National Championship 2018: 3 keys to victory for Michigan

SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 31: Duncan Robinson #22 of the Michigan Wolverines shoots against Marques Townes #5 of the Loyola Ramblers in the second half during the 2018 NCAA Men's Final Four Semifinal at the Alamodome on March 31, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Entering the National Championship Game Monday night, the Michigan Wolverines are one step away from their ultimate goal.

The Michigan Wolverines stepped into this year’s tournament as a trendy pick to make a Final Four run.

Tonight, they have bigger things on their mind.

One of the best teams in the country is standing in their way. The Villanova Wildcats have been a juggernaut all season long.

For Michigan to break the Big Ten’s streak of six straight losses in the title game, they’ll have to be nearly flawless. Here are three keys for them to cut down the nets in San Antonio.

1. Guard the 3-point line

Villanova is one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country. They shot better than 40 percent this season from beyond the arc. The Kansas Jayhawks found that out the hard way Saturday night. The Wildcats made 13 three-pointers in the first half to stake them to a big halftime lead. They would finish the game with 18 made threes. It’s hard for any team to overcome that kind of aerial assault. It’s even more difficult when facing one of the best teams in the country. Villanova is going to make its shots. The key for Michigan is to make sure the Wildcats don’t get any good looks.

2. Get Moe Wagner post touches

Wagner is Michigan’s heartbeat. He’s the player who, if you’re a Wolverines fan, you love unconditionally. If you’re rooting against Michigan, however, he’s the villain. Wagner is also Michigan’s leading scorer. He’s been impressive in the tournament. His ability to play inside and out to space the floor is a big reason Michigan is playing in this game. Tonight, however, he needs to play like a traditional big man. Getting Wagner in the post not only gets easy buckets, but limits long rebounds. Villanova likes to get out and run in transition. Playing more traditionally will slow the game down and allow Michigan to get their defense set.

3. Play their defense

Villanova has played some good defensive teams this season. The Wildcats been able to score in spite of that. Michigan is the third best team in adjusted defensive efficiency rating, according to KenPom rankings. The saying “defense wins championships” is certainly an old-school one. But old school, in this case, does not mean outdated.

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For Michigan to win this game, it cannot get into a shootout with Villanova. The Wolverines need to grind one out. If they can do that, they’ll have a great chance to cut down the nets later this evening.