Michigan Basketball: 5 Keys to Beating Kansas in Sweet 16 Showdown

The fourth-seeded Michigan Wolverines appear to have returned to midseason form and will take on the top-seeded Kansas Jayhawks in their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1994. The two will meet up in the first South region semifinal this Friday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Tex. 

Michigan appears to have solved some of its defensive issues in its first two NCAA tournament wins, but taking on the Jayhawks' large, physical frontcourt will be no easy task.

The Wolverines are coming off impressive routs of the South Dakota State Jackrabbits and VCU Rams in the opening rounds. 

Meanwhile, Kansas failed to put away the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers until the closing minutes of its round of 64 matchup. The Jayhawks also trailed the eighth-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels by nine points at halftime before pulling away in the second frame for a third-round victory.

Head coach John Beilein's group needs to execute the following five keys in order to make its first Elite Eight in 19 years.

Trey Burke Must Shine at Both Ends of the Floor

In order for the Michigan Wolverines to upset the Kansas Jayhawks on Friday, sophomore point guard Trey Burke will need to play like a first team All-American at both ends of the floor.

The 6'0", 190-pounder cannot afford to have an off-night shooting the basketball like he did in Michigan's victory over the South Dakota State Jackrabbits last week. Burke went 2-of-12 in the win, which did not exactly do his confidence any favors.

Although Burke did bounce back with an 18-point performance on 6-of-14 shooting against the VCU Rams, there is still reason to concerned about his efficiency as a scorer. Burke has not shot better than 50 percent in a game since Feb. 27.

If Burke is able to knock down half of his field-goal attempts, dish out roughly seven assists and score in the high teens, there is now reason why the Wolverines cannot take down Kansas.

Defensively, Burke needs to get right in the face of senior point guard Elijah Johnson from the opening tip all the way through to the final horn. Johnson has not made more than 33 percent of his shots in the Jawyhawks' last seven games.

Keeping a hand in Johnson's grill when he wants to shoot should help extend the shooting slump, which will help Michigan advance to the Elite Eight.

Burke is considered to be one of the favorites to take home the Wooden Award, and the Wolverines need him to prove he deserves to win it. Michigan's season will end if Burke is anything less than spectacular.

Make Kansas Pay for Every Turnover It Commits

One issue the Kansas Jayhawks had in their opening round games last week was turning the basketball over. The Michigan Wolverines will need to exploit Kansas' turnover issues and get out in transition to make it through the Sweet 16.

The Jayhawks committed 17 turnovers against the lowly Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in the round of 64. Kansas followed that performance up with a 22-turnover effort in a 70-58 win over the eighth-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels.

Michigan cannot let the Jayhawks off of the hook when they cough the ball up. The Maize and Blue need to use the takeaways to get out in transition, which is where Kansas' defense is at its weakest.

Head coach Bill Self's team gives up 1.018 points per possession, allows opponents to shoot at a 51.8 percent clip and score 49 percent of the time when defending in transition.

The Wolverines thrive in transition, because of there is a significant amount athleticism and speed on their current roster. 

If Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr., Glenn Robinson III and Mitch McGary are able to run the floor and feed each other for alley-oop dunks, Kansas will be in for a long evening.

Knock Down Shots from Beyond the Arc

Another one of the Kansas Jayhawks' weaknesses waiting to be exposed by the Michigan Wolverines is three-point defense.

"The main thing Kansas will want to do is make sure they know where Michigan's perimeter guys are," Shay Wildeboor of Jayhawk.Slant.com informed TheWolverine.com's John Borton. "That's the thing that has really been the biggest problem for them at times - guarding the three...Teams have had the ability, and good guards have had the ability to get loose and get open."

In three of Kansas' five losses this season, the opposing team has either hit at least seven threes, or made 50 percent of their treys.

Michigan only knocked down 15-of-40 treys in its first two NCAA tournament games, but there have been plenty of open looks from beyond the arc. 

The good news for the Wolverines, though, is junior shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr.'s recent barrage of three-pointers. The Miami, Fla. native shot 75 percent from distance in Michigan's victories in the rounds of 64 and 32.

Freshman small forward Glenn Robinson III also hit three wide-open shots from long range, which helped the Wolverines rout the South Dakota State Jackrabbits.

In order for Michigan's three-point shooting to be at its best, however, freshman shooting guard Nik Stauskas will need to break out of his current funk.

Stauskas has only made 1-of-12 field goals from downtown since Mar. 15. The Wolverines will only get by the Jayhawks if Stauskas and Hardaway Jr. force them to extend their defense by knocking down threes.

Continue to Hit the Freebies

Although poor free-throw shooting cost the Michigan Wolverines a second straight Big Ten Conference title, the Maize and Blue have been fairly efficient from the charity stripe in the NCAA tournament.

Michigan has converted 16-of-20 freebies through two games, which is a major improvement from its No. 130 percentage during the regular season (70.7).

Trey Burke and Nik Stauskas have been the standouts at the free-throw line thus far by making 11-of-11 attempts. 

These statistics are a much smaller sample size, though, so there is still going to be some deep breathing citizens in Ann Arbor when a Wolverine steps up to shoot free throws. 

We saw how important making freebies are during Michigan's season-ending collapse against the Indiana Hoosiers. The Wolverines blew a five-point lead by missing two straight one-and-ones. If these issues surface again, Michigan will be heading home after Friday's clash at Cowboys Stadium. 

Mitch McGary Has to Hold His Own Against Jeff Withey

The matchup everyone should be watching closer than any other on Friday night will be between freshman power forward Mitch McGary and fifth-year senior center Jeff Withey.

McGary has been the main reason for the Michigan Wolverines' revival in the 2013 NCAA tournament. During Michigan's season-ending 6-6 stretch, McGary struggled due to conditioning issues and foul trouble. According to head coach John Beilein, McGary will no longer be hampered by the former.

"I think it has a lot to do with his conditioning right now," Beilein told Joe Stapleton of UMHoops.com. "He's 256 pounds, which is probably a pretty good weight for him. He's really just been injury-free. He came in with a leg problem and it's worked itself out. That's a big thing: his conditioning is much better than it has been in a long time." 

A lighter McGary has done wonders for Michigan's offense and overall energy. McGary averaged 17 points, 11.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals in the Wolverines' two wins last week.

Withey will present McGary and the Maize and Blue faithful with a much more accurate gauge on exactly how close he is to being an All-Big Ten performer.

The two-time Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year led the nation in blocks this season (141), and recorded a dozen swats in the Kansas Jayhawks' victories a week ago.

In order for Michigan to counter Withey's defensive prowess, McGary will need to draw him away from the paint. McGary can do this when the Wolverines run the pick-and-roll near the top of the key. Hitting a few mid-range jumpers, which McGary has shown the ability to do, will help as well.

Containing Withey's offense will be a daunting task for McGary, too. Withey has scored at least 14 points in Kansas' last four games. The 7'0", 235-pounder has also grabbed an average of 9.25 rebounds during the stretch of wins.

If the new and improved McGary can keep Withey off of the glass on the offensive end, contest most of his shots and continue to make hustle plays, the Wolverines will find themselves in the Elite Eight.