Previewing No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 Texas Tech: Date, Time, Location, Spread

Overview

Matchup: No. 2 seed Michigan vs. No. 3 seed Texas Tech

Date: Thursday, March 28

Time: 9:39 p.m. ET

Channel: CBS

Location: Anaheim

Spread: Michigan -2

How they got here:

Michigan def. No. 15 seed Montana, No. 10 seed Florida

Texas Tech def. No. 14 seed Northern Kentucky, No. 6 seed Buffalo

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The No. 1 and No. 2 teams in adjusted defensive efficiency will meet in Anaheim on Thursday night.

The first one to 60 might win the showdown between No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 Texas Tech, the latter of which is the stingiest defense in the country, just half a point ahead of the Wolverines.

Michigan has a bulldog of a point guard in Zavier Simpson at the point of attack defensively and 6-6 wing Charles Matthews is an elite perimeter defender. Center Jon Teske, 7-1, anchors the interior.

The Wolverines are actually below average in terms of defensive turnover percentage, but they take away 3-point attempts and makes, and restrict ball movement, forcing opponents into isolation possessions.

Just 29.9 percent of Michigan’s opponents’ field goal attempts are from three, which is the third-lowest percentage nationally. If they manage to get a 3-point attempt off, they shoot just 29 percent from behind the arc, so teams don’t take or make many threes against the Wolverines.

Almost 60 percent of opponents’ points against Michigan are from 2-point range, which is the highest in the country.

Texas Tech, meanwhile, is much more likely to force a turnover or block a shot than Michigan.

The Red Raiders’ 23.1 percent defensive turnover rate ranks 10th in the country and they’re seventh nationally with a 15.4 percent block rate, in large part because of springy grad transfer Tariq Owens, who blocks 12 percent of opponents’ shots when he’s on the floor.

On the perimeter, guards Jarrett Culver and Matt Mooney are both nationally ranked on kenpom.com for their steal percentages. It’s especially tough to score on Texas Tech inside the arc, where opponents are shooting just 41.4 percent on twos – almost 10 percent below the national average.

If you put every player from both teams onto a court and had two captains pick teams gym-class style, Culver would be the No. 1 pick.

But you could make the case Michigan would have at least the next three picks.

In addition to having the best defenses in the country, Michigan and Texas Tech have good, but not elite, offenses. They rank 12th and 15th in offensive efficiency among teams in the Sweet 16, respectively.

Texas Tech guard Davide Moretti is making 45 percent of his threes, including a ridiculous 53 percent in Big 12 play, and reserves Deshawn Corprew and Kyler Edwards are both 41 percent 3-point shooters.

For Michigan, reserve forward Isaiah Livers is a 43 percent 3-point shooter, followed by forward Ignas Brazdeikis (40.6%) and guard Jordan Poole (37.5%).

Michigan has become a second-weekend staple with a national runner-up finish in 2013, an Elite Eight run in 2014, making the Sweet 16 in 2017, another national runner-up finish last year, and now another tournament run.

It’s only Year 3 of the Chris Beard era at Texas Tech but the Red Raiders appear to be on a similar trajectory as they play for their second Elite Eight appearance in as many seasons.

Michigan is projected to win 62-61, according to kenpom.com, so while it’ll likely be a lower-scoring game, it might be the most competitive of any matchup in the Sweet 16.

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