Michigan followed the same script to victory on Saturday against Florida that it has used in the majority of its 30 victories this season — defense, defense and more defense.
The Wolverines held the Gators to just 34.5 percent shooting from the floor, 34.6 percent from behind the arc and 21 total points in the second half.
Junior guard Zavier Simpson was the catalyst for U-M’s stifling defensive effort once again, although he wasn’t interested in reaping any of the praise after the game.
“If you want to win during this time of year, that’s what you have to do,” he explained. “Our defense was playing at a pretty high level during the second half, but hopefully we can crank it up higher if we want to advance to the Elite Eight.”
Even though Simpson had no interest in taking any of the credit for himself, sophomore forward Isaiah Livers had no problem singing his praises, dishing out some pretty strong words for the veteran point guard.
“He is the key to us getting a National Championship,” Livers stressed. “Without the head of the snake, there is no snake. He wants everybody to do well and cares so much about his defense — he doesn’t care how many points he scores.”
Despite the Maize and Blue’s suffocating defensive play all game long, they only found themselves up four at the break (32-28).
With that being said, Livers explained that he and the rest of the team felt good about where they stood heading into the locker room, due to the offensive looks they were getting.
“I felt like we were missing shots we usually make in the first half,” he recalled. “We knew those shots would eventually start falling if we just kept shooting and kept our confidence at a high level.”
Although Michigan’s offense was inconsistent (42.1 percent shooting for the game) for much of Saturday, sophomore guard Jordan Poole had an outstanding offensive game, pouring in 19 points and connecting on four of his nine three-point attempts.
The 19 points were his most since a 22-point showing at Minnesota on Feb. 21, and his second most since pouring in 26 against South Carolina on Dec. 8.
“I was getting face guarded a lot in Big Ten play, but with Florida playing a lot of zone, I was able to get some shots I hadn’t seen in a long time,” he explained.
Being aggressive has never been an issue for Poole, although the same probably can’t be said for Livers.
The sophomore forward was crucial in Saturday’s victory, pouring in 10 points on an efficient 4-of-8 shooting from the floor.
He also (all but) sealed the deal with a monstrous two-handed slam in transition that put Michigan up 57-44 with 4:42 to go.
“Coach [DeAndre] Haynes had told me to just stick with it [on offense],” Livers revealed. “He told me I had been settling and that my usual shots weren’t dropping — he explained I needed to drive it, and that’s when I got an and-1.
“I was unselfish growing up as a point guard in high school, and would always have a ton of assists. My dad told me it’s good to be unselfish, but that I also have to be aggressive. The Michigan coaches here said the same thing, and I’ve learned when to be aggressive and when not to be. I understand that when I’m one-on-one with a defender, I have to take it to the hole.”
Livers’ aforementioned dunk (and then another one with 1:16 to go that put Michigan up 62-46) helped lead the Wolverines to the Sweet Sixteen for a third straight year, where they will face Texas Tech on Thursday.
“It’s an amazing honor to be there,” Poole exclaimed. “It shows the direction this program is heading in, and all the hard work we’ve put in over the summer and before the season began.”
If the Maize and Blue are able to pick up a victory over the Red Raiders on Thursday, it will mark the program's fourth trip to the Elite Eight in the last seven years.
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