B1G CHAMPS!!! NCAA Here We Come!

You KNEW this post was coming if you watched the game last night:

HAIL TO THE VICTORS!!!

IT’S GREAT TO BE A MICHIGAN WOLVERINE!!!

The following photo is more than worthy of posting (on this lowly blog!) and should be considered for anyone that is an etymologist and is considering the need to update databases for more current references to the following word (for all the sparty and suckeye fans:  An Etymologist is a word specialist)

 

Definition:  SWAGGER – verb  1.  Walk or behave in a very confident and typically arrogant or aggressive way.  adj 1. To describe a verb, "His walk has a lot of swagger to it."

I don’t know when the Illini “knew” they were out of the game, but it had to occur to them during one of the TV time outs late in the first half.  Someone from the Illini had thrown in a three and Tirico and Dakich both echoed how important that basket was for the Illini if Illinois had any prayer of getting back in the game.  Then the Canadian Kid got a feed in the corner on Michigan’s end and threw down the 5^th consecutive three pointer taking Michigan up 19 points and announcer Mike Tirico made the comment to Dan Dakich that everyone else was thinking:

“How in the world do you beat that?”

How, indeed.  If you are having any doubts when filling out your bracket this year and Michigan gets to a game where you think, “Well, this is kind of a coin flip,” do yourself a favor:  Write in Michigan and don’t look back.  Don’t review it.  Just leave it there and walk away.

I won’t go into any more details of this game except to say that Michigan CLEARED THE BENCH and everyone got into the act.  Even Dan Dakich’s own son, Andrew, saw some playing time and was holding the ball at the end of the game.  It kind of reminded me of the Griese moment from the Rose Bowl.  Oh, how sweet it could be if that moment could actually be re-created on a Monday night in April...

Does this team have what it takes to win it all?  I seriously don’t see anyone beating Michigan when they are hitting on all cylinders like they were last night.  But shooting 60% from the field is an anomaly, a bit of a “tail event” if you are statistics nut.  And that’s not gonna’ happen in every game of the NCAA’s.

But, Michigan has won close games all season and they just keep hanging around when they aren’t shooting well.  Purdue had them…Then they didn’t.  Nebraska had them on their home court…And then they didn’t.  The Gophers even had them on their home floor…and then they didn’t.  Sparty – eh, what am I saying...Sparty was never in either game so we won’t go there.  (Boy, I said when I started writing this post that I wasn’t going to kick a dead horse, but sometimes I just can’t help myself!)

Let me ask you this question, all you defensive minded hoops people that haven’t bought into the “3 Point Philosophy of JB”.  I will let you pick any team you want from the 325 or so teams that can qualify for the NCAA Tournament in the following scenario:  It’s the second half with 10 minutes left and you have to put a team on the floor against another team that is up 15 points.  Who do you want and more importantly, Why?  Take your time.  I’ve already made my decision.  (But, I guess that’s obvious or I wouldn’t have asked the question.)

Whatever your bracket strategy is and whatever decision process you use to fill in the field, I would keep that scenario in mind.

In the meantime, savor what only seems to happen once every quarter century or so around Ann Arbor.  But something tells me we won’t have to wait another quarter century before it happens again!

GO BLUE!!!  Beat the Hoosiers!