Michigan Basketball: Good win against Iowa on the road in OT

Posted at 8:00am — 2/20/2011

Michigan Basketball: Good win against Iowa on the road in OT

Michigan Basketball got another road win against Iowa on Saturday by beating the Hawkeyes 75-72 in overtime.

People have been doubting this team since DeShawn Sims and Manny Harris left the Michigan program, but once again a team that was picked near the bottom if not the bottom of the conference and in most people’s eyes would be lucky to get 10 wins this season with Coach Beilein and this young group have even impressed the naysayers (well of course only when they win).

Remember some people thought Syracuse, Kansas, and Ohio State games would all be blow-outs, but again Michigan played tough, came up short, but played tough. Some thought Michigan State would beat Michigan by 40 points when they went to the Breslin Center. Well Michigan came back with a victory.

This team has struggled with opponents that are equal or less than themselves which hurt them at the beginning of the Big Ten conference with losing games such as Indiana and Northwestern on the road. The tough one is the loss to Minnesota at Crisler because now Michigan needs to beat Minnesota on their own floor to have any type of chance to go to the dance something not many Michigan fans ever thought was possible before the season started.

Now to the Iowa Game:

Seems Michigan has really found three legitimate star players now and in the future with Darius Morris, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Jordan Morgan. Those three combined for 68 out of the 75 points on Saturday.

Michigan when they get Morgan involved seems to really open up every other players game because they can drive and dish out, pull-out and shoot or dump down to get more players involved. When the defense is only worried about outside shooting it is a lot easier to defend.

What can you say about THjr. right now. He is playing above his freshman eligibility and has taken a leadership role with this team. He has gotten better as the season went on with taking a lot smarter shot selections and has really improved his game over the course of this season.

Darius Morris is clearly the leader of this team and when they need a important shot, need to score he is willing to carry the team. Might not always make Coach Beilein happy with some of the decisions he has made, but he stepped up this year and has carried the team.

Jordan Morgan has come on late, but mostly because the team is looking his way down in the paint. If he can continue to get open, get shots, and create a presence inside this team can compete with almost anybody in the country. Of course, Michigan has to play well for that to happen as well.

This team has shown its youth at times, but has also shown it’s willingness to fight, play scrappy basketball and come out and play well against good teams.

The Future Games:

Michigan has three tough games left before the Big Ten tournament. Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan State. Who would have ever thought at this point in the season that Michigan would be battling for the NCAA tournament and also sweeping Michigan State this year.

Having Wisconsin coming in on Wednesday is going to be a tough games especially how Wisconsin wore Michigan down early in the season, but Michigan played well for most of the game the first time they played at the Kohl center and this time Michigan plays on their own court in front of their own crowd which should help.

Going on the road is always tough and Michigan depending on what happens against Wisconsin will either be fighting to come back from a tough loss or will be sky-high from a emotional win. So either way it will be tough on the road at Minnesota in which they are battling for their NCAA berth as well. Maybe some of the magic of a couple of years ago where these two team were battling for the last spot from the Big Ten to make the dance will come calling again with the glass slipper on Michigan’s foot.

Michigan State … how appropriate to have them the last game of the season in which this game could be a deciding factor on which team, both team, or neither team gets into the NCAA tournament. Again who would have thought Michigan would be where they are right now with a chance to make the dance.

Written by GBMWolverine Staff

Go Blue — Wear Maize!