Michigan basketball coach John Beilein feels better about NCAA tournament chances; and your guide to the bubble watch
Michigan basketball coach John Beilein feels much better about his team’s NCAA tournament chances than he did two weeks ago.
Still, it doesn’t mean the fourth-year Wolverines coach is comfortable with where his team stands.
Michigan coach John Beilein lets the referee have it late in the second half of the Wolverines' 70-63 win over Michigan State.
Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com
“I’ve been doing this a long time and I don’t think you ever, unless you’re one of these locked teams that have been nationally ranked all year long, have any confidence that you’re in,” “There’s just too many things that still can happen or not happen that means you’re in.
“I don’t get into it too much.”
Beilein knows the biggest help to Michigan would be beating Illinois in the Big Ten quarterfinals Friday. He can’t do anything until then, so all he can do is prepare, wait and bubble watch a little bit along with everybody else.
Today’s bubble watching:
The Horizon Championship: Butler faces Milwaukee in Milwaukee and the Bulldogs are very much on the bubble. Butler wins and it saves a bubble slot for another team. If Milwaukee wins — and the Panthers swept Butler in the regular season — a bubble spot could disappear. Or Butler will be in the same group as Michigan. A Bulldogs win eliminates that possibility. (ESPN, 9 p.m.)
Big East Tournament: The longest conference tournament in college basketball starts Tuesday and while three of the games are between teams that either won’t be in the tournament or have essentially clinched berths, one game matters. Marquette and Providence play the 9 p.m. game at Madison Square Garden. Providence has no shot at the NCAAs unless it wins the Big East tournament, but Marquette is very much a bubble team at this point. A Providence win might push the Golden Eagles below Michigan. (ESPNU)
Summit League Championship: Oakland needs to win to reach the NCAA tournament, but a win by the Summit League favorites will help Michigan as the Wolverines beat them during the regular season.
Penn vs. Princeton: Michigan played neither team, but if Penn knocks off Princeton, it means Tommy Amaker will do something at Harvard that he never did at Michigan: Make the NCAA tournament. This is also important because it will mean the Crimson will definitely be a Top 50 team on Selection Sunday if they don’t have to play another game and will count as a Top 50 win for Michigan.
Atlantic 10 Tournament: While there are no “bubble games” today, the Rhode Island-St. Louis game is worth paying attention to. The winner plays bubble-rific Richmond. So if you’re another bubble team, you’re hoping Rhode Island beats St. Louis because the Rams knocked off Richmond in the regular season, 78-74.
Last night’s bubble results:
Old Dominion won: The Monarchs knocking off VCU in the CAA championship game helped out Michigan. ODU was qualifying for the NCAA tournament regardless while the Rams were a fringe bubble team that Michigan is still ahead of.
Gonzaga wins: Whichever team lost in the West Coast title game between Gonzaga and St. Mary’s was going to be a bubble team, but Gonzaga’s win helps the Wolverines as they had a stronger resume than the Gaels, which will be bubble watching more than any team in the country over the next five days.
In the brackets:
ESPN: Michigan is semi-safely in as a No. 11 seed, facing No. 6 Vanderbilt in Tucson. Looming in the second round: Steve Fisher and San Diego State.
CBS: Michigan is certainly a bubble team here, although not in the First Four. The Wolverines are a No. 11 seed here, too, facing No. 6 Cincinnati in Washington, D.C. with a potential second-round opponent of North Carolina.
SI: Michigan is in. The Wolverines are again a No. 11 seed, facing No. 6 Kansas State in Washington, D.C. Potential second-round opponent: Syracuse.
The Washington Times: Michigan would be a No. 11 seed, facing No. 6 Georgetown in Tulsa with a potential second-round opponent of Texas. Fun fact: Fomer Michigan basketball beat writer Nathan Fenno now covers the Hoyas.
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
tater
Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 3:13 a.m.
I have been one who thought Michigan would be much better off in the NIT this year, but I think they have played well enough down the stretch that they deserve to make the big dance. If they can defeat Illinois, which has grossly more height than they do, in the first round of the BTT, they should be a lock. Then again, "should" usually doesn't factor into anything the NCAA does. If it does, TSIO's football program will soon be banished to somewhere in Bolivia for the next five years.
Big Tex
Tue, Mar 8, 2011 : 9:34 p.m.
Man, no one should ever quote the Washington Times for ANYTHING! It is owned by the friggin' Moonies! Does NO ONE remember the Rev. Moon and his insanity? Treating that rag as some sort of legitimate newspaper is downright criminal. Al-Jazeera is more creible! All good journalists know this, Michael, and you should, too.
Michael Rothstein
Tue, Mar 8, 2011 : 10:07 p.m.
Big Tex, The Washington Times sports dept (newly re-created, by the way) is going to be good. Patrick Stevens is one of the best out there at understanding bracketology so I trust what he writes.
michboy40
Tue, Mar 8, 2011 : 3:26 p.m.
Nice bubble breakdown Mike!