March Madness has been nothing short of entertaining so far and it continued to be brilliant as #3 Oregon faced off against #7 Michigan in a sweet sixteen match up. Before the game began I was anxious to see how the Michigan Men's basketball team would play against the highly ranked PAC12 team. Everyone knew that they would play behind their starting guard Derrick Walton Jr. who averaged 15.4 PPG in the regular season. After playing in practice jerseys against Illinois after their plane went haywire on the runway in early March, the team has been on fire and sought to continue their dominant hot streak in the NCAA Basketball tournament.
As far as Oregon is concerned, they have been scorching hot all season long finishing with an overall record of 32-5. Their highest scorer Dillon Brooks averaged 16.4 PPG while their star forward Jordan Bell crashed the boards averaging 8.3 rebounds a night. With both teams experiencing regular season success, it was no surprise that the matchup would be one to remember.
How it all went down
Consistent scoring was the theme for the night. After the first half of play the score was almost identical. Oregon led the charge by two 35-33. The second half of play would be the same, consistent scoring and good defense. In the end, the small mistakes would end up shooting Michigan in the foot. Although the score would say Michigan played a well balanced game, the stat sheet would report otherwise.
The Wolverines hurt themselves in the areas it counted most. With a team total of eight turnovers and being out-rebounded by five, Oregon was able to hold the Wolverines off in the remaining seconds of the game. Tyler Dorsey and Derrick Walton Jr. both brought in twenty points for their respected teams. The difference was Oregon's Jordan Bell and his thirteen rebounds, one of which sealed the game.
After a hard fought playoff run, Michigan was eliminated.
How far can Oregon go?
Oregon has a tough road to travel if they plan on taking home the title. Their next matchup will be the winner of the #1 Kansas vs #4 Purdue. The team will face problems when trying to stop Kansas' Josh Jackson who has been lighting up teams with his athletic play. The Ducks will continue to fight on and play their way through the march madness!
