WTKA Roundtable 4/2/2026: The UPN Lineup

Things Discussed:

• Has Michigan found that November stride? More that Tennessee and Alabama didn't have the size; difference was Bama's PG went off.
• It's a two-point game now. There's never been more than two teams that shot 60%+ from two; this year there are eight.   
• Looking at how size matters (I recap yesterday's Jimmystats).
• The perfect guy to defend Arizona is Moussa Diabate. Note that Zona's main weakness seems to be extremely athletic rim defenders who can make them less efficient at the rim. Utah State, Cincy had those guys.
• Matchups: Should they put Mara against Krivas? Not sure that will be efficient, but Mara in the 15 mins that Krivas sits should be a MAJOR advantage because Peat is a freshman super-wing and Awaka is a Tennessee big. Zona will play drop coverage, M should have some offense planned to get lops off that.
• Peat: you can push him from the basket; he's taken 165 shots at the rim and 130 pullup Js and there's a MASSIVE difference in efficiency. Kharchenkov another outstanding freshman who can be pushed off his shot.
• What Zona does is rebound and get free throws, and Michigan is set up to stop that. What Michigan does is oversize you and overmatches Yaxel vs guards, and Arizona is set up to stop that.
• If Yaxel vs Kharchenkov or Peat is our big matchup win Brayden Burries vs our guards is theirs. He may be one step too fast for Nimari, think this is a March Roddy Game.
• Super impressed with Cadeau's defense; he anticipates screens and that has saved Michigan from getting into bad matchups.
• Bradley: Weird thing is it doesn't even matter where he's taking his twos from. Would be good on a Will Wade team.
• Tschetter: salute to his play vs Tennessee in the 1st half. Sometimes you need that kind of effort.
• Illinois or UConn: We disagree. Illinois is a better team, UConn can switch 1-5 and beat them in MSG, though that was back when it wasn't abnormal for Wagler to score 3 points.
• Duke vs UConn: Biggest choke play ever?
• Hockey: What's different? Sam asks if we have the best goalie in the Tournament: yeah, by a little. What's different about this team from the ones that didn't win? Brian: Nothing. Seth: Not as talented up front but they hit on all of their USNTDP guys; the United States' ability to develop hockey players has been the story of the year, and we're a part of that story.