Stopping a 'scary' team

Good morning! The good news? There’s a national title game tonight. The bad news? November is a long ways off.

Let’s get to Sunday’s college hoops news.

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1. Can UConn slow down Michigan’s historic run?

Dan Hurley knows a thing or two about dominant, scary teams. He coached one two years ago. And he knows tonight’s showdown vs. Michigan in the NCAA Tournament title game includes a scary team. It’s not often a 34-win team is a 6.5-point underdog.

“Just checking to see if there’s a judge who will let my ’24 team come back to Indy and help out,” Hurley joked.

Michigan (36-3) knows it’s capable of more excellence. It’s crushed its NCAA tourney foes thus far.

“We've talked about that. We have a team that we think is elite. But we also know that doesn't — once the ball is tipped, that means nothing,” Michigan coach Dusty May said.

“These aren't best of seven series. These are one-game seasons, and you win or go home, and we've made it this far, and I'd hate to drop the last one.”

If it’s an up-tempo game, that doesn’t bode well for UConn. Michigan is 12-0 in games with at least 75 possessions, with a scoring margin of 30 ppg.

"There’s not a team in the country that’s able to get in a track meet with us,” as wing Roddy Gayle noted Saturday night.

“We need to play the game a certain type of way where we obviously can't get into a certain type of game with Michigan,” Hurley said. "They're an incredibly dominant team, incredibly well-coached, talent up and down the roster, physically imposing, all those things.”

UConn (34-5) does have it own scary aspect in center Tarris Reed. He’s in elite company for NCAA Tournament production for points and rebounds, and has been a load for every team thus far. He didn’t overwhelm Illinois (12 points, 11 rebounds in 34 minutes) but created enough gravity with his interior presence that he essentially negated any size advantage Illinois had.

He’s been so good, Hurley joked that the big man has worked his way into his good graces. He also know that for UConn to win, Reed will need to perform against Michigan’s huge frontline.

“I've been saying that, go back six weeks, go back two months, go back three months, our season is going to be determined by what Tarris Reed does, which Tarris Reed we get, does the light switch go on for Tarris Reed,” Hurley said.

Which goes back to the scary part.

Michigan’s 7-3, 6-10, 6-9 across its frontline. Center Aday Mara was only credited with two blocks during Saturday’s win over Arizona, but his presence was the primary reason the Cats took 47.2% of their shots as mid-range jumpers. Attacking the rim is futile.

“I think when they go and get [Morez] Johnson and Mara, you're wondering how it's all going to work,” Hurley said. “Then just playing that bigger — just how big they are at the 3, 4 and 5, like, is there going to be enough spacing on the court offensively for such a huge, athletic group. They've just been dominant, just scary with the size, scary with the rebounding that they've got just a great scheme.”

Tip off is 8:49 pm ET on TBS

2. How will injuries affect Monday’s title game?

The one thing that could hamper tonight’s showdown are injuries to key players on both teams.

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