars needed to show more fight if they were going to try and take down a comfortable Arizona team.
The second half started and Sharp and the Houston offense immediately had a pulse. They started to feel comfortable and the crowd got into it. Then Arizona sixth man Dell’Orso got a steal and a bucket on the other end to quiet the Cougar faithful. Right after this standout freshman Kingston Flemings got an and-one to bring life right back into the place. Flemings struggled from the field early on in the game, but found some life early in this second half. At the 14:04 mark Houston took its first lead of the day. Then Arizona responded right back, and the back and forth continued.
Houston found success with their offense early in the second half, but they still struggled to control Arizona. Specifically they struggled to stop Dell’Orso who had a surprising 22 points off of the bench for the Wildcats. Dell’Orso hit a step back three balls that hushed the crowd. Then Arizona proceeded to go on a 12-0 run which told the final story of the game. Houston's offense fell flat in the last fourth of this game. Their reliance on tough shot making proved too difficult to sustain as the Wildcats ran away with the game.
Houston ended the run with Sharp free throws, but they ended up going a total of 10 minutes without hitting a shot. In this time their only production was from the charity strike. Houston tried to do what they do best in the final minutes of the game and cause some chaos, but it was all too little. Arizona hit timely shots, and made their free throws to close out the game with a major road victory.
The Wildcats asserted themselves back where they were previously as one of the top contenders in all of college basketball. They proved that they could beat a top tier team in a tough road environment and continue to add wins to an already stacked resume. Arizona also continues to prove that they don’t need the three-point shot to win a basketball game as they won this one only shooting 12 and making three.
Houston now has some questions to answer when it comes to their offense. A Kelvin Sampson coached team will always rebound well and play tough and physical defense that wears on you during a game, but what will they personally do to score points if Flemings and Sharp aren’t hitting. The offensive drought that they faced is worrying before the tournament. Houston needs to find out their offensive identity when things go poorly. It is easy to look at the positives when you make shots, but what if the shots that normally fall, aren’t falling today. They need to be able to scheme up another solution.
Overall this game was a great showing of very high level basketball. It proves that the high level teams can’t just be good at offense, but they need to also bring that same intensity to the defensive side of the ball. These teams both have legit championship admirations and it showed when they both stepped onto the court. The game felt like a tournament game in February.
Michigan vs Duke
Michigan and Duke faced off in the Capital Showcase in Washington D.C. This game had all the feel of a March Madness game, all the way up to the balls that they used. The venue was set for a massive clash of two titans, and the game fully delivered. Headlined by the Naismith player of the year favorite Cameron Boozer, and the No. 1 ranked player in the transfer portal last offseason Yaxel Lendeborg. These teams knew the opportunity that they had, and were both very excited for it. The anticipation of the game could be felt from the media as well as college gameday took their show to the nation's capital. Both of these teams dream of playing in Indianapolis, Indiana for the Final Four games this season, and they wanted to showcase why to all of the world.
The tip-off went Michigan's way as they got things started right away with guard Elliot Cadeau throwing a lob to center Aday Mara. Early on the game was very back and forth as Michigan worked some plays into the interior of Duke's defense, while Duke was able to hit some major three pointers. Michigan stayed with their normal defensive strategy of switching on every screen which led to some interior mismatches. Cameron Boozer was very smart with the ball and continued to make the right reads when these mismatches formed. Duke however decided to stand strong and run through every screen that they could.
Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg got going red hot and gave Michigan some momentum. Then LJ Cason gets a three as Michigan uses some transition game that they love to do so often. Michigan's run however got cut short as Boozer got a post up off of a pick and roll. Mara picked up his second foul of the game when guarding Boozer and then his third when fighting for a loose ball. This sent the Spaniard to the bench.
The game continued on a back and forth trajectory as Lendeborg stayed hot, but so did Duke. Michigan struggled to find perimeter shooting outside of Lendeborg which caused offensive woes. Duke continued to hang in the game by out rebounding the Wolverines, a challenge that is easier said than done. The 13-8 offensive rebounding margin by the end of the game was a huge storyline.
At the half Duke took a 35-33 lead. Michigan’s size presents a unique problem for most teams but Duke was able to handle it more effectively. Especially with Mara getting into foul trouble so quickly into the game. Cadeau put up a goose egg in the first half and that was a major problem for the Wolverines. They are at their best when he is able to be aggressive, but also dish the ball out to open shooters. Duke found success mainly through the stellar play of Boozer who excels in scoring, rebounding and playmaking. The offensive system is Boozer, and it works.
Duke also found success when slowing down Michigan. Michigan wants to get out in transition and go, but Duke defended the transition well, and slowed the tempo when on offense. This made Michigan uncomfortable with the style of play. Michigan also struggled from perimeter shooting, which is something they need to figure out an answer for.
In the second half Duke took an early lead. Michigan was eventually able to cut into it with a Morez Johnson Jr. three ball, but they were now playing from behind. A large part of this came from Aday Mara’s foul trouble leading him to sit on the bench when the half began. Eventually Dusty May said enough is enough and checked his big man back into the game. Immediately he made an impact with both a post up and a block.
Duke then got back to its bread and butter, which is creating mismatches for Boozer to diagnose. He got the smaller defender Roddy Gayle jr. switched onto him and attacked, drawing the foul and the bucket along the way. Boozer's elite ability to create mismatches, and then find the right pass, or shot, was a large part as to why Duke succeeds against this elite Michigan defense.
Lendeborg struggled to make the same impact in the second half as he had 16 points in the first, but only ended up with 21. Cadeau struggling from the field also really hurt the Michigan offense. The Michigan guards all struggled other than LJ Cason who played a great game in his limited minutes.
The game went back and forth to the end where Duke took a three point lead into the final minute of the game. Duke missed a shot, but got a great offensive rebound that crushed the Wolverines’ chances. Michigan now had to foul and Duke made their free throws and survived the game.
Overall the game was a great matchup of elite defenses who really shined all the way through. It showed that Duke is a legitimate title threat and reaffirmed that Cameron Boozer is not a player to be reckoned with. He made the correct play time and time again, giving Duke a way more consistent offense than Michigan.
Michigan's offense had some legitimate woes, but a large part of it was the three point shooting. A lot of the shots were open, but just botched. It leaves the Wolverines back to the practice court to figure out a gameplan for when they don’t shoot well against teams that can match up physically with them. Most teams don’t have the depth and size to do so, but Duke does. Michigan’s goals are to win a championship, so they must learn how to score when baskets aren’t falling against these elite teams.
Michigan also needs to figure out how to play when a team slows them down. Michigan loves to burn teams with the transition game, but Duke looked primed to stopping that very game. Michigan needs to learn how to play a slower tempo for if they want to compete with the elite teams in March.
Duke learned that if they run their offense through Boozer, even the best defenses will find challenges. Michigan is the No. 1 ranked defense according to KenPom, and Boozer was able to carve up the defense. He almost put up a triple double. This is a lesson that Duke will use to build confidence in their young team heading into the tournament.
The weekend showed fans what a Final Four could potentially look like later in the season, and it didn’t disappoint. The games were amazing, and the teams all showed up ready to perform. For these teams, these late matchups are a way of testing where you truly are in skill. They allow you to find more weaknesses and strengths that you didn’t know you had. They allow the teams to get ready for the tournament, and have a better feel for what their identity will be in the tournament.
