What Will The Title of Tuesday's Post Be?

As I won’t be able to post on Monday (My oldest daughter’s Ski Team, The Walled Lake Nothern Knights made the State Finals at Nubs Nob and they will be held on Monday!), I’m wondering aloud what Tuesday’s Title will be?

Michigan Protects Home Court!  Prevails Over Purdue!

The Revenge of SPIKE!!!

This game makes me nervous.  I’m sure Spike holds no ill will against Beilein and Michigan.  RIIIIIGHT……And you can bet he’s going to take (and probably make) whatever shots he can against his former team...I was stunned when Beilein let Albrecht go, but I also understand that this is college hoops.  Frankly, they should have a separate area somewhere in Crisler Arena or on campus where Spike’s NCAA Championship Game accomplishment is played on a continuous loop.  In case you need a reminder:

I could watch that 1:30 video once a day for the rest of my life and die a happy man!!  Dickie V on the call makes it even better…I feel like Spike did something that day that can make every “Too Short, Too Small and Too White to Play At The Next Level” guy out there feel proud and say, “Look at that!!!  See, we CAN play this game!”

And now he’s coming back for the only game Michigan will play against Purdue this season.  Yep, I’m more than a little nervous….

It’s Getting a Little Crazy

Michigan squeaked by a much improved Rutgers team that’s actually in the middle of the pack when you look at the B1G “last 5 games” stats.  They almost beat everyone they played in the last 5 games and will probably surprise someone in the games they have left.  And don’t be surprised if they win a B1G Tourney game also. 

In addition to Michigan, this past Wednesday produced drama in the college hoops world that we usually associate with March.  Big upsets of Top 25 teams by teams that are fighting to win their conferences or fighting for a seat at the 64-(8) team table.  In no particular order and ICYMI:

1. The “BFF”  (Boeheim Fuck Factor) is alive and well!  Yep, a Syracuse team that is on the outside looking in on The Dance (but probably did a LOT to seal up a bid) beat the 10^th ranked Blue Devils on a last second “BANK!” 3-pointer that Syracuse Guard Gillon launched from about the “S” that blazons the floor.  Even Boeheim commented afterward, “We got lucky!”  No shit……
2. #22 Butler seems to be the only team that can beat #2 Villanova.  For the 2^nd time this season, Butler found a way to knock off last years National Champions and secured a much higher seed in the Tourney than they would have received if they would have split with the Cats.  Butler probably moves to a 3-Seed (if they haven’t already) with that win. 
3. The Golden Gophers continued the tradition of lower ranked B1G schools devouring their own by knocking off #24 Blue Blood Maryland on their home court.  And it wasn’t even close.  Gopher fans have to be loving life right about now as that win will certainly help their seeding.  I would even venture to say that the Gophers have a shot at winning the B1G Tourney if they stay hot on the offensive side of the ball…
4. Providence defeated #23 Creighton in a last 2^nd buzzer beater, 68-66 that kept their slim tourney hopes alive!
5. UNC soundly defeated Louisville and Pitino might be feeling the pressure.  His reaction to this fan yelling, “Pitino – You Suck!” is quite telling that College Hoops coaches start to feel the pressure in late February.  Not saying Pitino should have ignored this guy…but c’mon!!!  It’s college hoops!  You gotta’ take some shit!!!
6. Look at this Box Score:

 

Yes – you’re reading that correctly.  #6 Oregon only scored 16 1^st half points and still found a way to come back (scoring 52!!!!) in the 2^nd half and may have knocked any hopes or dreams that Cal had of making the Tourney completely out.

Whew….And that was just Wednesday night!!!

Last night, OSU continues to screw…well, everybody by beating the top 25 ranked Fraudgers.  That will destroy any chance of Wiscy busting up through and into the 4-seed level.  Assuming the Fraudgers drop to a 6-Seed switching with the Domers who might bump up, the B1G is going to end up with a plethora of middling seeds….

So here’s where it stands:

The Michigan Resume

Record:        18-10

BPI:              23  24  25

Kenpom:      28   27  27

RPI:              52   52  50

Opponent     Location       Date   Day and Time          Result

Indiana          Home             1-26    Thursday, 9:15        90-60 Blow-Out

Sparty             Away              1-29    Sunday, 1:00            70-62 Loss

Suckeyes     Home             2-4      Saturday, 6:00         70-66 Loss

Sparty            Home             2-7      Tuesday, 9:00         86-57 BLOW-OUT

Indiana          Away              2-12    Sunday, 1:00            75-63 SWEEP OF IU!!!!

Wiscy             Home             2-16    Thursday, 7:00        64-58 Win

Minnesota     Away              2-19    Sunday, 7:00               83-78  LOSE

Rutgers          Away              2-22    Wednesday, 6:30     68-64 WIN

Purdue          Home             2-25    Saturday, 4:00

Northwestern Away             3-1      Wednesday, 7:00

Nebraska       Away              3-5      Sunday, 8:00

Lunardi updated yesterday and Michigan is still solidly in as the 9 seed.  So nothing to update there…SMU and Marquette keep winning so that’s good. 

Michigan is still 7^th overall in the B1G Standings.  Purdue is a huge game for a number of reasons, not the least of which is Michigan needs every Big Game Victory it can lay its hands on.  On top of that, Northwestern is slumping and Michigan could overtake them in the standings with a win Saturday and with a win in Evanston (Looks much easier now than it did a couple of weeks ago).  THAT would improve Michigan’s seeding in the NCAA tourney and possibly move them up to a 7-Seed.  Not that there’s much difference between 7-8-9-10 seeds…

So, what will Saturday bring?  If you watched the video, I know why you’re nervous, also.  But it is Michigan, it’s in Crisler (where they’ve dominated) and it’s Senior Day. 

GO BLUE!!!

Sparty’s win last night keeps them in the bracket for now.  Again, I assumed Sparty would win its home games and struggle on the road.  I may have to eat my words as it looks like Sparty will get to the 18 wins that everyone says will be “Good Enough” for Izzo based on the difficulty of the schedule, which, again, I dunno.  Seems like you have to beat somebody.