The Michigan Wolverines have been the best story of the NCAA Tournament to this point, and have reeled off an incredible run through the Big Ten Tournament and into the Sweet 16. This would already mark a remarkable season for the Michigan program, but they want to keep their run going all the way to the Final Four in Phoenix - and they think they can carry this momentum all the way to a national title. However, a few things have to happen for that to become reality:
3) Continue their second-half dominance
Throughout this entire run, Michigan has found a way to win close game after close game. The biggest reason for that? Their red-hot shooting int he second half. In their two NCAA Tournament games, Michigan is shooting 63 percent after halftime, including a remarkable 17/27 in their upset of Louisville.
That's a far cry from their first halves, in which they are shooting just 39 percent. Give head coach John Beilein credit for his halftime adjustments to create better shots for his players, and if they can continue this trend, they will be very, very tough to beat.
2) Consistent play from Mo Wagner and D.J. Wilson
Wagner and Wilson are two of Michigan's most talented players and both have NBA futures, but those futures appeared to be a year or two down the road given their inconsistent play this season. However, in the tournament, both players are showing their skills on a more consistent basis.
Wagner's 26 points was the difference maker in the win over Louisville, while Wilson was scored at least 17 points in three straight games - something he hasn't done in his entire career. If those two can keep up this level of play, the Wolverines become a very, very different team.
1) Derrick Walton Jr.'s "Kemba moment"
As good as those two players are and have been, there is no doubting Derrick Walton Jr. as this team's leader and best player. The senior has taken his game to a new level since the start of the Big Ten Tournament, averaging 19.7 ppg and 7.0 apg. More impressively, he has routinely stepped up time after time late in games, often hitting big clutch shots. That leadership and clutch play will be even more crucial as the games become more and more important.
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