March Madness has arrived. That sweet feeling of analyzing team after team and then, creating a bracket has arrived. Then at tournament's end, either a person's bracket is smashed to smithereens, or a victory dance is choreographed throughout someone's office hallways.
The Michigan Wolverines head into the tournament season with a 22-9 season record. Coming off a loss to Michigan State, 79-62, to end the season. With that loss, they fell to the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten tournament. The Michigan State game was one that the Wolverines were never really in, with the smallest deficit being 12 in the second half. The Michigan basketball team showed some resilience but never quite had the pulse of a real comeback.
Is it possible that the magic that surrounded the Wolverines at season's beginning has worn off? In the loss against Michigan State, Danny Wolf and Vladislav Goldin scored 47 of the team's 62 points. No other starter was in double digits. That is not a winning formula for longevity in the NCAA tournament. Having two seven-footers could be categorized as a good thing. In fact, it is a good thing to have two skilled seven-footers on a team. The problem lies when those two players are the only ones scoring and there isn't production from anyone else on the team. Michigan basketball needs to find offense and needs to find offense now if they're going to compete with higher level teams in the Big Ten.
Is Michigan basketball headed to an early exit in the NCAA tournament
After what was a disastrous year and a season low for wins, the reemergence of a competitive Michigan Wolverines team was a welcome sight. So much so, it made logical sense to extend Dusty May's contract. The bitter taste of last year's season seemingly vanished from Wolverines' fans memories. But with extensions and resurgence, comes a new level of expectations. And no matter what any Michigan brass would say, the success of Wolverines basketball is imperative.
A quick exit from the NCAA tournament would be a disappointing end. Dusty May has brought excitement and hope back into the culture of Michigan basketball. That is something to be thankful for. But March Madness is where legends are made. Where Cinderella teams emerge and win the hearts of many. Can the Wolverines be a team that can captivate the hearts of millions? Or are they a simple afterthought of the college basketball season?
Only time will tell.