Of all of the Candy 16 matchups that unfolded over the past two days, none had as many ready-made storylines because the showdown between No. 1 Auburn and No. 5 Michigan within the South Regional.
On the high of the heap was the potential for level guard Tre Donaldson to actual revenge on his former crew. Donaldson, the start line guard for the Wolverines, spent two years taking part in for Auburn earlier than transferring to Michigan forward of the present season. Then there was the Danny Wolf subplot wherein the Wolverines’ large man, who led the Huge Ten in double-doubles, was going through the crew he upset within the first spherical of final 12 months’s NCAA Event whereas taking part in for Yale. Wolf scored 13 factors and grabbed 5 rebounds in Yale’s pulsating 78-76 victory over fourth-seeded Auburn.
And at last, as of roughly 9:45 p.m. on Friday, there was the likelihood for Michigan to face archival Michigan State within the Elite Eight if the Wolverines may wiggle previous Auburn, the event’s No. 1 total seed. Michigan State narrowly defeated sixth-seeded Ole Miss within the first sport of the night at State Farm Area in Atlanta, leaving the Spartans a single win from the Remaining 4.
Sensing, maybe, the magnitude of the second — with Auburn chasing simply the third Elite Eight look in program historical past and Michigan looking for its first underneath new head coach Dusty Might — the gamers from each groups accelerated into overdrive as the sport seemed increasingly more like a sloppy, mid-summer AAU showcase. Frantic quick breaks masking each inch of the court docket produced a comedy of errors in a gap half that featured 18 mixed turnovers. There was an ill-advised lob move that sailed out of bounds and a foolish behind-the-back move that wiped away a possible layup for the Tigers. There have been guards who obtained pick-pocketed and massive males who have been stripped down low. On the sideline, the place Might and Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl have been trying to handle the chaos afflicting their respective groups, seems to be of incredulity dominated the present. The Tigers clung to a one-point lead on the break.
Backwards and forwards they went into the second half: six ties, 12 lead adjustments, neither crew pulling forward by greater than 5 factors till Wolf transformed a devilish spinning layup off the glass with 13:06 remaining. And the celebs for each applications unquestionably delivered: Wolf, who has performed his method into NBA lottery dialogue, poured in 20 factors and grabbed six rebounds; Johni Broome, who’s the first challenger to Duke’s Cooper Flagg for the Naismith Participant of the Yr award, scored 22 factors and snared 16 rebounds, together with 9 on the offensive finish. They have been the one gamers with greater than 10 factors for his or her respective groups till simply earlier than the halfway level of the second half.
However finally, and maybe inevitably, Auburn confirmed why it was thought-about the most effective crew within the nation for many of this season. With its again in opposition to the wall, Pearl’s crew reeled off an prolonged 20-2 run that remodeled a nine-point deficit right into a nine-point lead in fewer than 5 minutes of sport time. The breathtaking sequence included 4 3-pointers — three of which got here from the incandescent guard Denver Jones, who scored 13 of his 20 factors within the second half — and a handful of baskets across the rim. As the ultimate jiffy unfolded, Jones and freshman Tahaad Pettiford (20 factors) mixed to attain 16 straight whereas the Tigers constructed a double-digit lead. Pettiford’s spinning fadeaway jumper with 4:35 remaining, plus the foul, served because the metaphorical nail within the coffin for an eventual 78-65 win.
The potential for an all-Michigan affair within the Elite Eight was extinguished when the Tigers reminded everybody how good they are surely.
Michael Cohen covers school soccer and school basketball for FOX Sports activities. Comply with him on Twitter @Michael_Cohen13.
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