Michigan basketball has a chance to make a program-altering statement against Duke
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In a corner of Michigan’s semi-cramped locker room Friday afternoon, Jordan Morgan and Blake McLimans couldn’t pull themselves away from the television.
Media scurried around the redshirt freshmen forwards, teammates showered and changed next to them, coaches joked with everyone but they stayed focused.
And when Duke, the top seed in the West Region of this year’s NCAA tournament and eighth-seeded Michigan’s opponent Sunday in the Round of 32 (2:45 p.m., CBS), jumped out to a fast lead on Hampton, Morgan could only mutter one thing.
“Wow.”
It is unlikely Michigan will be intimidated by Duke on Sunday since it has faced Kansas and Ohio State and Syracuse this season - two of those teams are top seeds in this year’s field. But the Wolverines have more than a game ahead.
Michigan basketball has been searching for a way to regain its stature as a basketball program.
For more than a decade, as scandal and sub-par play damaging a once-proud tradition, through coaching changes and mediocrity, Michigan has waited for a moment like this, the chance to alter the state of their program.
Beating Michigan State twice this year for the first time since 1997 was a building block. This is the chance to resurrect the entire thing.
For Michigan, this is arguably the biggest men’s basketball game it has played since 1998, when the then-third-seeded Wolverines lost to No. 6 UCLA, 85-82, in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
It was Brian Ellerbe’s first year in Michigan and at the time, no one would have predicted the path the Wolverines have taken since then, with NCAA sanctions stemming from the Ed Martin scandal that resulted in a one-year postseason ban. That resulted in mediocrity, the eventual firing of Ellerbe, hiring and firing of Tommy Amaker and the John Beilein hire in 2007.
So 14 years after the second-round game against UCLA, Michigan entered this season predicted to finish at the bottom of the Big Ten. Now, the team with no seniors and two emerging stars in guards Darius Morris and Tim Hardaway Jr. will have the opportunity to face the highest standard in college hoops: Duke.
In North Carolina. On national television. In the NCAA tournament. With a chance to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1994, when most of the current Wolverines were pre-schoolers, assistant coaches Bacari Alexander and LaVall Jordan were in high school, assistant coach Jeff Meyer was the head coach at Liberty and current Michigan head coach Beilein was a head coach at Canisius.
“You’re playing for a chance to go to the Sweet 16,” Michigan junior guard Zack Novak said. “You could put a high school team against us. We’re going to be just as excited.”
Michigan was in this position two years ago, on the precipice of reaching the Sweet 16 with only No. 2 Oklahoma in its way, this is different.
Oklahoma was more like a one-player wonder with star Blake Griffin. Jeff Capel, the Sooners coach in that game, was fired earlier this month after they finished under .500 for the second straight year.
None of these things happen with Duke.
The Blue Devils are the standard when it comes to college basketball with McDonald’s All-Americans littering their starting lineup and a coach who is one of the best of all-time, Mike Krzyzewski.
Beilein is doing this with a team most thought was at least a year away from being able to make a run to the NCAA tournament, with a group of no seniors and a lot of potential. This collection of players aren't a combination of Amaker and Beilein recruits. These are all his guys — the first time he's been able to claim that at Michigan.
This is a group that even Beilein admitted last month might be a little bit ahead of the timeline he had in his head. A win Sunday would surpass all expectations he could have even wildly had.
Which is why this chance, this moment, is even larger for Michigan. Not that they are worried about it.
“We’ve played great teams before so I guess we’ll prepare for them like we prepared for other good teams,” Morgan said. “They obviously have a great coach, that doesn’t really need to be said, and a lot of talented players so we’ll just prepare for them like we prepare for every other team.
“I don’t think we’ll have any problems being intimidated by them because we’ve seen Kansas, Ohio State, other great teams 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
rensational
Sun, Mar 20, 2011 : 9:53 a.m.
Oh, I just remembered Curry plays there. Okay, I looked up the roster...dang, I really haven't paid attention to these dudes' races, haha. Wish the rest of the world could be like this...
rensational
Sun, Mar 20, 2011 : 9:50 a.m.
I could definitely be wrong, but I don't think the documentary will have a lot to do with Duke's approach to this game. These guys were not at Duke 15-20 yrs ago, and I don't recall off the top of my head any "Uncle Toms" currently on the team who could have been offended by that comment...admittedly, I haven't paid tons of attention to who currently plays for Duke, but I just don't recall any black guys who start. The biggest issue for Michigan is the same as it always was going to be--an inability to beat any team that is not just a little bit better than Michigan or worse. Sorry, but Tennessee was only a little bit better than us (just going off some of the teams UT managed to beat), and after reading several articles about Pearl's future at UT and the comments UT AD Hamilton made regarding Pearl's future not being certain at UT I commented on one like, "Thanks for handing Michigan the victory, Hamilton." That UT blowout was NOT all Michigan, so I would not use that to say we have a chance against Duke. I also don't think beating Duke or going to the Sweet 16 next season and Izzo leaving MSU helps Michigan in terms of winning the state in recruiting because of the kind of players Beilein seems to recruit. Beilein just doesn't really seem to go after the best players he can get.
mun
Sun, Mar 20, 2011 : 3:46 a.m.
Remember, this game is in Charlotte, which is basically a home game for Duke.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Sat, Mar 19, 2011 : 10:32 p.m.
tater wrote: "Anyway, it's a nice fantasy, but this team isn't beating Duke" OK, let me make certain I understand this. The very same person who saw reason to think the former football coach was going to win as many as ten games this year thinks the basketball team has no chance tomorrow? Yeah, that makes sense. Good Night and Good Luck
XTR
Sat, Mar 19, 2011 : 9:17 p.m.
Watch Duke against MSU this year with a 5 point home win. Duke is not impossible to beat.
belboz
Sat, Mar 19, 2011 : 9:07 p.m.
If they were playing today, they'd have no chance.... But... On Any Given Sunday!
Dwayne
Sat, Mar 19, 2011 : 5:29 p.m.
It's kind of hard to continue to argue that Michigan was over seeded, considering their performance yesterday. Obviously, the committee seeds with potential matchups in mind. Anyone that thinks that Michigan facing Duke in the second round (yes, I did say second...everyone knows that Tues/Wed were play-in games) is a coincidence, may have just a little bit of their head in the sand. However, when you are talking about a subjective range of 8 - 12 seed, it leaves a little room for the potential matchup being a factor, without calling into question honesty or fair play. It's a great matchup for Michigan and I'm sure that they'll embrace it and the role of the underdog. Having said that, it's a very tough matchup and in all likelihood, most fans will be hoping that they keep it respectable, but I don't see it a game that they cannot win. They've done enough this season for me not to close the book on them, before they've finished writing the ending. Go Blue!!
tater
Sat, Mar 19, 2011 : 5:05 p.m.
Gee, I wonder if the NCAA overseeded Michigan and put them in the bracket with Duke on purpose to take advantage of the Fab Five documetary and the controversy it created? Or if TSIO AD Gene Smith had any input on the process? Nah. I can't imagine the NCAA, with its sterling reputation for honesty, fair play, and unbiased adherence to its own rules, would EVER do such a thing. And I certainly can't imagine Gene Smith wanting to see Michigan get their hats handed to them by Duke. Anyway, it's a nice fantasy, but this team isn't beating Duke. Michigan would not only have to play its best game all year, but Duke would have to come in flat and play its worst. Thanks to the controversy, there is no way Michigan catches Duke sleeping. Duke will be playing this as a rivalry game. If Michigan manages to stay within ten, it will be a great performance. Besides, the program-changing games were the second one against MSU and yesterday's blowout of UT. Combined with the long-overdue facilities upgrades, those games will help Michigan be taken seriously as at least an equal for instate recruiting. If Tom Izzo leaves for the NBA, as I fully expect, the timetable for Michigan's instate resurrection will be moved up considerably. MSU no longer has "first dibs" when it comes to instate recruiting. I would put their advantage at 60-40 right now because it takes awhile to change perceptions, but that could change at the stroke of Tom Izzo's pen. Either way, this season has been a game-changer for instate recruiting, no matter how Michigan plays against Duke tomorrow.
XTR
Sat, Mar 19, 2011 : 7:48 p.m.
UM's zone defense and the 3 point shot can beat Duke. Watch the MSU-Duke game early this season, Duke is matchable and beatable as long as the other team sticks close in the endgame. But of course, Duke is the favorite here. One more thing about the brackets, those seeds that would be pitted against the 2 seeds are better.
Marshall Applewhite
Sat, Mar 19, 2011 : 5:17 p.m.
I don't expect Michigan to win tomorrow, but it's not like the game is such an epic mismatch that it might as well be a 1 vs. 16 game......... Duke is good, but if Michigan can avoid foul trouble, they play good enough defense to have a chance.