In what was billed to be a showdown of two elite defenses, Texas Tech completely dominated Michigan to move on to the Elite Eight behind an epic defensive display.
Texas Tech’s defense is elite. Now the Red Raiders are in the Elite 8 for a second straight year because of it.
The 2-3 matchup in the West Region promised a clash of two of the nation’s stingiest defenses, with both Michigan and Texas Tech ranking inside the top three units in terms of fewest points allowed per game. That led to a very low scoring first half, with the Red Raiders holding a 13-10 lead with just over five minutes to go before the break, but Texas Tech started to pull away after that.
The Wolverines could never get anything going against the swarming Texas Tech defense, which used a matchup zone to frustrate a Michigan team that has trouble putting the ball in the basket on a good day. The Red Raiders made tremendous use of their athleticism to constantly attack the ball, making it very hard for Michigan to even complete a pass, let alone find good shots.
As a result, the Wolverines got buried in the second half, getting outscored 39-28 after the break. Michigan was also absolutely pathetic from beyond the arc, knocking down 1-19 three-point attempts, with the one coming in the final minutes of the contest. To add insult to injury, the Wolverines shot just 32.7 percent from the field for the game.
While it may be tempting to write off this performance as a result of a completely anemic offense from Michigan, don’t forget how good Texas Tech can be. The Red Raiders held Buffalo, which entered their matchup in the Round of 32 averaging 85 points per game, to just 58 points.
Texas Tech also has a potential lottery pick on their roster in the form of sophomore forward Jarrett Culver. The Big 12 Player of the Year poured in 22 points and demonstrated some of his incredible athleticism on both ends against the Wolverines that has him rising up draft boards.
The win sets up a showdown between the Red Raiders and the West’s top seed, Gonzaga, in the Elite Eight on Saturday. The Bulldogs had a tough time with a rugged Florida State team that was down Phil Cofer and played the contest with multiple key players in foul trouble.
Gonzaga presents different matchup problems for Texas Tech since they are bigger on the interior with the dynamic duo of Brandon Clarke and Rui Hachimura, but the Red Raiders’ defense could still give the nation’s most efficient offense fits. It should be a fun one in Anaheim Saturday night when the Red Raiders try to reach the Final Four for the first time in program history.