This year’s NCAA Tournament is unlike any other, with every game being played in the state of Indiana and all contests taking place in Indianapolis from here on out. The Michigan Wolverines’ basketball team (and others) have handled the enclosed environment well so far, having beaten Texas Southern, 82-66, in the first round and LSU, 86-78, in the second.
Michigan assistant coach Phil Martelli knows a thing or two about deep NCAA Tournament runs and how to conduct a squad during them, having taken his 1997 Saint Joseph’s club to the Sweet Sixteen and his 2004 team to the Elite Eight.
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This year is the first NCAA Tournament U-M head man Juwan Howard has ever coached in, with Martelli serving as an excellent right-hand man to help show the 48-year old what and what not to do in a “one-and-done, quick turnaround” environment like the Big Dance.
“I got really concerned the first four days of the Tournament, because I thought our guys were watching too much basketball,” Martelli said this morning on the 97.1 The Ticket radio station.
“Illinois went down as a No. 1 seed, so now does that add pressure on us when we were heading into our game against LSU? I know the guys are basketball fans and they have social media where people talk about every game, and there are TVs on every room, but it’s still a challenge.
“In the NBA last year, the Clippers and Bucks were the two best teams and neither one made their conference finals. Something about the bubble [environment] cracks that team shield, so to speak.
“The joy of practice has been terrific. Now all 16 teams are in the same hotel. Our guys are used to going to hotels and playing a game or two a day, and then going back to the hotel.
“Juwan and our support staff have done a terrific job making sure the players take care of their school work, tutoring meetings, and then handle basketball joyfully when it’s basketball time.
“We’re one of 16 teams left in the country and we’re allowed to enjoy it.”
It took a hard-fought 86-78 win over LSU Monday night to get to this point, with a pair of senior guards in Eli Brooks and Chaundee Brown stepping up and pouring in 21 points apiece.
The scoring outburst from Brown in particular came as a surprise. The 6-5 senior guard was in the midst of a significant offensive slump, having averaged just 4.8 points per game over U-M’s previous eight games heading into the LSU matchup.
He had also endured two scoreless outings during that span — the 69-50 beatdown of Michigan State March 4 and the 82-66 win over Texas Southern in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
“It was huge,” Martelli exclaimed, raving about Brown’s performance against the LSU Tigers. “When we all sat around in between games and asked each other what a key was [against LSU], [assistant coach] Howard Eisley pointed out first what was on everybody’s mind — that we had to get Chaundee going again.
“He didn’t score against Texas Southern and didn’t have a great game against Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals either [scoured just three points]. We needed Chaundee back.
“I like that he played more in the midrange — the analytics might say not to play him that way, but his film from Wake Forest shows that’s what he is. He has had tremendous energy on defense all year long and is a remarkable teammate on a team full of remarkable teammates.
“It was great to see him score the ball and we’re going to need the same thing on Sunday against Florida State.”
The Wolverines and Seminoles will square off Sunday at 5:00 PM ET, with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line. The two teams last met in the 2018 Elite Eight, with Michigan winning a 58-54 defensive slugfest.
The narrative is a bit different this time around, with both clubs now residing as two of the best offensive teams in the country — U-M ranks 18th nationally in field goal percentage (48.5) and Florida State 26th (47.7).
“It’s a very challenging matchup,” Martelli said. “FSU is my scout [assignment], and someone recently asked me what I think — I said I just hope we can complete a pass, and I don’t mean that tongue in cheek.
“They’re so aggressive and stand up the floor against you so if we make the first pass in our offense, we’ll be fine. At the other end, we have to limit them to one shot. They’re shooting the heck out of the ball — they’re No. 1 in the ACC in three-point percentage, so they know how to score.
“Everyone thinks of them as big, long and a defensive team. I had a friend from Philly tell me this game will be in the mid-50s, but that won’t be good enough if that’s the case — we need to play in the mid-70s to give ourselves that chance.
“We need to complete a pass every possession and limit them to one shot, and we’ll be fine.”
Notes
• After averaging 15.3 points per game in Michigan’s three outings prior to the LSU showdown, fifth-year senior point guard Mike Smith struggled mightily against the Tigers. He only scored five points, shot just two-of-eight from the field and turned the ball over four times, looking a bit rattled at times for seemingly the first time all year.
“He needs to respond and we need to get him back to that game he had against Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament,” Martelli admitted, referring to the quarterfinal win over the Terrapins when Smith scored 18 points and handed out 15 assists.
“There will be opportunities to dribble by people, and it’s not always to do it for yourself, but to share with your teammates. Mike has a great attitude and accepts responsibility for not playing well against LSU.
“We’re an older team — Mike is a fifth-year player, but it’s his first time on this stage. I expect good things to happen.”
• Despite being out with injury, senior forward Isaiah Livers is still making his presence felt on the sidelines. He was spotted numerous times during the first two NCAA Tournament games not only cheering on his teammates enthusiastically, but also providing advice and teaching points.
“I spent time with him after Monday’s game in the meeting room and told him how remarkable it was,” Martelli said. “I had not seen the TV clips of him all over the highlights. In the timeout huddles, he was finishing timeouts with a thought.
“Juwan would deliver the thought and Isaiah would follow it up. I asked him to keep close tabs on [freshman forward Terrance] Williams and [junior forward Brandon] Johns and he’s done that all year, giving them small tidbits.
“This is a challenging time for Isaiah, but he just handles himself like a senior in college.”
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