PREVIEW: John Fanta joins to preview FINAL FOUR between Michigan Wolverines and Arizona Wildcats

It's the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day.

The final four is tomorrow and we've got NBC Sports John Fanta helping us break down

Michigan versus Arizona right here on this episode of Lockdown Wolverines.

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We have a special guest who you can see over to my side if you're watching and if you're

listening, then you can't, but none of us NBC Sports and DraftKings, John Fanta, all

things, bass college, basketball, super excited to have you, man.

I'm great to be with you, my friend and what a time this is for the Michigan Wolverines

looking to end that big 10 national championship drought is so much fun and, you know, right

off the top, yes, it's great to be on with your representing DraftKings.

It's such a fun time of year and DraftKings is certainly where it's at.

There's a super app in the works as well, which is pretty awesome.

And a lot of fun to be had on DraftKings is final four weekend.

A lot of fun to be had in Indianapolis, my friend, because here's the thing.

The Wolverines meet Arizona and I don't know about you.

I can't wait to watch the front court showdown at Lucas Oil, say him just to see the size

on the interior and what happens in this clash of the tightness.

See, and that's where we'll start off with I was going to get your general thoughts

on Michigan.

Actually, weirdly, I'll do that here momentarily, but the one of the things that I'm looking

at here is just the matchups and the fact that the front court for both teams, but

especially how Michigan matches up against Arizona, that's a really intriguing matchup

to me.

What are your thoughts about how that particular part of the game, where does Michigan have

advantages?

Where does Michigan not have advantages?

Well, look, a Diamar and Morris Johnson are just huge.

They can bear down on you and the ability for Michigan to give them paint touches.

I think when people hear paint touches, they then think, okay, back you down and then

finish.

Look, Michigan can do that.

And defensively, they're elite.

I think where Michigan has an advantage over Arizona in this matchup is the ability to

pass out of the paint and hit timely threes in rhythm threes.

So I'm actually looking at it from the opposite side.

I think Arizona's like, okay, defensively, we got a lot going on these guys.

We can't let them get to the rim easily.

Yaxel and the Borges from the Swiss Army night.

Arizona, they don't have the sheer collection of the Mari Burnett, Roddy Gale, Levenelia

Kido and his shot making, Trey McKinney, even Will Chatter who could step in and make

a shot.

Like the fact is that depth in shooting is a very important part of this game.

And that's where Michigan can can find some sort of a difference.

And then defensively, look, Arizona has been in the bottom 20 in college basketball and

relying on the three point shot.

Well, Michigan challenges you at the rim every single trip down.

So their ability to do that, their ability to stay out of foul trouble, be very important

in this game.

Arizona leads all teams in the tournament with 88 fouls drawn, that's 11 more than anybody

else.

All right, sorry, sorry, the little, little pause there, I think we're struggling a little

with the internet, but nonetheless, I mean, that is, I think one of the biggest keys

for Michigan is to be able to score the three.

This is one of the first times that we're going to see a team that Michigan's going up

against that does not need to, like they still need to defend the perimeter, but it's not

maybe as much of an issue as it was against, say, Alabama or St. Louis or just, you know,

look at the big 10 schedule and the teams that were able to beat Michigan, I think though,

you mentioned being able to kick it out.

How important is it for Michigan's front court to perform, or sorry, back court to perform,

but considering we've seen games where LA at Kadoa and Amari Burnett disappear, what

does that match up look like in your eyes?

Well, they can't disappear in this game and LA Kadoa needs to play a big time game or

else Michigan is going to lose this game because Jaden Bradley is outstanding.

I mean, Jaden Bradley has been a phenomenal point guard and Braden Burries is a winner

in every sense of that term.

Now, Burnett, he's got the composure piece, he's got great experience.

They're going to rely on that in this game, his ability to make plays, his ability to

make shots.

How that match up goes, that match up, like this is LA Kadoa putting on the cape and

wearing that point guard uniform and wearing it with toughness and grit on both ends of

the floor, because Bradley, Jaden, I think he plays bigger than his body.

You know, I really do.

He's got some toughness to him, he's got, but so does Kadoa.

So it's a swagger match up at point guard and you've got to play within yourself.

Like you can't try to do too much and that's the biggest thing that Kadoa's got to be ready

for on this stage.

We know he's a superb talent.

His ability to change the pace is big because in a game with elite defense on the interior,

how do you break through?

Get some tempo.

So look for Kadoa, some of that innovativeness to his game, the ability to sort of make a

play when there's nothing there or do something that's unscripted, that's could be helpful

for Michigan in this game and it's where Kadoa could have the edge.

It's going to be really interesting to see like because Michigan does like to play in

so many different ways.

They've shown that they are the type of team that can beat you any way that you want

to play.

We know on this side here at Lockdown Wolverines, what Michigan brings to the table, could

you explain more about Arizona and the challenge that they pose for this Michigan team, especially

just their style of play?

Well, they're so physical.

Coa Pete is incredibly plays like a football player and they loaded up on the interior

of themselves.

Tobie Awaka comes off the bench.

Mo Kriva has been fantastic for this team and I think they've got an X factor to this

game.

One of their X factors is Anthony Delorso.

He can stretch the floor.

He can't get half from three.

He will be vital in this matchup if he can get cooking from there.

But for Arizona, they're not going to be confused as an elite shot making team from

the perimeter.

They make timely threes.

They don't take a lot of them.

I wouldn't surprise me at all.

They shot like five of nine from three tomorrow.

It's kind of how they're constructed.

If it's a three that they're taking, it's an open high percentage look for them.

They're not looking to get 35 up the game and not looking to get 28 up the game.

They are a team that wants to wear you down inside.

They remind me of the Gonzaga team that went to the final four, went to the title and lost

to Carolina in 2017.

You know, they remind me of that team that made a deep run.

And Tommy Lloyd, he was an assistant for Mark few during that run.

So I think for Gonzaga, it's for Arizona, rather, their ability to get to the rim

and is what they need to do.

But Michigan keeps you from getting to the rim at all costs.

So I'm really, really intrigued to see how that dynamic place and knowing Arizona gets

to the free throw line more than any other team in this tournament.

But two teams get to the free throw line against Michigan, not typically.

So Arizona, Jayden Bradley's got around the show and Braden Burries.

Burries as a freshman has made so many big time shots.

He's got to do it again.

So Linda Borg versus Pete Showdown, get your popcorn.

That's actually what I'm going to want to talk about next.

We're going to return with John Fanta from NBC sports and draft kings.

We're going to do that here in just a moment.

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to claim your three month John Fanta returns with us, got a few more minutes with John.

I want to I want to delve a little bit deeper into like I'm sure Michigan's going to

just switch things up to some degree.

You'll see some yaxle on co up heat.

You'll see some you'll see a morez Johnson there.

You'll see yaxle on Anthony Dolorso as well.

I'm just curious because I feel like and you can correct me if I'm wrong, but I kind

of feel like yaxle is going to end up being somewhat of the X factor in the game.

For either team, right?

Like I understand like there's playmakers on both teams, but to me, it feels like

yaxle is kind of the linchpin.

If he plays the way that he kind of was expected to, that could play or yeah, play the difference

in this game.

What are your thoughts on how yaxle can impact this game in particular?

Well, look, when he plays his best game, he's one of the three best players in the sport

because he's so versatile and he does so much for his team.

So there's not one singular matchup defensively to guard yaxle end aboard.

He's a wrecking ball and he makes his way to the lane and great things happen whether

he's making a play for his teammate or he's making a tough shot.

Dusty may brought yaxle end aboard to Ann Arbor for a reason to win championships in

the big 10 and an actual title.

And yaxle is a game record, like a defensive end in football.

That wing who does it all, he could wreck the game.

I don't care what Arizona scheme is, yaxle end aboard can break through that, break a

defense down and just take on the alpha roll, who's going to be the alpha?

You know that both these teams have candidates, but as you know, it's hard for that person

to be the center.

It's hard for that person to be the big man because you got to give them touches and

whatnot.

Yaxle end aboard can be that center piece to this game where he feasts the opportunities

there for him.

It's why he came to Michigan.

The table set.

Let's see if he does in fact go to eat.

The other the other aspect of the game that I think is obviously key for Michigan.

We've touched down the front court of which yaxle, you know, can play front door back.

But the matchup between a die Mara and Mo crevice to me, that is pretty much of equal

importance because we've seen Mara kind of disappear in some of these games, but when

everything kind of runs through Mara, I feel like you see a lot of Michigan, that's

where Michigan tends to dominate.

What are your thoughts about that matchup as well?

Well, I think that that is what what's going to be interesting is can either get

an early fall on the other because then that could change the tenor of it.

Mara, I mean, he had my vote for national defensive player of the year.

That's how that's what kind of defensive player I think that he is.

His ability to get stops and challenge you at the rim.

Crevice has seen a lot of size, but the size of Mara is just different.

You know, what's going to be interesting too is like short role defense, pick him role

defense.

Michigan plays drop coverage, but like we talked about before, Arizona is not a team

that, that, you know, that then launches from three very often.

Will they early?

Well, well, because Michigan's going to, I think Michigan's going to say, you know what?

We'll make it that type of game.

You want to make it three point contest, Arizona?

It's not your bread and butter.

Go ahead.

You know, we will dare that early on and then we'll adjust if it's not going well for

us.

Arizona can't hit the three, but you know, that, that, that drop coverage is so successful

because Mara is just ready at the rim and he's, he's the enforcer, okay?

So Mara and Crevice on paper, avenge Mara, that's how good of a player a die is.

I think for Michigan and for any team playing Arizona and really any team playing Michigan,

that's what makes it such a great matchup.

You got to be ready to punch.

You got to be ready for the fight because it's a battle.

It's a battle rooted in physicality.

Mara's just got to be ready for Crevice, Pete Awaka.

They're going to be, they're going to be trying to land the first punch.

They're going to try to mobilize Mara.

I don't know how successful they'll be, but they're going to try to.

Last one for you, what, what am I missing in this game?

Like what, when you look at all the storylines, everything that's, you know, we've obviously

covered this game from kind of a broad brush so far.

What am I missing?

What are you looking forward to in this game that maybe, whether it's me,

or just, just generally that people aren't really necessarily paying enough attention

to that is going to play a huge factor in this one.

Two things.

Number one, Dusty may spend to a final four.

That matters.

When he steps on the floor, as a head coach, he's been to a final four.

Time and Lloyd has been as an assistant.

It's a different monster when you're a head coach.

Dusty knows this stage.

He knows what to expect.

He's going to be ready for that.

Here's the second thing.

I can't tell you how many times I've covered these games in the final four, and it's always

an unlikely hero, an unlikely supplementary shot maker.

Michigan's got the edge there.

You know, they don't be surprised if a train McKinney hits three threes or a Roddy Gale hits

three, three threes in this game or in the Mari Burnett has 18 points.

And you look up and you're like, wow, you know, he really stepped up.

Lendaborg and Kado were good, but they don't win the game without this guy.

Delorso does that for Arizona.

Michigan's got to make sure Anthony Delorso, there's been a couple times this year in the

big 12, you know, against elite teams, he would get hot and then they would win.

So who is the microwave?

That's who I'm looking at tomorrow.

Like I think in a game with elite two point defense, who can generate some tempo is going

to be very important, but to me, the supplemental shot making, there's going to be room for open

threes.

Michigan's got more shooters than Arizona.

Does it show up when these two teams clash?

Love the microwave reference is someone who grew up in the shadow of the palace of

Auburn Hills.

Um, thanks, John.

We appreciate you so much.

We're going to continue on here, but that's John Fanta from NBC Sports and draft kings.

Anything you want to promote before, before we move off?

Well, we've got, we've got a super app coming at draft kings and, you know, betting, uh,

do it responsively.

It's supposed to be four fun.

And it is for fun when, when we all get rolling with the draft king sports book has so many

tremendous offerings that you can check out.

That super app is going to be outstanding when it does come out and love, uh, love being

a DK partner and it's great to be with you, my friend.

I hope you enjoy the final four and I hope for your state, the Wolverines and that 26 year

drop, which if you're asking me for my prediction this weekend, it's that Michigan will cut down

the nets.

Well, God willing and the creek don't rise.

Appreciate you, John and enjoy Indianapolis.

Thank you.

Appreciate you.

All right.

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All right, so it's going to be interesting to see I obviously got to love John's optimism

for Michigan.

And you're like, I'm picking Michigan by two points.

I don't really have a score.

I don't think they'll score 90 in this one.

Arizona's defense is too good.

But like I said earlier in the week, there's definitely a black fit of negative expectations

on one end, but also Michigan's never lost in the final four in this round.

It's always been the championship game.

So this would be one of those moments where it would be good to see the late November, early

December, Michigan return.

The John Rothstein Michigan by TKO sometime relatively early in the second half.

It's not going to happen that way.

We're just going to have to deal with it.

But at least like that's, I think what John had to say was really good analysis, unlike

I can't remember his name.

So I never heard of him before.

I kind of want to pull this up.

This is the most hilarious thing I've ever seen.

I mean, not really the most hilarious thing of her.

But it's hilarious.

So SI had their predictions.

So CBS sports predicted Michigan to win ESPN split, but Jeff porzello and Medcalfe,

they were split just by like, you know, Arizona by two points, Michigan by two points.

But then sports Illustrated came out and had three people, Pat Fordy, Brian Fisher and

Kevin Sweeney.

And all three of them picked Arizona.

I want to read Kevin Sweeney because it's hilarious.

Expect an all out battle from his physical standpoint.

And in the end, I think Arizona is just a bit bigger and tougher than Michigan.

I mean, he says more.

I'm just going to stop there.

If you wanted to know Michigan is bigger across the board, except for at point car.

So it's like, oh, you're predicating your idea of like you, it's just like, just tell

me you didn't watch Michigan.

Just tell, tell me you didn't watch it.

That's the reason why if you watch or listen to the squad show yesterday and they asked

me about the matchup between Illinois and Yukon, I gave a football break down because

I am not qualified to talk about those two teams.

I know very little, I mean, I remember obviously watching Michigan, Illinois, I've watched

a little bit of Illinois in the tournament, not with like a serious eye and same thing

with Yukon.

The only thing I really know about Yukon is Terrace Reed, Dan Hurley and the freshman

that drained the three at the end of the game against Duke.

So like, just, just go ahead and tell me you didn't watch Michigan at all like that

you know nothing about Michigan and then you put it out there.

But to that point, the reason why I even bring that up is because I do feel like that

is this advantage for Michigan, because even though like, yeah, Mo Kreevus is only an

inch shorter than a dimarrow, you know, like otherwise, like the Wolverines just have more

like more ability to do some things just to in that, in that light.

Now, I think what John said about Michigan staying out of foul trouble where I like,

if this is, if this ends up being a game where a dimarrow has two fouls, like five minutes

in, I don't think Michigan will win.

Now they can, right, like they've got other players that can come in and everything,

but I just think like if you end up having to have it be Mo Mo, I was gonna say Mo Johnson,

Perez Johnson versus Mo Kreevus, I don't think that's going to work, honestly.

Maybe it does, but like that just kind of changes the thing, unless you bring in Trey McKenny

and he starts raining threes, which is certainly possible.

I don't know, but I think Michigan is going to need its bench to have its best game without

LJ case.

And of course, that's going to be easier said than none.

That's going to be a really difficult, but I hear is the other thing that I think

that shouldn't get lost in it and I wasn't going to say this to John and I've said this

on the show already.

I think that this game being Indianapolis bodes really well for Michigan because I'd

have to venture that it is going to be an electric crowd for the Michigan side.

And just I don't see Arizona matching that now Michigan fans, if you're there, get

up off your hands number one, because this, this is about as close to a home field

advantage for, I mean, it may be, it'll be different if it's Michigan versus Illinois

and the national championship game, but like this is going to be as close to home field

advantage for Michigan as there can be barring next year in Detroit.

So I think that it's going to be interesting to just to see how that kind of plays out.

But ultimately, I mean, I have very limited compared to, compared to John being able

to break down these individual matchups, like I've said, I haven't seen a ton of Arizona.

So I'm not really qualified to sit and be like, okay, let's really get deep into what

they bring to the table.

What I do know about Michigan is like, you just cannot have a game where Elliot Cado hoist

seven threes and only makes one.

You can't have a game where the Murray Burnett's only makes or from the free throw line,

unless he goes to the line like 15 times.

Like you just, you have to have some back court production outside of tray McKenny and

Rady Gale, you just have to and even so, those guys have to come to play.

And I think one of the good things about the schedule that has been is that Michigan has

gotten into some rumbles.

It got into the rumble and lost against Wisconsin.

It got into the rumble and lost against Duke.

It got into a rumble and lost against Purdue in the in the big tent tournament championship

game.

I think that those are valuable lessons.

Now I'm not saying Arizona hasn't learned some lessons too.

They've lost a couple games too.

They lost them back to back.

I just think though Michigan has learned the lessons it needs to learn.

And it knows it.

This isn't the type of game where it can just come in and just be like, yeah, we're Michigan.

So good luck.

They're going to have to want it.

They're going to have to have to be all out.

And this is not to bring back at you on Howardism, but like, this isn't all hands on deck

situation for competitors only, did I just, did I just ruin everything?

I think I just did.

So yeah, I think it's going to be an interesting game.

Can't wait to see it Saturday night.

I'll be watching the Fab five broadcast maybe probably.

I don't know.

I say that and I probably will watch it for a first half and then or maybe you like

a little bit and then just want the regular announcers.

That's probably how that's going to go.

But anyway, all right, the plan will be to have a show after the game probably won't

post until about two hours after since it takes time to prepare.

We don't do these live and we'll have a certain amount of writing to get done.

So, but there will be a reaction show, it just will probably be up around like, considering

as an 849 tip, we're probably looking at a midnight or 1 a.m. release one way or the

other.

Nonetheless, look forward to that.

But that'll do it for the preview.

Thanks for watching.

Thanks for listening.

We will be back then.

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