In this episode of The Michigan Basketball Insider, Sam Webb and Tim McCormick discuss Michigan’s run to the Sweet 16, highlighting the team’s continued resilience and coaching adjustments. They praised Roddy Gayle’s brilliant effort versus Texas A&M and the mental toughness he showed in the months leading up to it to never give up on shooting the basketball. They also highlighted LJ Cason’s crucial ability to attack the Aggies off the dribble. From there Tre Donaldson’s growth into a clutch player was discussed, noting his key performances against Maryland, Wisconsin, and Texas A&M. They also credited Dusty May’s strategic changes and the team’s improved defense and rebounding. Then, despite being 10-point underdogs against Auburn, Tim predicted that Michigan’s depth and May’s superior coaching acumen compared to Bruce Pearl would lead to a one-point victory for the Wolverines. They emphasized the importance of avoiding foul trouble for Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf in order to get the W, potentially setting up a Michigan-Michigan State Elite Eight matchup.

In the excerpt below, Tim shares his prediction for the game.

Sam Webb: “Bench production… (Michigan) finally got it in a huge way (versus Texas A&M). And hopefully that’s something that can really continue moving forward against an Auburn team that’s a no. 1 overall seed for a reason. They’re deep, they’re talented, they’re veteran, they’re well coached… they have it all, Tim. So, no one’s really picking Michigan to win this game. I think Dick Vitale did, but outside of Dickie V, no one’s really giving Michigan a shot in this game.”

Tim McCormick: “Yeah, and I see it. Michigan started out a 10-point underdog. That’s a really big number for a team that’s won five straight against really good comp. I watched Auburn play in November and December and January and February, and each time I said the same thing, ‘this is the best team in college basketball. They’re loaded with depth and scoring weapons. And regardless of how the bracket looks, I’m going to pick them to win my national championship.’ And I did that. Michigan to me does have a few advantages that I’d like to highlight. And these advantages are things that if they happen, Michigan is going to have a chance to win the game.”

“First of all, Friday night, we will see Jennifer Garner and Charles Barkley more than we see the basketball players because the commercials are nonstop. They go on forever, super long TV breaks. Why is that Michigan’s advantage? Because I would go in telling Vlad and Danny Wolf, ‘you guys are going to play 35 minutes, so be ready to go. I’m not taking you out.’ They have to avoid foul trouble. Michigan gets beat by 20 points if either one of those guys gets in bad foul trouble. So that’s a plus for Michigan. They’ve got to keep their two big guys on the court together. They’ve got to have huge games. Those two big guys need to combine for 40.”

“Second thing, Dusty May is a better coach than Bruce Pearl. He’s got to mix his defenses, be able to keep Auburn off balance, and speed up the tempo. I think Michigan needs this to be a high scoring game with low turnovers. Bruce Pearl relies on his players heavily. I’ve known him since he was at Milwaukee. I knew him at Tennessee. I knew him at Auburn. I think that Dusty May needs to be worth 10 to 12 points in this game with really good after-timeout plays, baseline-out-of-bounds plays. He’s got to have a big impact.”

“And then the last one is that I think that Roddy Gayle and Nimari Burnett need to combine for 20 points. I think that they need to combine for five threes. And if that happens, they’ll have a balanced offense, and Michigan will have a chance to compete.”

Sam Webb: “Yeah, I think this is a big game for Tre Donaldson.”

Tim McCormick: “Why did he leave, do you think? Why did he leave Auburn?”

Sam Webb: I think he didn’t see an opportunity for him to flourish in the kind of role that he was going to have at Michigan. I think when you look at the role that he had last year, he didn’t see an opportunity for it to be any more than what it was. Maybe it was going to even be diminished further. I think the opportunity to be the guy was enticing to him. And it wound up to me to be obviously the right decision because he is the lead guard for Michigan. And this is an opportunity for him to really (shine with the) spotlight on in that moment to go out there and to make the most of it… to show his former team (what it let get away). And not necessarily make it all about him, but at the same time to kind of show, see, this is what I could have done… this is what I could have been if I had stayed there. Again, you can’t make it be all about you, but you can still make a point at the same time. And if Tre has the kind of game he had against UCLA, for instance, if he has the kind of game he had against Braden Smith, if Tre has one of his better games, I think that is the recipe for Michigan winning this game. It goes without saying about your bigs, but I think about A&M winning, I think Wade Taylor went off from three in that contest. And I just think that Tre in this contest having three or four threes is going to be part of the formula for him going off for close to 20 points and Michigan and getting a victory. If they fall short of that, it’s going to be a tough row to hoe.”

Tim McCormick: “And it’s so impressive how good offensively this Auburn team is, because Aden Holloway is at Alabama. And he was like the equal to Tre Donaldson. And the fact that you could lose two point guards… their guard play is fascinating to me. Their perimeter guys… this is a team that plays like the Boston Celtics. They can really surround Johni Broome with four shooters. I’m not sure how you cover them. They are so good.”

Sam Webb: “That is going to be very key to say the least. Michigan has been doing a really good job of being disciplined defensively. You want to contest without being too vulnerable for blow-bys. I think that watching them in some games, I’ve questioned their ability to keep guys in front of them. Closing out, not under control had been an issue with some of these games. And so it’s going to be a real challenge, I think, in this contest to play good sound perimeter defense and not leave yourself vulnerable to those blow-bys and compromise those big fellas who you so aptly pointed out… you cannot get them in foul trouble. You cannot have those guys off the court to the point where you’re almost coaching your guys up and saying, ‘hey fellas, ‘we have got to be really mindful (shots you choose to contest and rebound you choose to go after).’ There was a foul that Vlad got where he was kind of reaching for a rebound in there, and it was kind of a question like, man, that’s one of those where if you’re Dusty, he (probably looked at Vlad) like, ‘you’ve got to be calculated…. You’ve got to be smart with these opportunities… be judicious with what you go for, Vlad, because we need you on the floor. Every foul is precious, especially in a game like this.'”

Tim McCormick: “Yeah, and I know you’ve heard me say this many times on this podcast. I’ve had coaches in the past that told me, if you’re a starting center, you’ve got to get to the first TV timeout with zero fouls. Because if you get a quick one, you’re automatically in foul trouble. You know that if you get no. 2, your minutes are probably cut in half the rest of the first half. You’re going to be sitting, you hurt the team. And I really worry about that because Broome is a smart player. He’s physical, and this is a team that drives. And if the perimeter guys can contain the perimeter guys, the perimeter shooters and drivers, that’s going to make a big difference. But if they allow penetration, your big guys get in foul trouble, game over.”

Sam Webb: “So, I’m going to put you on the spot, Tim, as we close things out. Does Michigan beat Auburn? And then, do we see a Michigan-Michigan State Elite Eight matchup?”

Tim McCormick: “You know, I had made the point early this year that Auburn was the best team in the country. And I believe that. But I think that Michigan is on such a high right now, I’m going to go ahead and say Michigan wins by one.”

Sam Webb: “Oh! If Michigan beats Auburn, they’re going to the Final Four. Just book it. Book your tickets to San Antonio. If Michigan beats Auburn, go buy your tickets, people. Go buy your tickets. Just book it. The goal is set. Book your hotels. Get your vacation time ready. They’re going. If Auburn goes down, see you in San Antonio!”

Tim McCormick: “It’s going to be a tough one, Sam, but at this point, they win close games. So, let’s give them that opportunity.”

For more, watch the full video on The Michigan Insider’s YouTube channel: CLICK HERE

Contents and episode notes:

00:00 – Start of show

• Sam introduces Tim McCormick.
• Sam gives credit to Tim McCormick for the correct prediction in UM vs UCSD game.
• Tim gives thoughts on the turnaround and gives an example of a previous year.
• Tim credits and praises Dusty May.

03:45 – Sam on Dusty realizing Michigan needed to be more physical

• Sam credits Dusty for saying he needed to adapt.
• Tim respects Michigan not giving up and coming back in games.
• Tim thought it may be over after the Michigan State game.

06:20 – It was a season of growth

• Michigan learned how to win in clutch.
• Sam says Tre Donaldson grew as the season went on.
• Sam says in the post season, when Donaldson has been asked to step up, he has.
• Michigan also grew defensively, especially towards the end of the season.
• Tim gives praises to Tre Donaldson.

11:30 – On the A&M game

• Sam says that with 8 minutes to go against A&M, Michigan turned it up a notch defensively.
• Tim credits Michigan’s increased success with rebounding.
• Tim says Tre Donaldson had 6 rebounds.
• Sam says you didn’t expect Michigan to out-rebound A&M.

15:55 – On rebounding and other improvements

• Tim says that Michigan made threes when needed against A&M.
• Tim praises Michigan’s rebounding against A&M.
• Tim also recognizes Michigan having single digit turnovers.
• Sam also credits Dusty May for making adjustments and his coaching with Roddy.

20:20 – More on Roddy Gayle

• Sam says that Dusty did a great job in encouraging Roddy to keep shooting.
• Tim said that Roddy lost confidence in the Big Ten due to size.
• Tim felt like Roddy would see the rim more against UCSD and just needed some buckets to get back his confidence.
• Tim says Roddy had 37 points combined against UCSD and Texas A&M.

25:00 – On Lj Cason

• Sam says his aggression attacking the rim was crucial vs. Texas A&M.
• Sam says bench production was great and hopes Michigan gets it against Auburn.
• No one is picking Michigan against Auburn.
• Tim says Auburn is the best team and he picked Auburn to win it all.
• Tim says Michigan does have a few advantages in this game.
• Tim says Michigan has to avoid foul trouble.
• Tim says Dusty is a better coach than Bruce Pearl.
• Tim says that Roddy and Nimari have to combine for 20 points.

31:25 – More on Auburn and keys for Michigan victory

• Tim is impressed with Auburns’ guard play given what they lost.
• Sam says the key will be being disciplined defensively for Michigan.
• Sam says Michigan cannot be in foul trouble.
• Tim says Michigan has to get to the first tv timeout with no fouls.
• Tim predicts a Michigan victory by 1 point.

35:53 – End of show

Not a VIP subscriber to The Michigan Insider? Sign up now and get access to everything TMI has to offer on all things Michigan and access to the No. 1 site covering the Wolverines.

Want the latest news on Michigan delivered right to your email? Subscribe to The Michigan Insider newsletter here. It is free and a great way to get daily updates on Michigan football, basketball, baseball, recruiting, and more delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign up for FREE text alerts on The Michigan Insider to get breaking news on commitments, decommitments, transfers, injuries, coaching changes, and more with our NEW text alert system available to all registered users and VIP subscribers. Click here to become a FREE registered user and Click here if you are already a VIP subscriber then follow these directions to set up your text alerts.