Michigan routs FSU to reach Elite Eight: Scores, stats, highlights and 3 things we learned

Michigan basketball continued its strong March Madness run without Isaiah Livers, cruising past Florida State and into the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.

It has been a good day for the No. 1 seeds still standing in Indianapolis. Hours after Gonzaga wiped the floor with Creighton, Michigan basketball took care of business against a better opponent, handily beating 4-seed Florida State 76-58 to advance to the Elite Eight.

This marks the fourth time the Wolverines have reached the Elite Eight since 2013, tied for the most in the NCAA over that span with Gonzaga, Kentucky and Duke. On the other side, the loss from Florida State marks the end of the ACC’s run in the NCAA Tournament. A disappointing showing from the conference that prides itself on its basketball prowess.

The win was the Wolverines’ third straight without Isaiah Livers, who was officially ruled out for the remainder of the NCAA Tournament due to a lingering foot injury. A dominant performance in the paint ensured that Michigan would be fine without their key forward for another day.

Highlights from Michigan’s win over Florida State

Turnovers and points in the paint were a big key for Michigan today. That trend was set early on when Brandon Johns Jr. stole this one from the Seminoles and slammed it home for an emphatic dunk.

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Scottie Barnes is a projected lottery pick and this was likely his last game as a Seminole. Things weren’t easy for Barnes, who scored just eight points on 4-of-11 shooting, but he did make the highlight reel with this nice one-handed jam over Hunter Dickinson.

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The Wolverines also demonstrated some excellent team basketball, racking up 18 assists on the afternoon, including this pretty feed from Franz Wagner to Dickinson to set up a dunk for the fabulous freshman.

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3 takeaways from Michigan basketball’s win over Florida State

3. Michigan is finding ways to win without Isaiah Livers

A lot of pundits thought that the loss of Livers would doom Michigan but Juwan Howard has done a tremendous job reinventing his team. The Wolverines pretty much eschewed the three against Florida State, making just 3-of-11 triple tries, focusing instead on dominating the Seminoles on the interior.

The emphasis on team basketball took advantage of the Seminoles’ aggressive defense, using cuts and screens to set up players for easy looks at the basket. Michigan was able to out-rebound Florida State and nearly doubled up the Seminoles in the paint, an impressive feat against a team that was playing at a +40 margin against its opponents in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

2. Florida State really has to find a point guard

The Achilles’ heel for Florida State this season has been its point guard play, which Leonard Hamilton hasn’t been able to figure out. Ironically enough, Hamilton tore his Achilles before the tournament. The original plan to use Barnes as a big point backfired when he wasn’t quite up to the task and that lack of a floor general has led to issues with turnovers.

Michigan forced 14 turnovers against Florida State and those helped kill the momentum from the Seminoles’ offense. Guard play is a big key to advancing deep into the NCAA Tournament and Florida State can’t reach a Final Four unless Hamilton can find a true floor general in his next recruiting class.

1. Michigan might be the only team that can beat Gonzaga

Predicting a trip to the Final Four is presumptuous for Michigan, which may have to find a way to slow down Alabama to get to Saturday, but the Wolverines have to know that if they advance they will likely get a shot at Gonzaga. The Bulldogs looked dominant today but the Wolverines showed that they have all of the ingredients necessary to take down Mark Few’s undefeated juggernaut.

Michigan’s interior presence is huge, meaning the Wolverines won’t be bullied by Drew Timme like Creighton was, and they are one of the best defensive teams left in this tournament. The veteran leadership that players like Johns, Eli Brooks and Chaundee Brown provide will also ensure that the Wolverines aren’t intimidated by the moment, making them a massive threat to spoil Gonzaga’s undefeated dream.

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