Michigan basketball team rallies, but falls to No. 3 Kansas in overtime, 67-60
Michigan freshman Jordan Morgan fights for a rebound with Kansas juniors Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris in the second half of Michigan's 67-60 loss to Kansas.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
Darius Morris had reason to be upset, frustrated and angry. The sophomore guard, the heart and soul of the Michigan basketball team, did so much right Sunday against the No. 3 team in the country.
And yet Michigan fell a little short.
So when Morris pushed the door to the back portion of the Michigan locker room hard enough for others to take notice after No. 3 Kansas beat Michigan, 67-60, in overtime, nobody was surprised.
He knows what Michigan had a chance to do — both in the small and larger scales.
“It’s still a loss. I’m not into, ‘Oh, we played them close,’” Morris said. “It’s still an ‘L.’
As Morris headed for the showers, a line of recruits and their families waited outside the locker room. Inside, Michigan’s players could say all they wanted about being upset with the loss to Kansas, but there was more.
Michigan is closer than it might have expected to being competitive with the top teams in the country. The way the Wolverines played early, they could have been blown out.
But after missing 17 of its first 21 shots, Michigan (11-5) settled down. It played patiently. It found small holes in an extremely tight Kansas defense that recovered from screens better than any other Michigan opponent this season.
The Wolverines, led by 19 points from freshman forward Tim Hardaway Jr. and 16 points and seven assists from Morris, went on an 8-0 run to close the first half and stay with the Jayhawks, 25-18.
“We got confidence,” redshirt freshman forward Jordan Morgan said. “But I don’t think we didn’t have (confidence) before. We just know we’re a young team and people might not expect us to do much, even after our start people might not expect us to do much but just try to stay with it.”
At the end, that is what Michigan did.
Trailing 47-38 with 5:35 left, Michigan finished the game on a 13-4 run — with seven of those points coming from junior guard Zack Novak and a final, drive-and-turn jump shot from Morris with 34 seconds left — to force overtime.
Michigan even took the lead, too, in overtime after a Novak 3-pointer from the top of the key with 4:21 left, 54-51.
“When Novak’s shot goes down to go up by three,” Michigan coach John Beilein said. “After (Kansas) had missed the first opportunity, I really thought I wouldn’t be standing here in this situation.
“We really played well enough on defense.”
It did, switching to a 1-3-1 zone for the stretch of the second half to attempt and neutralize Kansas’ Morris twins. Still, the Jayhawks (15-0) made things difficult.
Marcus Morris had a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Markieff Morris had 13 points and 11 rebounds, including a 3-pointer from the right wing with 3:41 left in overtime to give Kansas its final lead, 56-54.
That run left Michigan wondering what-if instead of celebrating a win that would have been the Wolverines’ biggest since knocking off then-No. 4 Duke, 81-73, on Dec. 6, 2008.
“To me, they are right there with the teams we’ve played,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “We played a really good schedule from an RPI standpoint but haven’t played top 10-type teams. Cal, Arizona, Memphis, UCLA, a couple of those we could have lost.
“I think Michigan fits really well into that mix. They are so young, and John has done a great job with them. They are going to win their fair share of Big Ten games.”
It is back to the Big Ten for Michigan now, with No. 2 Ohio State coming to Ann Arbor on Wednesday.
“We still have a chip on our shoulder,” Morris said. “And we’re searching for that big win. We’re not satisfied with this, this isn’t why we work out in the summer, to lose by (seven).
“We want to get those ‘W’s.’”
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
Engineer
Mon, Jan 10, 2011 : 10:13 p.m.
Sweet life in todays college BB world if you are pulling in top level talent they are not improving for four years. No, they are headed to the NBA in 2 to 3 years after picking up a national championship. We may have some good players now but why the pass on the first 2 or three recruiting classes. JB has been here 4 years. His first class and second class should be seniors and juniors leading us to the promise land. Instead we are hoping for the NIT in year 4. Funny thing we made NCAA in year 2 and should have built on that to actually improve. Look a Callipari at Kentucky.
Jayhawk
Mon, Jan 10, 2011 : 6:12 p.m.
aareader is wrong about Kansas not being worthy of No. 3. At Kansas, we don't trash our players or coach. This is how we analyze things: Coach Self says, If you play 30 games, youre gonna play 10 real good games, Self said, and youre probably gonna win those no matter who you are. Then youre gonna play 10 average games. The key to having a good season is winning average games. Then youre gonna play 10 poor games. The key to having a great season is winning games when you dont play very well. Kansas clearly had an off game with some dismal shooting. Michigan didn't shoot well either, but they were scrappy, played terrific defense and didn't give up. I was at the game and it was so sad to hear the Michigan fans behind me criticizing their players nearly the entire game. Michigan is such a great institution but there's plenty of soul searching that needs to be done. While you're doing it, rethink the "You suck chant." It's sad.
aareader
Mon, Jan 10, 2011 : 4:16 p.m.
@sweet_life Great Comments... especially about the improving basketball program. I completely agree.
vi4mi4
Mon, Jan 10, 2011 : 11:06 a.m.
why? Why? WHY?..switch to man-to-man in ot when the zone had kansas throwing the ball around like 8th graders??!!..another case of OVERCOACHING.. c'mon coach Bline..i know you are a bball wizard but let your kids WIN one of these games.. and oh yeah..one jr. needs to quit playing scared and BALL! schmuckeyes wednesday... Go Blue! v
aareader
Mon, Jan 10, 2011 : 9:04 a.m.
Kansas basketball is not #3 material. Blue took them to OT. If Michigan shot their normal %age they would have won. IMO Purdue is the best team we have played to date. #2 OSU will be hosted this week. It will be fun to watch how they do. as always..... GO BLUE.
daddyo
Mon, Jan 10, 2011 : 8:27 a.m.
Very nice comeback fellas, your day is coming! Let's concentrate on recruiting a big man in the next year, a real back to the basket, offensive threat. Someone we can go to when two points are desperately needed late in games. Only then will we be a truly competitive Big 10 team. Go Blue!
sweet_life
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 10:45 p.m.
@Engineer - you are so typical of many Michigan fans. Your team just sent the #3 team in the country to overtime in a game everyone expected to be a blowout and all you can say is that JB should have been fired last year (after one NCAA tournament and only two full recruiting seasons). No wonder the football program is in such turmoil. I have had season tickets to UM basketball for over 20 years and have seen a lot of good and bad teams. Yes, last year was disappointing, but this is a program on its way up. I would be the first to say that their offense looked terrible against Kansas. But Kansas has the #1 defense in the country and Michigan's defense held Kansas to one of their worst offensive performances of the season. Something is going right here. For everyone who says JB can't recruit, I would point out that Darius Morris is developing into one of the top point guards in the country, that Jordan Morgan, Tim Hardaway Jr, and Jon Horford especially are going to look better every year, and that 2011 commitments Carlton Brundidge and Trey Burke are have great HS senior seasons so far. It isn't a matter of settling for the NIT - it's a matter of building a winning program with kids who aren't "one-and dones" but have the talent to compete in the conference and nationally. Give it a little time to happen.
cnorman
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 9:35 p.m.
only someone who routinely wears blinders would not see improvement in this team-----not enough for this postseason, but the tournament seems a realistic goal next year. both jordan morgan and jon horford will eventually become bigten big men.
Engineer
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 9:10 p.m.
We lost hmmm a John B trademark since arriving in Ann Arbor. Yet he seems to get no heat. Last year should have been the end for this staff. They laid an entire complete egg and now oh we are so young. Give me a break you have been here for 4 years and nothing to show for it. Oh one stinking NCAA win but three no shows. Of course you have expectations down to hope we make the NIT. Give me a break we should be wanting final fours and big ten championships. NOT NIT!!!!
1st Down
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 8:56 p.m.
need a monster big man in the middle...
leathercouch
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 8:54 p.m.
bigtenknight - this would be funny and sting alittle bit if you were a MSU fan, and we had played MSU... but it clearly doesnt apply to any team that happens to play michigan and win a close one. and BY saying it everygame it loses its edge SHOULD MSU beat U of M in a close game. but good try...
bigtenknight
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 7:34 p.m.
This game reminds me of when I used to play games in the driveway with my little brother. I used to let him hang in there til the last second before I snatched the game away. Who knows...maybe next time...
clarklaker
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 7:33 p.m.
Why did beilein change the defense in o.t. that decision cost michigan a chance at a win.
OSUbeBetter
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 7:31 p.m.
Good luck Wednesday, Not really.
OSUbeBetter
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 7:26 p.m.
Ill be the first to give those kids Props. I tuned in to watch them get annihilated, but they actually played well. If Beline could stop those kids from launching 3's all night long they might have came out with a win.
marlon glenn
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 7:18 p.m.
Close but no cigar. This team plays very hard. I give them tons of credit for that. They need more talent. Hopefully, that will come in time.
mookienation
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 7:15 p.m.
Hopefully these young players will be able to build on what they did today. The fact that they were able to take Kansas into overtime DESPITE a poor shooting performance is very impressive to me. Their defense looked really good. Great effort!
Hunter Sinclair
Tue, Jan 18, 2011 : 5:16 a.m.
I agree - the defense looked really good.