The 2018 Final Four will bring us four fantastic offensive teams making it an extremely appealing three games. The two sides of the brackets as they unfolded seemed to be lopsided. It looked as if we’d get top seeds on the right while the left side was always going to look, let’s say, a little different. Forget the seeds when looking at this matchup on the left side though, Both Michigan and Loyola-Chicago are high-level teams. Both guard well and know how to share the ball offensively. For all the talk of the of the upsets, we will still be treated to a fantastic contest.
2018 Final Four
Loyola-Chicago Ramblers
Loyola Chicago is no Cinderella, this team does not fit that narrative. The Ramblers from Chicago are simply just a good team, with a great offense and in sync team defense. When you watch this team play one can’t possibly look at them and call them Cinderella. This same team went into Gainesville earlier this year and knocked off a ranked Florida Gators team. This same team has lost but just five games all year, three of which came without Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year winner Clayton Custer. Oh, and by the way, Custer was a top 100 recruit who played his freshman year at Iowa State. So no this Loyola team is not a Cinderella and they are very capable of winning not just this game against Michigan but this entire tournament.
For the first time since 1963, Loyola Chicago is heading to the Final Four!
The 11 seed wins the south region!pic.twitter.com/Q5IYS2ejDA
— Def Pen Sports (@DefPenSports) March 25, 2018
The Ramblers share the ball beautifully on offense, passing up good shots for great shots. Many have compared their passing and unselfishness to that old 2014 San Antonio Spurs team in terms of the way they move the ball. Loyola has yet to see a defensive team like Michigan though. Michigan comes in with a top five defense on KenPom. The Ramblers will need to knock down more than a few threes like Ben Richardson was able to do last week against Kansas State. If the Ramblers are able to crack that tough Michigan defense you could just be seeing some more of Sister Jean.
Michigan Wolverines
John Beilein has always been an offensive genius. His offense won Trey Burke, almost a sweep of the National Player of the Year awards during the 2012-2013 season. The Wolverines back cut, screen, and shoot to perfection almost every year. They are consistently a tough guard, but this year they have actually begun to guard on the other end themselves. Beilein’s squads have never been known for defense but with this team, it has become their identity. They don’t shoot it as well as previous Michigan teams, and their point guard play is spotty but they can really make the game dirty. That is why Beilein may be in line for his first national title this weekend.
Michigan hangs on to win the West Region!
They're moving on to the #FinalFour!pic.twitter.com/tCV87R19FP
— Def Pen Sports (@DefPenSports) March 25, 2018
The team is led by a German seven-footer who can stretch the floor and a host of young wings including last-second hero Jordan Poole. Charles Matthews, a Kentucky transfer has also been a huge part of their run and has been their second-leading scorer on the season. This team has learned how to win without their threes falling which is how they’ve gotten to this point. The Wolverines have been hot for the better part of two months now and haven’t lost since February 6th. This game is a battle between the two hottest teams entering the tournament and now one’s double-digit win streak will end come Saturday.
