MICHIGAN WOLVERINES GET A TICKET TO FINAL FOUR IN ATLANTA BY BEATING NO. 3 RANKED FLORIDA GATORS

 Nik Stauskas snapped a personal malaise with a game-high 22, a career-best 6-for-6 from 3

Trey Burke was a four-month-old in diapers the last time Michigan made the Final Four, Nik Stauskas and Glenn Robinson III not even born yet. But the Wolverines – too young, too soft, too fragile – changed all that with a wire-to-wire 79-59 rout of Florida that the Fab Five would’ve been proud of.
From the opening tip to their postgame maize & blue celebrations, and the rain of corner Stauskas 3s in-between, there was no drama, no doubt, no contest. And when Burke strode off the court with four fingers aloft to signify their bid to Atlanta, it ended their coronation and the Gators’ emasculation.
Michigan guard Nik Stauskas had six 3-pointers in the Wolverines' demolition of Florida.
“This team’s faced a lot of adversity. A lot of people doubted us to get to this point, said we were too young, we weren't tough enough,’’ said Burke, Most Outstanding Player of the most lopsided Elite Eight since 1999. “That's why we played with a chip on our shoulder the last couple of weeks…(But) we still have unfinished business.’’
Despite using six freshmen and sophomores, few can doubt the Wolverines (30-7) now. Not after Burke had 15 points and seven assists; and not after Stauskas snapped a personal malaise with a game-high 22, a career-best 6-for-6 from 3. And certainly not after watching them score the first 13 points and never look back.
The Wolverines padded their cushion to 24 in front of 36,585 at Cowboys Stadium, and rolled into Saturday’s date with Syracuse. It will be their first Final Four since 1993, when Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Ray Jackson and Jimmy King were sophomores; and even that – along with the year before – is vacated.
“It means the world; 20 years has passed and we haven't been on the stage…We really want to make a statement and leave our names and legacy at the University of Michigan,’’ said Tim Hardaway Jr., who had nine points and five assists.
“That’s why I came here: I came to win,’’ said center Mitch McGary, who had 11 points, most off setting high ball screens and rolling to the rim. The Gators had to choose between Burke, McGary and Stauskas, and the latter was the poison that killed them.
After hitting McGary for a layup, Burke drove for one himself. McGary's basket gave them a 13-0 lead. It was just over three minutes in, but the tone was set. Unlike Friday, when the Gators (29-8) rallied past Florida Gulf Coast, there would be no comeback.
Stauskas – 2-of-16 from deep in his prior four games – hit back-to-back 3s in a span of just :27 for a 41-17 lead. All but one of his 3s came from the same left corner, the one that didn’t coming from the left wing.
“When you’re a shooter you can never get down on yourself. (Assistant Jeff Meyer) told me in the hotel shoot it deep in the bucket, basically saying never leave it short, just give it a chance. That’s what I did. I shot like I know how to shoot and it was going in,’’ said Stauskas. “During warm-ups I called it, this could be the day. When I made the first, I said yep, that’s it.’’
It wasn’t the Gators day, Eric Murphy a scoreless 0-for-11 from the floor. They missed their first seven shots and 14 of 17 to fall in their third straight Elite Eight.
“This is a totally different feel than the last two…This one we didn't play well enough or deserve to win the game,’’ said Gator coach Billy Donovan, a Rockville Centre native. “Michigan deserved this game. They played better than us.’’