Michigan 86 LSU 78

Had to do a double check:  Cameron Thomas and Javonte Smart played 40 minutes each and I do not remember seeing that in a box score.

They are the two most obvious recipients of strong-ass offers.  There is no team otherwise.

So it is nice to win against a team like that.  It would also be nice to be able to find a video of the whole game and not settle for 8 minutes of highlights.  That makes it harder to explain the whys and wherefores.

My reaction live was that it was easier than I thought it would be.  Steve Lappas is excellent as a TV analyst and at one point he said Thomas is tired.  So why not take him out?  I mean, that is not coaching at all.

Chaundee Brown and Eli Brooks both had great games.  Brooks is lethal if left open, so how about guarding him?

Lappas also said, after the first 10 minutes Michigan made Thomas work for everything, i.e., a team effort to deny him the ball and stick a hand in his face.  It worked.

Michigan getting great shots is a result of plays that screen, require motion, and create open shots.  LSU just shoots; Michigan plays unrelenting defense and eventually a lot of those shots miss.

Smart and Thomas were both 12 for 23 from the floor.  As Brian at mgoblog correctly stated in his pregame post, a lot of those shots, drives to the basket notwithstanding, are dumb, selfish, poorly-conceived 2-pointers.

Michigan's plays result in rebounds and put-backs.  LSU's offense creates scoring that can be demoralizing, plus rebounds for the other team.  Usually, and with Isaiah Livers, Michigan is better at the open-floor game too, but they still have "athletes."  In this one they had enough to stay with LSU during their spurts.

At the end of the game LSU had no clock management, 3-point strategy, turnover creation, or coaching.  Again, without the full game...  At the end they did very little.  It was a tough, back and forth game, but the ending was relatively easy.

Cam Thomas can go to the NBA.  Will Wade can go f*** himself.  Michigan advances.

Florida State.  We've seen them before.  Size isn't everything.

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