Louisville vs. Michigan: Breaking Down Peyton Siva-Trey Burke Battle

All eyes will be on the backcourt for each team come Monday night, specifically the mouth-watering matchup of Peyton Siva of Louisville vs. Trey Burke of Michigan.

The matchup physically is almost identical.

Siva stands at 6'0" and 185 pounds while Burke comes in at the same height, just five pounds heavier.

Louisville is balanced at each end of the floor, meaning it is important for Siva to contain Burke instead of trying to do to much and overplaying him.

It is certainly easier said than done to contain the National Player of the year in Burke, especially considering he will inevitably be hungry to score after a below average performance against Syracuse.

For Siva, though, hassling Burke enough to frustrate him and force turnovers may be a recipe for success seeing that Burke is the fuel on Michigan's offensive fire.

A vital element to this athletic and quick backcourt matchup is each guard's ability to enter the opposing defense's lane.

Siva is regarded as one of the better perimeter defenders in the country but you can bet Trey Burke will be aggressively efficient defending Siva for all of the NBA scouts watching to see.

If one of the guards is consistently dribble-driving past his defender and entering the lane, it imposes all sorts of problems for the opponent.

Each guard have an uncanny ability to score around the rim and each have eyes in the back of their head it seems.

When Burke or Siva drive but are cut off by a big man, they seem to always avert the defender and lay the ball in or kick to open shooters.

Whichever point guard drives the lane and spreads the floor at a more consistent rate will give their team a great shot at winning.

It is important for Siva to not overplay the drive, however. Burke has the ability to step back and knock down three-pointers and if he gets a few in a row early, watch out Louisville. 

A great Michigan offense vs. a just as great Louisville defense makes for a thrill ride disguised as a basketball game, with the main attraction being Siva vs. Burke.