Michigan’s Freshmen Are Growing Up : Southeast: Webber, Howard and the other Wolverine youngsters are too much for East Tennessee State, 102-90.

Michigan Coach Steve Fisher would really appreciate it if people stopped calling his five freshmen starters a talented but unpolished group.

“I think we’re making pretty good progress at this stage,” Fisher said after No. 15 Michigan frustrated East Tennessee State inside and outside Sunday, ending the Buccaneers’ hopes for a second consecutive NCAA tournament upset with a 102-90 victory.

Chris Webber had a season-high 30 points and nine rebounds to lead the sixth-seeded Wolverines (22-8) into Friday’s Southeast Region semifinals at Lexington, Ky., against Oklahoma State.

Juwan Howard, who like Webber is a 6-foot-9 freshman, had 23 points and five rebounds.

“Some people just don’t think we can get it done because we are freshmen,” Howard said.

Michigan also began in Atlanta and passed through Lexington in 1989, the year the Wolverines won the national championship when Fisher was their interim coach.

“It’s altogether a different feeling this time,” Fisher said. “I didn’t know what I was doing then. I do now.”

The 14th-seeded Buccaneers, with just one regular over 6-6, overcame a lack of size with 13-of-25 shooting from three-point range in Friday’s first-round victory over No. 10 Arizona.

But the Wolverines were able to negate East Tennessee State’s quickness and perimeter shooting with dominating inside play and a hustling defense that limited the Buccaneers’ three-point effectiveness.

“We didn’t move the ball or shoot the way we had hoped,” Coach Alan LeForce said. “We had the shots, but Michigan is very aggressive.”

The only exception to Michigan’s dominance was early in the second half, when East Tennessee State hit six of its first seven three-point attempts to cut a 20-point halftime deficit to eight with 13:05 to play.

But the Buccaneers missed their next six three-point tries, allowing Michigan to score 11 of the next 13 points. East Tennessee State got no closer than 10.

“Michigan doesn’t play like typical freshmen,” East Tennessee State’s Greg Dennis said. “Their talent makes up for their lack of experience. They have the bodies to match size with any team, and they have the quickness to play with anyone.”

The loss ended a nine-game winning streak for East Tennessee State (24-7), which was trying to become the first Southern Conference team to win two NCAA tournament games since Virginia Military went to the East Region finals in 1976.

“They deserved to be in this round and maybe even be a higher seed because they play so well together,” Howard said of the Buccaneers.

“I think it says a lot,” LeForce said, “that Michigan knew they would have to come to play today.”

Michigan, which built a 54-34 halftime advantage by scoring 42 points from 15 feet or less and the other 12 on perfect three-point shooting, also got 19 points and 10 assists from Jalen Rose and 14 points from Jimmy King.

Dennis, East Tennessee State’s career scoring leader, had a career-best 31 in his final game.

Rodney English added 18 for the Buccaneers, Marty Story 11 and Eric Palmer 10.

Michigan wound up shooting 59%, including six of eight from three-point range, and had a 46-35 rebounding edge.

The Buccaneers shot only 40%, including 12 of 31 from three-point range.

Michigan’s 64% shooting in the first half was aided greatly by 24 points on a mix of dunks, tip-ins and layups.

The bigger Wolverines set the tone immediately, banging the ball down low on their first three possessions for a 6-0 lead.

Michigan was up, 28-18, when it took a page out of East Tennessee State’s book. Two three-pointers by Rob Pelinka and one by Webber gave the Wolverines a 37-22 lead.

Another Michigan three-pointer, this one by Rose, gave the Wolverines their biggest lead at 50-28 late in the first half.