After a 23-point pounding of George Washington in the semi-finals earlier today, Michigan moves to the championship game of the four-team Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament. Standing across from them will be their second Big East foe within a week in Ed Cooley's Providence team.
Providence -- An Overview:
Picked third in the Big East, Providence has had high expectations this season with a mixture of heralded freshmen and returning players. Alpha Diallo was selected as a Preseason All-Big East First Team selection while David Duke was selected as Preseason Co-Freshman of the Year in the conference. Following a loss against Wichita State in game number two of the season, they have bounced back with a pair of victories over and Holy Cross and their victory in the semi-finals over South Carolina. In their most recent two matches, they found themselves down at the half but through a mix of a trap and press, they came back to regain the lead and ultimately take control of the game. An athletic team with plenty of length at all positions, they possess plenty to like and present some differences in team composition for the Wolverines.
Starting Five:
The Friars begin with their junior leader Alpha Diallo. Standing 6'7", Diallo was named to the preseason all-conference first team. Thus far, he's come up huge in the season averaging a double-double with 20+ points and 10+ rebounds in the first three games of the season. He wowed with several highlight reel dunks against South Carolina in Connecticut and finished with another solid 17 point, nine rebound outing. He cuts hard and strong to the basket which makes up for his lack of a serious three-point stroke, but even that has been far improved. Despite no attempts from beyond the arc against South Carolina, in the first three games of the season he went ten-for-nineteen from deep. He can play all five positions if necessary, from ball-handler to small-ball five, and averages over 35 minutes a game thus far for this team. I fully expect Charles Matthews to cover Diallo and hope to limit his output.
Providence's most touted freshman coming into the season was 6'5" guard David Duke. Ranked nationally as the 47th best freshman in the 2018 class, Duke has taken a little time to get used to the college game, but he did not disappoint against South Carolina. Duke dropped 20 on the Gamecocks on eight-for-fifteen shooting and helped lead the team to this finals berth. AAU teammates with Diallo, Duke can shoot from deep but I prefer his ability to get to the rim and play strong defense. He is supremely athletic and whoever guards him, I would expect Jordan Poole or Zavier Simpson, depending on the personnel out there surrounding him, is in for a tough test. You may note his name is also that of a prominent white supremacist. There is a fantastic article in the Providence Journal with this as a backdrop, I highly recommend checking it out.
The other key freshman for this Providence team is yet another lanky guard. 6'6" A.J. Reeves has shone in the early goings of the season to the tune of 17.7 points per game in the first three games, including 29 points in the season opener against Siena. Reeves' key attribute is his outside shooting. He went seven-for-nine in the season opener and is 11-for-21 on the season, a team-high in attempts from downtown. His immediate impact on this team has been a welcome surprise for Ed Cooley, who perhaps would have expected Duke to be the more immediate impact player. But Reeves, who finished 48th, just a spot behind his teammate in the recruit rankings, has been delightful to watch.
Kalif Young has been a key "role starter" if you will for the Friars. Averaging just 14 minutes per game, Young stands 6'9" and stands an imposing 250 pounds, but has a nice touch in the mid-range game as well. He won't take a ton of shots, but the key for him is maintaining a physical presence on the inside for Providence. With Jon Teske going to be in charge of guarding him, especially in the man-to-man, I'm looking at that post battle to be a key match-up.
Rounding out the starting five, we saw Jimmy Nichols start against South Carolina and play 18 minutes for Providence, snagging four points on a pair of shots. Nichols, a 6'8" sophomore, fits more into the mold of a lankier option to play down low, but can co-exist with Young on the court as well. He's a left-handed play with the ability to shoot from the mid-range but also gets to the rim well. Whoever Michigan's power forward is at any given time will likely be tasked with him, unless he is the center in a smaller line-up.
Bench Rundown:
Isaiah Jackson is a sixth man only in the fact that he came off the bench against South Carolina. He played 30 minutes in this afternoon's contest and would figure to play a similar role against the Wolverines. Jackson is a 6'6" senior who presents problems for any opposing defense, and Michigan will be no different. Averaging eleven points in the first three games, and chipping in nine in the semi-finals, Jackson is a strong winger who I would figure will sub in for either Young or Nichols and work on Ignas Brazdeikis and/or Isaiah Livers.
Another integral piece to the bench is 6'10" sophomore Nate Watson. While he went two-for-eight against South Carolina, before that he shot to the tune of a 71.4%. Watson will live inside the arc and play the lion's share of big man minutes. His weaker line against South Carolina will concern Providence fans as the competition he faced against the Gamecocks will be more similar to the challenges that Jon Teske will also provide. Watson's presence in the game will also likely mean we see Teske get a fair amount of minutes.
The final key man off the bench is junior Maliek White. White has struggled shooting the ball, going just four-for-nineteen thus far on the season, including the game against South Carolina, but the 6'2" guard is a smaller option coming off the bench that offers an injection of three-point shooting and play creation from a more traditionally-sized point guard if Cooley would rather have his bigger guards like Diallo and Duke moving off the ball. Also in the rotation, expect to see Makai Ashton-Langford, a more traditional 6'3" point guard who came off a disappointing freshman year. He is still dealing with the collegiate transition and still does not average double-digit minutes off the bench. He is two-for-seven from the field, four of those being threes, neither of the makes coming from long-distance.
Pre-Game Thoughts:
Michigan is in for a difficult test from another Big East team. This Friars team is long, athletic, and traps and defends very well. Michigan has seen plenty of zone, but if they are able to shoot over the top of such a long one will be interesting to see. South Carolina did and was able to find first-half freedom, but we saw that lead evaporate under the defensive pressure of Providence. This Michigan team is going to need to retain composure in order to walk out of Connecticut with a title. It was a partisan crowd in favor of the Friars, more so than any of the other three teams. They seemed to feed off that crowd with highlight plays and plenty of steals and dunks. Michigan's defense may need to get down and grind once again, and they cannot afford a slow ten minute stretch like they had against George Washington. If they can maintain the energy they've shown this season, this will be a stellar game.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well!
Providence -- An Overview:
Picked third in the Big East, Providence has had high expectations this season with a mixture of heralded freshmen and returning players. Alpha Diallo was selected as a Preseason All-Big East First Team selection while David Duke was selected as Preseason Co-Freshman of the Year in the conference. Following a loss against Wichita State in game number two of the season, they have bounced back with a pair of victories over and Holy Cross and their victory in the semi-finals over South Carolina. In their most recent two matches, they found themselves down at the half but through a mix of a trap and press, they came back to regain the lead and ultimately take control of the game. An athletic team with plenty of length at all positions, they possess plenty to like and present some differences in team composition for the Wolverines.
Starting Five:
The Friars begin with their junior leader Alpha Diallo. Standing 6'7", Diallo was named to the preseason all-conference first team. Thus far, he's come up huge in the season averaging a double-double with 20+ points and 10+ rebounds in the first three games of the season. He wowed with several highlight reel dunks against South Carolina in Connecticut and finished with another solid 17 point, nine rebound outing. He cuts hard and strong to the basket which makes up for his lack of a serious three-point stroke, but even that has been far improved. Despite no attempts from beyond the arc against South Carolina, in the first three games of the season he went ten-for-nineteen from deep. He can play all five positions if necessary, from ball-handler to small-ball five, and averages over 35 minutes a game thus far for this team. I fully expect Charles Matthews to cover Diallo and hope to limit his output.
Providence's most touted freshman coming into the season was 6'5" guard David Duke. Ranked nationally as the 47th best freshman in the 2018 class, Duke has taken a little time to get used to the college game, but he did not disappoint against South Carolina. Duke dropped 20 on the Gamecocks on eight-for-fifteen shooting and helped lead the team to this finals berth. AAU teammates with Diallo, Duke can shoot from deep but I prefer his ability to get to the rim and play strong defense. He is supremely athletic and whoever guards him, I would expect Jordan Poole or Zavier Simpson, depending on the personnel out there surrounding him, is in for a tough test. You may note his name is also that of a prominent white supremacist. There is a fantastic article in the Providence Journal with this as a backdrop, I highly recommend checking it out.
The other key freshman for this Providence team is yet another lanky guard. 6'6" A.J. Reeves has shone in the early goings of the season to the tune of 17.7 points per game in the first three games, including 29 points in the season opener against Siena. Reeves' key attribute is his outside shooting. He went seven-for-nine in the season opener and is 11-for-21 on the season, a team-high in attempts from downtown. His immediate impact on this team has been a welcome surprise for Ed Cooley, who perhaps would have expected Duke to be the more immediate impact player. But Reeves, who finished 48th, just a spot behind his teammate in the recruit rankings, has been delightful to watch.
Kalif Young has been a key "role starter" if you will for the Friars. Averaging just 14 minutes per game, Young stands 6'9" and stands an imposing 250 pounds, but has a nice touch in the mid-range game as well. He won't take a ton of shots, but the key for him is maintaining a physical presence on the inside for Providence. With Jon Teske going to be in charge of guarding him, especially in the man-to-man, I'm looking at that post battle to be a key match-up.
Rounding out the starting five, we saw Jimmy Nichols start against South Carolina and play 18 minutes for Providence, snagging four points on a pair of shots. Nichols, a 6'8" sophomore, fits more into the mold of a lankier option to play down low, but can co-exist with Young on the court as well. He's a left-handed play with the ability to shoot from the mid-range but also gets to the rim well. Whoever Michigan's power forward is at any given time will likely be tasked with him, unless he is the center in a smaller line-up.
Bench Rundown:
Isaiah Jackson is a sixth man only in the fact that he came off the bench against South Carolina. He played 30 minutes in this afternoon's contest and would figure to play a similar role against the Wolverines. Jackson is a 6'6" senior who presents problems for any opposing defense, and Michigan will be no different. Averaging eleven points in the first three games, and chipping in nine in the semi-finals, Jackson is a strong winger who I would figure will sub in for either Young or Nichols and work on Ignas Brazdeikis and/or Isaiah Livers.
Another integral piece to the bench is 6'10" sophomore Nate Watson. While he went two-for-eight against South Carolina, before that he shot to the tune of a 71.4%. Watson will live inside the arc and play the lion's share of big man minutes. His weaker line against South Carolina will concern Providence fans as the competition he faced against the Gamecocks will be more similar to the challenges that Jon Teske will also provide. Watson's presence in the game will also likely mean we see Teske get a fair amount of minutes.
The final key man off the bench is junior Maliek White. White has struggled shooting the ball, going just four-for-nineteen thus far on the season, including the game against South Carolina, but the 6'2" guard is a smaller option coming off the bench that offers an injection of three-point shooting and play creation from a more traditionally-sized point guard if Cooley would rather have his bigger guards like Diallo and Duke moving off the ball. Also in the rotation, expect to see Makai Ashton-Langford, a more traditional 6'3" point guard who came off a disappointing freshman year. He is still dealing with the collegiate transition and still does not average double-digit minutes off the bench. He is two-for-seven from the field, four of those being threes, neither of the makes coming from long-distance.
Pre-Game Thoughts:
Michigan is in for a difficult test from another Big East team. This Friars team is long, athletic, and traps and defends very well. Michigan has seen plenty of zone, but if they are able to shoot over the top of such a long one will be interesting to see. South Carolina did and was able to find first-half freedom, but we saw that lead evaporate under the defensive pressure of Providence. This Michigan team is going to need to retain composure in order to walk out of Connecticut with a title. It was a partisan crowd in favor of the Friars, more so than any of the other three teams. They seemed to feed off that crowd with highlight plays and plenty of steals and dunks. Michigan's defense may need to get down and grind once again, and they cannot afford a slow ten minute stretch like they had against George Washington. If they can maintain the energy they've shown this season, this will be a stellar game.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well!
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