No. 15 Michigan loses to Alabama in the final seconds, 68-66, at the Old Spice Classic
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - John Beilein had time to draw up one last play in hopes of escaping the Old Spice Classic with a winning record.
It worked. Kind of.
Darius Morris drove the lane and got to the basket. So did Alabama's JaMychal Green, who batted Morris' runner into the stands at the buzzer, which preserved the Crimson Tide's upset of No. 15 Michigan, 68-66, at the Milk House.
Alabama's JaMychal Green, right, disrupts a pass from Michigan guard Matt Vogrich during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the Old Spice Classic.
AP photo
This was the play Beilein wanted out of the huddle. Never mind that Morris hit one shot from the field all game and that he hadn’t made more than two shots in a single game throughout the entire tournament.
Beilein liked the freshman’s ability to get by people.
Looking back, though, he wasn’t happy with his last-second decision. Especially when he had another player with a similar ability and more experience - Manny Harris.
“We have another player we probably should have run, we still got to the rim,” Beilein said. “If Manny gets to the rim, something else may happen. They put two guys on Manny, couldn’t get there, but if I had to do it over again, I’d probably put Manny, make sure Manny got the ball somehow or call another timeout.
“Don’t like what I did. Didn’t like that finish.”
Beilein couldn’t have liked much of what he saw Sunday - or for most of the tournament. After the game, he harped on his indecisive guards, the latest in a litany of issues Michigan has had in the shadows of the Magic Kingdom.
Alabama's full-court press, in part, forced that indecisiveness. While the Crimson Tide (4-2) didn’t force too many steals with it, the press forced Michigan off just enough to send its whole offense into flux.
The Wolverines were off from three-point range for the second straight game, 6 of 25 on Sunday after a 3 of 20 performance in a semifinal loss to Marquette.
In all, the thing Michigan might have learned more than anything is the Wolverines are missing consistent options on offense after Harris, who was dominant for the third straight game. Harris had 26 points and 10 rebounds on Sunday, his third-straight game at the Old Spice Classic over 20 points. He also had 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the tournament.
His defensive play was big, too, forcing five steals.
“I’m not looking at that,” Harris said. “We came out with two losses so none of that really matters.
“We have to find a way to close out the game and get a win.”
Michigan (3-2) led by as many as 13 points in the first half, but withered down the stretch before a dunk by Harris gave Michigan a one-point lead, 66-65, with 1:06 left.
Alabama forward Justin Knox tied the game on a free throw and after a missed Harris three-pointer, Michigan went into its 1-3-1 that had worked well for much of the first half, much like it did Thursday against Creighton.
But Alabama corrected itself at halftime and on the game-winning possession for the Crimson Tide, Green slammed back a Senario Hillman miss with 5.4 seconds left in a soft part of the 1-3-1 between the middle and the man on the bottom.
It started a game-changing final seconds for Green.
“I was in the right place at the right time,” Green said.
On offense, yes. On defense, he read what was going to happen from midcourt when Morris turned the corner on the Alabama press. So he set his feet. He waited.
“So I tried my best not to foul him,” Green said.
He didn’t.
It sent Michigan to its second straight loss, a 1-2 finish in the Old Spice and the realization that the Wolverines aren’t as good right now as they might have thought.
“It’s still early, you know,” Sims said. “But it did let us know we’ve got a long way to go and that we wasn’t the Top 15 team in the country.”
Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.
Comments
twill68
Mon, Nov 30, 2009 : 1:40 p.m.
Zulu, I agree with you big time. Michigan depends to much on the outside shot and has no inside scoring threat. Let's just give West Virginia back these coaches.
vi4mi4
Mon, Nov 30, 2009 : 8:30 a.m.
...ahh, Beilin just saved me a long rant about getting the ball to Fresh for the last possession, team ball is great, but it is ok to let one of the best players in the country dominate...hopefully Manny won't be deferring too much in the Big Ten... at least Coach B. manned up to his mistake...not so much for the other coach with the red wristband... Go Blue! v
wvfan2000
Mon, Nov 30, 2009 : 8:07 a.m.
o yeah i forgot playing in beleins sceme u will find out that michian will get out rebounded every game which can mean the other team has a better shot at making baskets also just a friendly warning on that also its not design for rebounding he plays on the three point play if he does not have the best layers it helps with getting the best from what he's got and that means alot of 3s being shot.
wvfan2000
Mon, Nov 30, 2009 : 7:58 a.m.
west virginia had no major grudge against belein when he left he did not run and hide at the back door or leave on a bad note unlike another coach that coach the football team at michigan u will learn more about him as time goes by.Belein was a good coach who was not happy here and he needed to be where he thought he could be happy.but we do have a well known coach who we are very happy to have that believes in this university of west virginia but beleins methods can be defeated just post in side a big man and give him the ball for the 1-3-1 is designed to shoot from the out side but if u get a guy going inside u can beat michigan every time and if they play a fast team it will hurt them for it will take them time to set up to defend.
KeepingItReal
Mon, Nov 30, 2009 : 7:23 a.m.
M is not a #15 Team. I was not impressed with them at all during this tournament. I know Beilein is big on the three point shot but I really don't think you can build a team around the 3 point shot. Other teams will eventually figure this out and defense it therefore forcing you to beat them in other ways. M does not have the athlete to compete in the Big 10. MSU will eat them up so will Penn.
Jaxon5
Sun, Nov 29, 2009 : 10:03 p.m.
Where would this team be without Manny Harris? I don't even want to think about it. This tournament shows Michigan has a lot of work to do to get back to the level they achieved mid season and the very tail end of last season. I still don't like the 3-point offense - low percentage shooting with even lower percentages now that the 3 point line is farther from the hoop. I also don't like the 1-3-1 except for the times that it generates some take-aways. Lately it seems the 1-3-1 generates points in the paint for the other team. A long long way to go.
saginaw
Sun, Nov 29, 2009 : 8:30 p.m.
Theo, you are a great sport. Somehow, I doubt that we will be #15 this week.
Macabre Sunset
Sun, Nov 29, 2009 : 7:43 p.m.
One can hope, Theo. It was a disappointing tournament. Can the Blue do anything without Manny? What happens when he goes pro next year?
michalllday
Sun, Nov 29, 2009 : 7:27 p.m.
We are too small...if Novak is a main rebounder on your team...you have a problem. The zone they play leaves guys WIDE OPEN when the other team is smart with the ball. And we give up way too many offensive rebounds. I question Beilein's play calling in the last 2 possessions. The game is tied...coming out of a timeout...the Wolverines run some clock and Harris shoots a 28 ft. 3-pointer...really that's the best you can come up with Beilein??? And with 5 seconds left...coming out of a timeout...he has some freshman dribble all the way down court and get swatted away...we don't even get a shot off. Terrible.
miatamich
Sun, Nov 29, 2009 : 7:25 p.m.
Quick teams are giving U-M fits and Novak is too slow and small against athletic teams. Three-point shooting is way off and this spells L-O-S-S. Geez, the only team we beat in the tournament was Creighton and they lost all three of their games. Until Darius Morris matures, the leadership and hustle of David Merritt and CJ Lee will be missed, as well.
Detroitrocks
Sun, Nov 29, 2009 : 7:04 p.m.
Losing to weak teams, collapsing in the second half - where have we seen this before? NIT again.