Michigan Basketball: Found a way to win against the Gophers
Posted at 8:00am — 2/27/2011
Michigan Basketball: Found a way to win against the Gophers
Coming off the two point loss on the road at Illinois and then barely escaping the overtime win at Iowa, and with the heart-breaking three point bank shot against Wisconsin for the one point loss you would have thought this team could have easily came out flat or thought their season was over, but they didn’t.
Did losing two tough games lately help Michigan finish against the Gophers or did they just come to play and hit their free throws at the end of the game.
This young team (youngest in the Big Ten) came out and shot lights-out in the beginning of the game and showed what kind of heart this team has and continues to prove their doubters wrong. Tim Hardaway Jr. came out on fire and gave the lift this basketball program needed at the start of the game.Sometimes being a young team you don’t have the pressure on your back as a more veteran team might have and you can just go out and play basketball and let the chips fall afterwords.
Very tough road victory and a big momentum boost going into the final game of the regular season with their in-state rival Michigan State Spartans.
In the Big Ten you have Ohio State, Purdue, and Wisconsin the clear cut leaders in the Big Ten. Then you have four teams (Michigan State, Illinois, Penn State, and Michigan) all tied with eight wins in the Big Ten conference. Remember Michigan swept Penn State both times they played this season.
The two games that could break the Wolverines are not the games most people think, but the first Northwestern and Indiana games on the road after losing to Kansas in overtime and Ohio State by four points. Those two games could have given Michigan two more win in-conference and would have cemented themselves into fourth place in the Big Ten conference and most likely a NCAA tournament berth.
Michigan has shown this year it can play against the better teams in the conference, in the nation.
People thought the Wisconsin game was huge, but the Michigan State game could decide whether or not Michigan still has a chance at getting into the NCAA tournament. A lot might still decide on if Michigan can get on a run or win a couple of games in the Big Ten tournament. They key is getting to .500 in the conference.
One thing Michigan has going for them is their record the past ten games in which that is something the NCAA committee looks into as well as the RPI, SoS, record, in conference play, etc…
Like we said last week who would have thought at the start of the basketball season that this team still would have a chance to get into the NCAA tournament. Not many and probably not any for the most part.
Remember when a lot of people thought Michigan State would beat Michigan by 40 points at the Breslin Center because how many better athletes they have and now Michigan has a chance this week to sweep the Spartans at Crisler Arena and give them a chance to get into the big dance.
Written by GBMWolverine Staff
Go Blue — Wear Maize!