How Michigan Is Navigating The Challenges Of The Final Four
This is the biggest stage in college basketball, literally.
INDIANAPOLIS — The Final Four has engulfed the city of Indianapolis. There is no wasted space: Every fence, bridge, and building is plastered with the branding.
“Final Four: The Road Ends Here.”
There is no escaping reality. This is the biggest stage in college basketball, literally. Lucas Oil Arena is sprawling — it doesn’t even look right. The stadium is home of the Indianapolis Colts and normally houses a football field in its center, so the basketball court looks comically small in its place.
Have any of the Wolverines ever played in an arena like this? Consensus, no.
“Never in my life,” senior guard Roddy Gayle Jr. said, unsurprisingly.
Other than the expanded crowd and increased noise, playing in this massive arena provides some extra challenges. The main seating area is much further away from the hoop than it would be in a typical basketball arena, resulting in some occasional depth-perception issues.
So, in preparation for the unique situation, Michigan employed the help of the Big House.
“Back in Ann Arbor, we had a rim in the Big House just to simulate what it would look like, especially with how far the seats go up,” Gayle said. “Being able to look at that I think was great for us to just be in that moment. … Hopefully when we get out there and shoot, it won’t be as much of a problem for us.”
It’s not a perfect recreation by any means, and there’s a chance that the excursion didn’t help much at all, but it’s the Final Four, and the little things start to add up at this point in the season.
The enormous physical size of Lucas Oil Arena aside, the Wolverines are as chill as they come when talking about the moment itself. Because, to some extent, getting to the Final Four was more of an expectation than a goal for this group.
“This felt like something our guys expected, and even our fan base, it felt like they expected it a little bit, as well,” head coach Dusty May said. “And so did I because of the guys we have wearing a Michigan jersey.”
The Wolverines will still give credence to the moment — it’s not every day they get to play in the Final Four, after all — but in most aspects, they’re trying to keep things as normal as possible. What they’ve been doing has got them this far, and there’s no reason to stop now.
“It’s just staying true to what got us to this moment,” Gayle explained. “Sticking with the things that made us successful throughout the year, whether it’s film or focus or stuff like that, being able to prepare for every game like we have before.”
That’s certainly easier said than done, especially considering there will likely be more that 70,000 fans packed into the NFL arena, but Michigan is confident in its approach.
“A hoop is a hoop, a ball is a ball,” sophomore guard L.J. Cason said.
Indeed it is. The 3-point line is still 22 feet and 1.75 inches away from the hoop, and the court is still 94 feet long. Basketball is still basketball.
Regardless, there’s an ongoing balancing act at play. Michigan is trying to stay within itself and treat Saturday like just another game, but it also must acknowledge that this environment is unlike anything else the players have ever played in.
The branding on every street corner doesn’t allow for the blissful ignorance the Wolverines may try to simulate: This is the Final Four, and this is the biggest stage.
