Frank Martin can appreciate John Beilein, the Michigan players, and the environment at Crisler.
ANN ARBOR — For two hours at Crisler Center on Saturday afternoon, South Carolina coach Frank Martin didn’t look all that happy. He received a technical foul for arguing with an official during his team’s 89-78 loss to Michigan.
But after the game, Martin raved about his team’s visit, from the arena’s employees to the fans. He reserved his biggest praise for the fifth-ranked and 10-0 Michigan basketball team.
“I told our players that the one thing Michigan will do is they play like a championship team,” Martin said. “There’s no doubt that they played for a national championship this year and that they’re going to compete at that level again. Because they don’t take plays off.”
Two seasons ago, Martin’s South Carolina team pummeled Michigan in the regular season and, later, reached the Final Four. He sees similarities between that South Carolina squad and this year’s Wolverines in their ability to get loose balls and screen and cut with a purpose.
“Everyone worries about the ball going in the basket — that’s a result of everything else being done the right way,” Martin said. “And they’ve got that DNA right now.”
Martin said Michigan’s offense, which scored a season-high in points Saturday, has no wasted cuts, passes, or dribbles.
