Poetic Justice

As soon as it happened, I thought, "This is the type of stuff that would happen to Michigan." We were the young team that hadn't been there before, with a couple of notorious elbow-related incidents already under our belt this season. Everyone wondered if Michigan could keep their composure in a game of such magnitude. By and large, we did, while Terrence Oglesby let the frustrations of a poor shooting night manifest themselves in a cheap elbow to Stu Douglass' face.

Yes, we almost let it slip away. C.J. Lee, who had done a solid job of breaking Clemson's press all game, chucked the ball out of bounds at the worst possible time, and the Wolverines' offense went stagnant for five excruciating minutes.

Then, Manny Harris did what great players are supposed to do: he took the game into his own hands. Maybe he should have let the clock run a little, but standing on the wing with nobody guarding him, his team nursing a quickly-disappearing one-point lead, Harris took it straight to the rim. All year, Michigan fans have decried the criminal lack of calls Manny has drawn when taking the ball to the hoop. Last night, the refs nailed the call, Manny nailed the and-one, and 37 seconds later Michigan put the final nail in Clemson's coffin.

Damn, this is fun.

I Remember Dani Wohl

I remember Baron Davis tearing apart the Michigan defense in the 1998 NCAA Tournament, but only vaguely. I was ten at the time.

I remember going to the Breslin Center and watching Michigan commit LaVell Blanchard lead Pioneer High School to a state title over Saginaw Arthur Hill, who featured a future Spartan named Jason Richardson.

I remember the brief but spectacular careers of Jamal Crawford and Kevin Gaines.

I remember wondering what the hell happened to Gaines, and why a 5-7 guy with a propensity for underage drinking had taken over at point guard.

I tried to forget those jerseys.

I remember when Josh Moore was the next big thing.

I remember the Ed Martin trial, and looking in vain for the missing banners.

I remember the class of Horton, Abram, Brown and Hunter, and being excited for the future while feeling sad that LaVell would not make the tournament with those four.

I remember Bernard Robinson's name being in the papers for all the wrong reasons.

I remember Dion Harris: Michigan Mr. Basketball, and Courtney Sims: four-star center.

I remember watching Brent Petway do a series of spectacular dunks at the Michigan open scrimmage in Crisler after watching Michigan beat Purdue in football.

I remember that being the highlight of Petway's career.

I remember going to every 2004 NIT home game, beating Rutgers in the Garden, and being confident that Tommy Amaker would lead us to the promised land soon.

I remember Ronald Coleman: recruiting class of 2004.

I remember when Daniel Horton pushed and choked his girlfriend.

I remember Dani Wohl.

I remember Horton playing like a man possessed in 2006, beating Michigan State and Illinois at home, and being a near-lock for the Big Dance.

I remember Dion Harris crumpling to the ground against Ohio State, losing to Indiana, and rushing home from school to catch the end of the Minnesota game.

I remember the 2006-07 team being the worst 20-win team in the history of college basketball.

I remember rejoicing when Tommy was fired.

I remember losing to Harvard.

Tomorrow, all is forgotten.

Harris and Sims named All-Big Ten

Manny Harris was named first team All-Big Ten today by both the coaches and the media, and DeShawn Sims was named second team by the media and third team by the coaches. Congratulations to Manny and DeShawn for their great seasons, and it goes without saying that Michigan wouldn't be close to being in the position they're in without the contributions of each player.

The first team was the same for both the media and the coaches, with Harris being joined by Kalin Lucas (MSU), Evan Turner (OSU), Talor Battle (PSU) and JaJuan Johnson (Purdue).

Full list of the teams can be found here.

Burn the Ships!

From the Detroit News:

Burn the ships?

Michigan coach John Beilein turned to an unlikely source Saturday -- 16th century Aztec conqueror Hernando Cortez -- to inspire his players.

Cortez directed his Spanish troops in 1519 to burn their ships before the siege of the now-Mexican coast, as an overt act of confidence that they would win and then take their enemies' vessels as prizes.

The Wolverines warmed up in Williams Arena wearing shooting shirts saying "Quemar los barcos" -- Cortez's famous quote in Spanish.

Beilein went so far as to give the players a PowerPoint presentation on Cortez's tactics the night before the game. Clearly the players were inspired. Just ask Lavel Lucas-Perry.

"We were all about burning the ships, all about it," said Lucas-Perry, who scored a season-high 19 points. "Coach just got us going."

"Burn the ships" it is. Cue my crappy Photoshop skills:

Dance

Michigan @ Minnesota Live Blog

I'll be co-hosting a liveblog with JB of bigtenforum.com starting at tipoff tomorrow. Come join the action for the biggest game for Michigan hoops in recent memory:

"In this case my enemy is a varmint, and a varmint will never quit, ever. They're like the Viet Cong. Varmint Cong. What you gotta do is you gotta fall back with superior firepower and superior intelligence."

Burstin' Bubbles: March 6

As you all know by now, Michigan sits firmly on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament, and probably needs at least two more victories (@MINN on Saturday, 1st round of the BTT) to secure a spot in the Big Dance. Burstin' Bubbles will run down the relevant bubble games of the day leading up to the tourney. Jamiemac over at mgoblog has been doing a tremendous job of this, but it never hurts to spread the love a bit:

Michigan's Resume (for comparison's sake ... updated every day, as the RPI numbers tend to bounce around):
18-12 (8-9 Big Ten)
ESPN InsideRPI: 45 (up two from yesterday)
SOS: 11
3-4 vs. RPI 1-25
2-5 vs. RPI 26-50
4-2 vs. RPI 51-100
Signature win(s): Duke (home), UCLA (neutral-site)
Bracket Matrix: Fifth team out; made 16 of 62 brackets.

Yesterday's Bubble Scores:

Villanova 97, Providence 80 (good)
Tennessee 86, South Carolina 70 (good)
Penn State 64, No. 23 Illinois 63 (bad)
Cal 83, Arizona 77 (good)

If not for Talor Battle's game-winning bucket with 0.3 seconds left against Illinois, Wolverine bubble-watcher would've enjoyed a clean sweep last night. Still, it seems like nobody wants to make the tournament this year ... if Michigan takes care of business tomorrow, they're pretty much a lock.

Just one game to keep an eye on tonight:

Creighton (25-6, 14-4 MVC; RPI: 38) vs. Wichita State (16-15, 8-10 MVC): Creighton has a pretty strong resume, including a ten-game winning streak and an 8-4 road record. However, they're second in the Missouri Valley Conference, and may need another victory to wrap up an at-large bid if they can't take the conference tournament title.

Burstin' Bubbles: March 5 (Georgia On My Mind Edition)

(Theme song for today: "Georgia On My Mind" performed by the late, great David "Fathead" Newman)

As you all know by now, Michigan sits firmly on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament, and probably needs at least two more victories (@MINN on Saturday, 1st round of the BTT) to secure a spot in the Big Dance. Burstin' Bubbles will run down the relevant bubble games of the day leading up to the tourney. Jamiemac over at mgoblog has been doing a tremendous job of this, but it never hurts to spread the love a bit:

Michigan's Resume (for comparison's sake ... updated every day, as the RPI numbers tend to bounce around):
18-12 (8-9 Big Ten)
ESPN InsideRPI: 47 (up one from yesterday)
SOS: 11
2-4 vs. RPI 1-25
3-5 vs. RPI 26-50
4-2 vs. RPI 51-100
Signature win(s): Duke (home), UCLA (neutral-site)
Bracket Matrix: Fifth team out; made 13 of 60 brackets.

Yesterday's bubble scores:

North Carolina State 74, Boston College 69 (Good)
North Carolina 86, Virginia Tech 78 (Good)
Georgia Tech 78, Miami (FL) 68 (Stunningly Good)
Georgia 90, Kentucky 85 (Ditto)
Mississippi State 80, Florida 71 (Good)
Minnesota 51, Wisconsin 46 (No Idea)
Texas A&M 72, Colorado 66 (Bad)
UNLV 46, Air Force 43 (Bad)

First of all, Michigan gets a huge boost thanks to Georgia Tech (previously 1-13 in ACC play) knocking off Miami and Georgia (heading into last night at 2-12 in the SEC) upsetting Kentucky (!) in Rupp Arena (!!) on Senior Night (!!!). Ladies and gentlemen, your word of the day is 'choke'.

What's crazy is that there were almost two more near-unfathomable upsets, with Colorado (1-14 Big 12) holding an eight-point lead with under six minutes to play against A&M and Air Force (0-15 MWC) giving UNLV all they could handle on their home floor.

The chips seem to be falling Michigan's way, with Georgetown, Cincinnati, Kansas State, Kentucky, Miami and Virginia Tech all either getting knocked off the bubble completely or getting dealt a near-death blow in the last two days.

On to tonight's slate, which features four games, all televised for your viewing pleasure (ESPN lists five bubble games, but Dayton, who boasts an RPI of 27, is a near-lock, and will only be on the bubble if they lose to Xavier and Duquense). Again, bubble team of note listed first:

Providence (18-11, 10-7 Big East; RPI: 69) @ No. 16 Villanova (24-6, 12-5 Big East) [7:00, ESPN2]: In all likelihood, Providence is going to become the eighth Big East team to make the tournament. They have as good a win as any team in the country (beating No. 1 Pitt on Feb. 24) and have won four of their last six games. Beating 'Nova puts them in the field. The Friars would probably have to lose this game and their first round game in the Big East Tournament to be in danger of missing the Big Dance. However, other than the victory over Pitt they are lacking in quality wins (2-5 vs. RPI 1-25, 1-2 vs. RPI 26-50) and the Bracket Matrix has them as the first team out, so it never hurts to root for a Providence loss here.

South Carolina (20-7, 9-5 SEC; RPI: 41) vs. Tennessee (18-10, 9-5 SEC) [7:00, ESPN]: Caught me off guard by looking at the records, but yes, the Gamecocks are the team on the bubble in this matchup, thanks to a 0-3 record against RPI top-50 foes. Tennessee is currently a lock for the tourney, and South Carolina is a near-lock (named in 55 of 60 Bracket Matrix brackets). A win here and USC is a lock. A victory Saturday at Georgia (no longer the lock it seemed to be, I guess) and they're in as well.

Penn State (20-9, 9-7 Big Ten; RPI: 66) vs. No. 23 Illinois (23-7, 11-6 Big Ten) [9:00, ESPN]: Brian over at mgoblog breaks down all the reasons why a Penn State team that finishes 10-8 in the Big Ten should not make the tournament over a 9-9 Michigan team. A win over a ranked Illinois team on the road would go a long way towards making that argument moot. However, the Nittany Lions boast the country's 314th-ranked non-conference schedule, which goes a long way towards explaining the 19-place RPI gap between them and the Wolverines. A win here and a victory at Iowa on Saturday probably puts Penn State in the tournament. Anything less, and they're precariously positioned on the bubble.

Arizona (18-11, 8-8 Pac-10; RPI: 45) vs. California (21-8, 10-6 Pac-10; RPI: 39) [10:30, FSN]: Both teams are technically on the bubble, though Cal could probably drop their last two regular-season games and still be in as long as they win a Pac-10 tournament game. Arizona, on the other hand, looked like a lock until it dropped its last three games. Their SOS (33) and quality wins (five over RPI top-50 teams) still make them a strong bet to make the tournament, but they have a 2-9 road record and aren't a "hot" team right now. Pull for the Golden Bears for this one.

Burstin' Bubbles: March 4

As you all know by now, Michigan sits firmly on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament, and probably needs at least two more victories (@MINN on Saturday, 1st round of the BTT) to secure a spot in the Big Dance. Burstin' Bubbles will run down the relevant bubble games of the day leading up to the tourney. Jamiemac over at mgoblog has been doing a tremendous job of this, but it never hurts to spread the love a bit:

Michigan's Resume (for comparison's sake):
18-12 (8-9 Big Ten)
ESPN InsideRPI: 48 (up one from yesterday)
SOS: 11 (down one from yesterday)
4-5 vs. RPI 1-25
1-4 vs. RPI 26-50
4-2 vs. RPI 51-100
Signature win(s): Duke (home), UCLA (neutral-site)
Bracket Matrix: Fifth team out (up one); made 11 of 62 brackets.

Yesterday's bubble scores:

South Florida 70, Cincinnati 59 (Good)
Oklahoma State 77, Kansas State 71 (Good)
St. John's 59, Georgetown 56 (OT) (Good)
Wake Forest 65, Maryland 63 (Good)
New Mexico 77, Utah 71 (Bad)
Ohio State 60, Iowa 58 (Bad)

All in all, the bubble was good to Michigan last night. Georgetown's loss will remove them from consideration for the Tourney field, as will Cincinnati's choke job against USF. Oklahoma State probably won their way into the tournament, while at the same time putting Kansas State (and their horrendous non-conference schedule) on life support. Maryland is still alive (losing to a top-10 team is by two points is rarely cause to eliminate a team from contention), but they will probably have to win on the road at Virginia on Saturday to firm up a bid.

As for tonight's slate of bubblicious-ness (TV listings where appropriate; bubble team of note listed first):

Boston College (20-9, 8-6 ACC; RPI: 49) @ North Carolina State (15-12, 5-9 ACC): This one is pretty simple: BC wins and they're in. It's tough to keep a 20+ win team with a winning record in the ACC out of the NCAA Tournament.

Virginia Tech (17-11, 7-7 ACC; RPI: 59) vs. No. 2 North Carolina (25-3, 11-3 ACC) [7:00, ESPN]: The Hokies currently sit as the second team out in the Bracket Matrix, and are named in 22 of 59 current brackets. Beating UNC would put be the kind of signature victory that takes a team off the bubble and into the field of 65. However, a loss here would leave VT scrambling to lock up a .500 record in the ACC with a tough road tilt at Florida State on Saturday.

Miami (FL) (17-10, 6-8 ACC; RPI: 44) @ Georgia Tech (10-17, 1-13 ACC): Barring an epic meltdown, Miami should win this game. However, they sit as the third team out on the Bracket Matrix, so I figured I would throw this game on the list. The real game to watch for here is the 'Canes game against NC State on Saturday, one which they will likely need to win to get an at-large bid.

Kentucky (19-10, 8-6 SEC; RPI: 67) vs. Georgia (11-18, 2-12 SEC): Same deal as above, except Kentucky would probably make the tournament if the field was set today. A win here is a must, however, as the Wildcats are coming off of two straight losses, including a pasting at the hands of South Carolina. The SEC is seriously weak this season, and a 9-7 record (UK finishes the regular season @ Florida on Saturday) in conference may not be enough to make the field.

[Insert half-assed booing of Ashley Judd here]

Florida (21-8, 8-6 SEC; RPI: 50) @ Mississippi State (17-12, 7-7 SEC): Speak of the devil. Florida is only 2-6 in SEC road games, so a win for them at Miss State would be huge for them. Again, the SEC is a pretty weak conference this season ... the game against Kentucky could essentially be a play-in game for both teams.

Wisconsin (18-10, 9-7 Big Ten; RPI: 31) @ Minnesota (20-8, 8-8 Big Ten; RPI: 39) [8:30, Big Ten Network]: Both teams sit on the bubble, but I can't see Michigan getting in over Wisconsin, who swept the Wolverines in the season series and will likely finish with at least a 10-8 record after their season finale against a pathetic Indiana team. Then again, Michigan plays Minnesota on Saturday, and if we beat them we'll certianly make the field over the Gophers. So, um, I guess Go Gophers?

Texas A&M (21-8, 7-7 Big 12; RPI: 34) @ Colorado (9-19, 1-13 Big 12): This is a gimme for A&M, who currently sit in the tourney field in a solid 38 of 59 brackets on the Bracket Matrix. So yeah, probably in. Damn. Any chance Chauncey has leftover eligibility for the Buffs?

Please?

UNLV (20-8, 8-6 MWC; RPI: 51) vs. Air Force (9-18, 0-14 MWC): Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.

Burstin' Bubbles: March 3

As you all know by now, Michigan sits firmly on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament, and probably needs at least two more victories (@MINN on Saturday, 1st round of the BTT) to secure a spot in the Big Dance. Burstin' Bubbles will run down the relevant bubble games of the day leading up to the tourney. Jamiemac over at mgoblog has been doing a tremendous job of this, but it never hurts to spread the love a bit:

Michigan's Resume (for comparison's sake):
18-12 (8-9 Big Ten)
ESPN InsideRPI: 49
SOS: 10
3-5 vs. RPI 1-25
2-4 vs. RPI 26-50
4-2 vs. RPI 51-100
Signature win(s): Duke (home), UCLA (neutral-site)
Bracket Matrix: Sixth team out; made 11 of 62 brackets.

Tonight's games of note:

Cincinnati (18-11, 8-8 Big East; RPI: 53) @ South Florida (8-20, 3-13) [ESPNU, 7:00]: The Bearcats sit one spot above the Wolverines in the Bracket Project's Bracket Matrix. Even though we're sitting behind them, I think U-M has the better tournament resume. Cinci is 1-8 against the RPI top 25, with their signature victory coming against West Virginia, who sits 20th in the RPI but is currently unranked in the major polls. However, if Cinci wins out, it's going to be tough to keep a 20-win Big East team with a 10-8 conference record out of the tourney. An upset here is quite unlikely, but an outsider would have said the same about the Michigan/Iowa game last week.

Kansas State (20-9, 8-6 Big 12; RPI: 72) @ Oklahoma State (19-9, 8-6 Big 12; RPI: 32) [ESPN2, 7:30]: A quick glance at the records might make you think that it doesn't matter who wins this, but OK State sits pretty firmly in the tournament field thanks to the 11th-toughest schedule in the country and Saturday's victory over Texas, while K-State's creampuff schedule (SOS: 99, nonconference SOS of 311) puts them on the outside looking in. A Cowboy victory probably locks up a spot for OK State and deals a huge blow to K State's tourney hopes.

Georgetown (15-12, 6-10 Big East; RPI: 40) @ St. John's (14-15, 5-11): The Hoyas boast the country's No. 1 SOS, which is the only think keeping their heads above the water right now. They have to win their last two games to garner even a sideways glance from the tournament committee. They're 3-9 in their last 12 games, but just had a huge road W at Villanova on Saturday. If they win their last two and make a little noise in the Big East Tourney, it might be tough to keep a team that played this tough a schedule out. Hopefully the Johnnies will take care of that.

No. 10 Wake Forest (22-5, 9-5 ACC) @ Maryland (18-10, 7-7 ACC; RPI: 52): Maryland in all likelihood needs to at least split its last two games to guarantee a spot in the tourney field. They have two huge victories (North Carolina at home in OT, pasting Michigan State on a neutral court) and also beat Michigan at home earlier this season. I don't really see us jumping the Terps unless they drop their last two. According to the Bracket Matrix, they sit as a 12-seed, making 36 of 62 brackets.

Utah (20-8, 11-3 MWC) @ New Mexico (19-10, 10-4 MWC; RPI: 70): Utah is going to make the tourney, and the Mountain West Conference will in all likelihood send three teams, with Brigham Young likely in and UNLV in solid shape to get a bid. That leaves the Lobos on the outside looking in unless they can upset Utah and get some help the rest of the way. If Utah takes this one, New Mexico should be out of the picture completely barring a huge run in the conference tournament.

Ohio State (18-9, 8-8 Big Ten; RPI: 42) @ Iowa (14-15, 4-12 Big Ten; RPI: 105) [Big Ten Network, 9:00]: This game has twofold importance for Michigan. Ohio State would currently get a bid over U-M, thanks to a better record, a higher RPI, and two head-to-head wins, so a loss here and against Northwestern to close the season would be helpful. Also, a victory for Iowa would probably vault them back in the RPI top 100, which would make Michigan's loss to them no longer fall under the "bad loss" category. Not like you need any more reasons to root against the Buckeyes anyway.

Michigan @ Wisconsin Live Blog (UPDATE: Never Mind)

MGoBlog is hosting today ... didn't get that memo until I woke up. Head on over there to get your liveblog fix.

Basketball Live Blog Tomorrow

Hi everyone. I'm back from vacation. Since I haven't been blogging in a week (blame my computer dying and the beauty of Colorado for that) I've decided to come back with a bang: I'll be doing a live blog of Michigan @ Wisconsin starting tomorrow at 1:30 pm. Go Blue, and hopefully I'll catch you tomorrow for the live blog.

Notes on UM/Northwestern

HUGE victory for the Wolverines, as they pull out a 70-67 overtime win at Northwestern to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive. Manny Harris carried the team to victory, scoring 25 of his 26 points in the second half and overtime, going 8-15 from the field and 9-10 from the line. Some thoughts from the game:

• Manny was on his best taking the ball to the hoop. He went 7-9 on his two point shots, most from in close, and his ability to get to the line (and convert his free throws) was a huge reason why Michigan pulled out this game. After battling foul trouble in the first half, he played the best 25 minutes of basketball I've seen him play all season.
  
• Michigan played a ton of man-to-man this game, and Stu Douglass did a great job of shutting down Wildcat sharpshooter Craig Moore. Moore finished with only six points, going 2-10 from the field, after averaging 15 a game this season.
• I spent much of the second half screaming for a Kelvin Grady appearance. Watching C.J. Lee and Douglass attempt to beat a full-court press is not for the faint of heart. Lee is also developing the nasty habit of dribbling into the middle of a zone without knowing what he is going to do with the ball, which led to a couple bad turnovers. Douglass turned the ball over four times and went scoreless on 0-4 shooting.
  
• However, Grady finally entered the game late in the overtime period, and possibly showed us why John Beilein has cut back his minutes. With the Wolverines clinging to a three-point lead with six seconds left, Grady got caught up on a screen and allowed Moore, a 42% shooter from downtown, to get an open look for the tie. Luckily, his shot caught iron and Zack Gibson pulled down the rebound, but Grady has got to play better defense in such a critical situation.
• Laval Lucas-Perry had an up-and-down eight minutes of play. He broke double digits for the first time since January 7th, scoring 10 on 2-3 shooting and going 5-5 from the line. However, he also turned the ball over three times, and it was clear Beilein didn't trust having him in the game down the stretch.
• The officiating was awful, but didn't seem to favor either team. The teams combined to shoot 50 free throws (Michigan with 27, NW with 23), with the officials calling a ton of ticky-tack fouls. They also blew a couple potentially game-changing calls, allowing Northwestern to get away with murder on Gibson on an offensive rebound (leading to a fast break on the other end) and calling a phantom shooting foul on DeShawn Sims on a three-point attempt for Sims' fifth foul in overtime.

Michigan improves to 16-10 overall, and 6-7 in the Big Ten. They host Minnesota on Thursday at 7 pm, and presumably needs three more victories over their next five games (MINN, @IOWA, PSU, @WISC, @MINN) to secure a spot in the Big Dance.

On Michigan Basketball and Schizophrenia

After starting the season with two upset victories over top-5 teams, a couple appearances in the top-25, and being recognized as one of the most surprising teams in the nation, the Michigan basketball team has dropped seven of their last nine and is perilously close to becoming irrelevant in the NCAA Tournament picture. Obviously, scheduling had a large part to do with Michigan's slide ... the Big Ten is tough top-to-bottom this season. However, I had the privilege of attending John Beilein's press conference before Feb. 5 victory over Penn State, and this quote really stuck out to me:

"As a team we've got to find different combinations on the floor that will flow better right now. There are just these little things – a defensive assignment and an offensive assignment – that we're mixing. We're going to continue to try different rotations. Having Zack [Novak] out one game and Manny [Harris] out a game, it showed some things, positively and negatively, on what we've got to do."

This wouldn't have much cause for concern if that quote came from, say, November or December, as the team tries to set a constant rotation before the Big Ten season. However, this is February, and the Wolverines need to make a run down the stretch to avoid another NIT appearance. I realize that missing Novak and Harris over the course of two games affected the regular rotation, except that there has been no regular rotation to speak of.

Kelvin Grady went from a 25-minute per game guy to playing eight minutes combined over the last three games (including a DNP-CD against UConn). Jevohn Shepherd started the season as a benchwarmer, played 32 minutes in the victory over Duke, fell out of the lineup completely, and now gets anywhere from 3-18 minutes per game. Besides Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims (and possibly Zack Novak), it doesn't seem like any player is sure how many minutes they're going to play during any given game.

Yes, the team is young, and the team's lack of size also means having to adjust the lineup based on the opponent. Still, I'm becoming a bit disturbed by the lack of a set rotation on Beilein's squad. I trust his judgment, and he has done an incredible job of turning around the program in less than two years. However, one has to think that the lack of consistency by the team has to stem in part from a lack of consistent playing time. I hope Beilein is able to figure out the right rotation before the team digs itself too deep a hole to climb out of.

I'd Like Forde Seconds of My Life Back

Just "Forde" IQ points from making any sense.

That was the time it took to read this passage from Pat Forde's "Forde Minutes" piece on ESPN.com today:

Bad actors: Michigan 'bow-throwers Zack Novak (4) and Manny Harris (5).

Transgression: Wolverines freshman Novak nailed Ohio State guard P.J. Hill with a premeditated, intentional elbow along the free throw lane late in the Buckeyes' 72-54 victory Jan. 28. That earned him an ejection from the game, and then some. The school added a one-game suspension, removing the Chesterton, Ind., product from a semi-homecoming game Saturday at Purdue.

Transgression II: Harris was tossed from Michigan's 18-point loss at Purdue on Saturday when he crumpled Purdue pest Chris Kramer with an overloaded elbow while squaring up into triple-threat position. Wolverines coach John Beilein defended Harris, saying it was not malicious and deserving of an ejection, but that heat-seeking clear-through qualified as excessive force. The Minutes is a Beilein fan, but two ejections in two games is troubling. He's got to get his players to keep their sharp edges away from the faces of Big Ten opponents.

I'll give you Novak, Mr. Forde. But, as pointed out before, Harris should never have been kicked out of the game for swinging through Chris Kramer. Offensive foul, yes. Flagrant foul, no. If Kramer's face doesn't part like the Red Sea this isn't even news. To suggest that these two incidents are related is absurd. Kind of like his next statement:

Role model: Venus de Milo (6). She's never elbowed anybody.

(Florida guard Walter Hodge threw a similar, get-outta-my-grill elbow that dropped Tennessee's Scotty Hopson on Saturday night. That one drew a technical foul but no ejection and less outcry, largely because Hopson was not left in a pool of blood like Kramer -- and because there was no incident involving a Gator throwing a 'bow in their previous game.)

The Venus de Milo joke just hurts. However, we've all come to expect such painful attempts at humor from Forde. The comparison to the Florida/Tennessee incident is an example of the kind of flawed logic that gets Harris booted from the Purdue game. I can't find video of the Hodge elbow, but it seems to be quite similar to what Harris did. Whether or not a play draws blood should not determine the severity of the foul. There is nothing written in the NCAA rulebook saying that a player will automatically receive a flagrant foul if they draw blood. Refs need to be calling these plays based on intent, and not whether a player got opened up on the play. These things happen.

Also, how does Novak's elbow against Ohio State have any bearing on the Harris play? Officials should not allow a team's "reputation" to precede it. I highly doubt this came into consideration when the refs decided to give Manny a flagrant foul, but if it did, shame on them.

Alright, no more complaining about officiating or journalistic incompetence for a while. After signing day tomorrow, I'll be running down the Michigan football recruiting class.

On Elbows and Officiating

Yes, it is officially Bitch About Officiating Week in Ann Arbor. I may be late to the party, but I'll be damned if I'm not going to get whatever is left out of this Keg of Fury.

UM Hoops combed through the NCAA basketball rulebook and emerged with this:

Art. 7. When during the course of play, an individual strikes an opponent with the hand, elbow, arm, foot, knee or leg in a non-confrontational manner but the act is excessive or severe, it shall be ruled as a flagrant foul and not a fighting action. When a defined body part is used to strike an opponent but the contact is not severe or excessive, a judgment shall be made by the official as to whether the contact is intentional.

Watch these two plays, both from recent Big Ten games, and tell me which one constitutes a flagrant foul, as defined above. Hint: intention is very, very key.

1. Enormous white dude, Wisconsin (I'm pretty sure they clone these guys):

2. Manny Harris, Michigan:

Um, what? I expected to see CBS flash a giant "FINISH HIM" graphic after that Krabbenhoft pick/deliberate elbow to the face. Meanwhile, Chris Kramer (the guy who Manny elbowed), had this to say after the game (link via MGoBlog):

"Some people can say there are dirty plays in basketball, but I wouldn't go there and say that definitely was a dirty play," Kramer said. "He might have been frustrated, but it was just a basketball play."

What frustrates me even more than the level of incompetence among Big Ten officials (high) is the fact that the team that gets the calls is totally predictable. Krabbenhoft was at home: pick garners cheers, no foul. Harris was on the road: fans cry bloody murder, obvious personal foul call turns into intentional facial mutilation.

Am I crazy to think there's something very wrong when it is openly acknowledged that a large part of "home-court advantage" is the fact that the refs will give you 80% of the borderline calls? Booing every call against your team is not an obnoxious trait of an ignorant fan; it's a surefire way to help your team win.

[Steps off soap box, grabs lunch before punching hole in apartment wall]

Notes from Michigan/Purdue

Anyone who didn't understand Manny Harris' importance to the Michigan basketball team got to see just how much he means to the Wolverines on national TV Saturday afternoon. Although Harris struggled in his 18 minutes of play, scoring only five points on 2-7 shooting, Michigan led the 17th-ranked Purdue Boilermakers 29-27 with 18:28 to go in the second half. That's when Harris caught the ball on the wing, faced up, and swung his elbow into Purdue's Chris Kramer, knocking him to the ground and drawing blood. Exit Manny, and with him the Wolverine's chances of a huge road upset. Purdue outscored Michigan 40-20 after Harris' ejection as U-M's offense looked completely lost without its leading scorer and distributor.

Some more thoughts on the 67-49 loss:

• 18 turnovers on the road just isn't going to cut it in the Big Ten. I could've sworn this team was supposed to be tremendous at taking care of the ball.
• Speaking of turnovers, can we stop playing David Merritt please? I know we were shorthanded this game, but the guy still averages 14 minutes a game. What has he contributed? 1.9 points on 39% shooting, 1.5 personal fouls, and an ugly 1.36 assist/turnover ratio. He turned the ball over three times today and generally looked uncomfortable handling the ball. This is a point guard, ladies and gentlemen.
• To Stu Douglass, if you're reading this: please, please, please stop taking 30-footers, no matter how open they are. Unless that shot is coming with three seconds or less on the shot clock, there is just no reason to take it. Trust me, nobody is going to cover you out there. There's a reason it's always open.
• The biggest bright spot: Jevohn Shepherd. He tied for the team lead with 10 points, was 4-7 from the field, and was the most aggressive player on offense once Manny was ejected. He had several good drives to the basket, and with a couple luckier bounces (and whistles) could've ended up with a few more points. Expect to see more of Air Canada as the season goes on.
• Despite finishing with only two points and no field goals, I liked how Kelvin Grady played. He's starting to look to take it to the basket more, and created a few opportunities for his teammates just by getting penetration and dishing once he drew the defense. It looks like Grady is learning how to take advantage of his ridiculous quickness.

Michigan's next game is February 5th against Penn State at home. Consider that one a must-win if you're still holding on to the NCAA pipe dream. Meanwhile, check out the Michigan hockey team tonight against No. 1 Notre Dame at 7:30 on FSN Detroit. The Wolverines snapped the Irish's 20-game win streak last night with a 2-1 victory, and a weekend sweep would be huge for both the team's confidence and their potential NCAA Tourney seed.

Notes from Michigan/Ohio State

My notes from the first half can pretty much be summed up by this picture:

Michigan went 0-11 from three, 5-25 from the field overall, and turned the ball over 12 times in one of the ugliest halves of basketball I've ever seen. Although U-M heated up in the second half, cutting an 18-point halftime deficit down to eight with 6:35 left, they couldn't dig themselves out of the early hole. Some thoughts:

• The Ohio State press killed Michigan in the first half. Kelvin Grady was the only player who could consistently break it without turning the ball over.
• Laval Lucas-Perry came out cold (as did everyone else), but he did hit two threes early in the second half. Hopefully he builds off of that success.
• I feel like this every game, but we really didn't go inside enough. Sims flashed open across the middle of the Buckeye's 2-3 zone several times, and often didn't get the ball when he was open. He needs to be touching the ball more regularly.
• Manny Harris played a great game, especially in the second half, and was a force on both ends of the court.
• Harris and Stu Douglass did a good job of getting into the passing lanes on defense. Their steals kept the Wolverines within reach in the first half.
  
• After the hockey events of last weekend, it would be a bit hypocritical of me to not point this out: Zack Novak got booted from the game with around a minute left for throwing an elbow at P.J. Hill (not that P.J. Hill) (hooray for ripping off MGoBlog) after an Ohio State free throw. It was a frustration foul, and Novak shouldn't be playing like that. Keep it clean out there, guys.

Michigan goes to Purdue on Saturday. I get the feeling fans are flying off the bandwagon already, but I was encouraged by how we came out in the second half. We just need to put together a solid 40-minute game of basketball. Tonight we put in 15.

Observations from Michigan/Ohio State

At least our jerseys looked good (AP Photo)

Michigan fell 65-58 to the visiting Ohio State Buckeyes. This loss hurt. A lot. The Wolverines charged ahead early in the second half after being behind for the entirety of the game, but Ohio State finished the game on a 25-14 run. A few thoughts from the game:

• Manny was the main bright spot, with a stat line of 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists. He hit a couple of ridiculous threes at critical moments, and sparked Michigan's run to the lead in the late first and early second half.
  
• LLP completely disappeared. He had a layup on an aggressive drive to the basket four minutes into the game, and never scored again. Harris and Sims needed help, and LLP couldn't deliver tonight.
• Speaking of Sims, he finished with 10 points on 4-13 shooting, but his off-night seemed more the product of bad luck than poor shot selection. He did a great job of getting into the middle of the Buckeye zone, but his shots just seemed to always rattle out. I thought he did an admirable job of not getting discouraged and continuing to look for his shot.
• From what I could tell, Michigan went away from the 1-3-1 after it was continually abused inside. OSU was able to lob the ball to their bigs right over the zone, and Kelvin Grady wasn't going to stop B.J. Mullens from dunking. I thought the second-half defensive adjustments worked relatively well.
• It was good to see Stu Douglass hit a rhythm (4-9 shooting, all from three, for 12 points), although he still has a tendency to jack up NBA-range threes when they aren't necessary.
• Zack Novak, once again, was all over rebounds and loose balls. I love watching the guy play, even when he's not putting up big numbers.
• The 1989 National Championship team was honored at halftime, and Michigan played in '89 throwback jerseys. I thought they looked really sharp.
• Anyone else think LLP kinda looks like a thinner Biggie Smalls?
  
  
  

Michigan plays Tuesday at Penn State.

I Think We Took Different Versions of the S.A.T.

Ohio State plays Michigan at Crisler tonight, and a local reporter interviewed Buckeye center B.J. Mullens about the game, and his hatred for Michigan. The beginning is typical Michigan hate, but Mullens unwittingly drops a gem at the end of the interview (video via MVictors):



Raj Nair -- "In as many S.A.T. vocabulary words as you can, your opinion of Michigan."
B.J. Mullens -- "Boo."

I am at a loss for words. Much like B.J. Mullens during a standardized test.

Game tips at 8 pm on the Big Ten Network. Here's hoping the student section picks up on this vid and comes up with a little heckling material for B.J. You know, besides the fact his name is B.J.