BIG TEN TOURNAMENT: #7 MICHIGAN-#10 IOWA LIVE AT 2:30PM ON WCBN

WCBN will be on-hand at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for the 2009 Big Ten Tournament. Most believe with a win Michigan is IN the Field of 65. A loss and the Wolverines will be sweating it out come Selection Sunday. #7 Michigan vs. #10 Iowa is scheduled for a 2:30pm tip-off (or 30 minutes after Minnesota-Northwestern). Rob Salaman, Stu Zaas and Matt Boyer have the LIVE call of the Big Ten Tournament Opening Round Game on Thursday beginning 10 minutes prior to tip. Unfortunately due to extraordinarily high rights fees and an inability to "sneak" broadcast the game as was previously planned that LIVE call will not be available to the general public as we'll be calling the game inside our heads to ourselves. Go Blue!

Live Blog: Michigan Women's Lacrosse @ Oakland University

0:00: Michigan picks up the 13-5 victory, improving to 9-2 on the season. The game story will be posted on the Michigan Women's Lacrosse Web Site.

0:22 One-timer from Kempner to Shekerjian! 13-5 Michigan.

1:09: Oakland is playing hard to the final buzzer as they add another goal to cut the Michigan lead to 7. 12-5 Michigan.

2:03: Kempner picked up a ground ball and turned it into a goal despite being tackled by the OU defender who picked up a yellow card. 12-4 Michigan.

5:21: Oakland finally gets one past Krato. 11-4 Michigan.

7:06: Krato comes up with yet another save off an 8-meter shot.

11:12: Becca Miller gets in on the action, scoring her second goal of the game. 11-3 Michigan.

14:34: Goal Oakland. 10-3 Michigan.

16:46: Both teams yelled "intensity!" coming out of the timeout. In my slightly-biased opinion, Michigan's "intensity!" cheer was more intense.

16:52: The motivational post worked as Jess Stanley adds a goal to Michigan's lead, resulting in an OU timeout. 10-2 Michigan.

18:24: Another save for Krato as she plucked the shot out of midair. Still 9-2 Michigan, no goals either way in the second half.

19:02: Michigan's taking its time setting up an offense and moving the ball around. So far the Wolverines haven't taken a shot here in the second half, very similar to the Northwestern game on Sunday...

22:50: The many different colored lines on the field have been giving both teams problems all game long resulting in a myriad of penalties. This time Golinske was called, giving OU an 8-meter. Great job by Krato to knock the shot aside, ball back to Michigan.

25:00: Second half underway. On the field for Michigan: Boehm, Lary, Pavle, Killian, Johnson, Relich, Baskind, Golinske, Miller, Dyner, and Krato in goal.

0:00: Halftime from Pontiac, Michigan in control 9-2. Goals from:

Lary (2)
Baskind (2)
Conroy (2)
Killian
Kempner
Pavle

0:09: Michigan with one last opportunity as Oakland threw it out of bounds...Goal! Rachel Killian scores with :05 left in the half. 9-2 Michigan.

0:54: Foul on OU gives the ball back to Michigan. Stanley bringing the ball down the field for the Wolverines...

1:17: Michigan turns it over so one last push for Oakland here before the half.

1:45: The crowd has started to gather in the "upper deck" here at Ultimate Soccer/All-American Lacrosse. There are probably about 40-50 fans taking in this game from the bleachers.

2:08: Goal for Oakland off an 8-meter. 8-2 Michigan.

3:57: Michigan ends their five and a half minute dry spell as Delaney Kempner scored giving Michigan an 8-1 lead. 8-1 Michigan.

4:40: Those last few entries had a ton of typos in it. Sorry, I fixed them. I now appreciate how difficult it is to keep a live blog timely.

6:50: Rachel Lary is out indefinitely as she cracked her toenail in half. She is currently recieving medical attention from Alexis Pavle. The injury does not appear to be season-ending

8:30: Some controversy at the scorer's table over the pronunciation of Amanda Schutte's last name. Despite Debbe Pavle's help, the Oakland University student doing the PA announcing doesn't believe that her name is pronounced "Shoot-ah." His response? "That's awesome!"

9:28: Good ball movement from Michigan as Amanda Schutte set up Conroy beautifuly for her second goal of the game. 7-1 Michigan.

11:44: Two in a row for Baskind as Michigan's lead is up to 6-1.

13:40: Shot missed but Michigan kept control. Pavle got an 8-meter but her shot was turned away by the goalie. Julie Baskind turned the rebound into a goal, her eighth on the year. 5-1 Michigan.

14:10: 8-meter coming coming up for Britt Boehm from the left hash

15:35 Make that 4-1.

15:45: Oakland's head coach can't keep up either. He just asked the scorers table what the score was, 6-0? Nope, only 4-0 for now.

16:06: I can't type fast enough to keep up with the goals. Michigan won the draw off the Lary goal and proceeded to score again, this time from the stick of Erin Conroy. Timeout, Oakland. 4-0 Michigan.

17:15: Oakland's defense fell asleep, forgetting about Rachel Lary. By the time she got the ball it was too late for the defense to recover as Lary shot high, scoring her second goal of the game and 16th of the season. 3-0 Michigan.

19:29: Two trips into the offensive zone = two Michigan goals. This one came from Rachel Lary off an Amy Johnson pass. Oakland is trying to hold the ball on offense and limit Michigan's posessions. Probably a good idea given that Michigan has held the ball for about 30 seconds and already has two goals. 2-0 Michigan.

21:35: Michigan didn't waste any time as Alexis Pavle scored on the Wolverine's first offensive posession. 1-0 Michigan.

22:24: First shot of the game is turned away by Scheidt. Oakland controlled the rebound and attempted another shot which Scheidt blocked as well. Michigan going the other way...

25:00: Starting Lineups are being announced. So far Oakland is off to a rough start with about 3 of the 11 Michigan starters' names being pronounced correctly. Michigan comes in with an 8-2 record while this is OU's first game of the season.

I wasn't expecting there to be internet so we won't have a radio broadcast tonight. Instead I'll give a live-blog for those who were unable to make the scenic drive to Pontiac, Michigan. Amy Santoriello will not play as she is still out with an injury. Fortunately her concussion did not effect her ability to navigate as we made it here more-or-less on time. This live blog will last throughout the game (or until my laptop battery dies). The newest updates will be at the top of the page.

Conference Tournament Schedules

BIG TEN TOURNAMENT @ Conseco Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)

Thursday 3/12: Opening Round

#8 Minnesota vs. #9 Northwestern- 12:00 on BTN

#7 Michigan vs. #10 Iowa- 2:30 on ESPN2 

#6 Penn State vs. #11 Indiana- 5:00 on ESPN2

Friday 3/13: Quarterfinals

#1 Michigan State vs. #8 Minnesota/#9 Northwestern- 12:00 on ESPN 

#4 Wisconsin vs. #5 Ohio State- 2:30 on ESPN

#2 Illinois vs. #7 Michigan/#10 Iowa- 6:30 on BTN

#3 Purdue vs. #6 Penn State/#11 Indiana- 9:00 on BTN

Saturday 3/14: Semifinals

Games at 1:40 and 4:00 on CBS

Sunday 3/15: Finals

3:30 on CBS

BIG EAST TOURNAMENT @ MSG (New York City) 

Tuesday 3/10: Opening Round

#9 Cincinnati vs. #16 Depaul- 12:00 on BigEast.tv

#12 Georgetown vs. #13 St. Johns- 2:30 on BigEast.tv

#10 Notre Dame vs. #15 Rutgers- 7:00 on BigEast.tv

#11 Seton Hall vs. #14 South Florida- 9:30 on BigEast.tv

Wednesday 3/11: Second Round

#8 Providence vs. #9 Cincinnati/#16 Depaul- 12:00 on ESPN

#5 Marquette vs. #12 Georgetown/#13 St. Johns- 2:30 on ESPN

#7 West Virginia vs. #10 Notre Dame/#15 Rutgers- 7:00 on ESPN

#6 Syracuse vs. #11 Seton Hall/#14 South Florida- 9:30 on ESPN

Thursday 3/12: Quarterfinals

#1 Louisville vs. TBD- 12:00 on ESPN

#4 Villanova vs. TBD- 2:30 on ESPN

#2 Pittsburgh vs. TBD- 7:00 on ESPN

#3 UConn vs. TBD- 9:30 on ESPN

Friday 3/13: Semifinals

Games at 7 and 9:30 on ESPN

Saturday 3/14: Finals

9:00 on ESPN

ACC TOURNAMENT @ Georgia Dome (Atlanta)

Thursday 3/12: Opening Round

#8 Virginia Tech vs. #9 Miami- 12:00 on Raycom

#5 Clemson vs. #12 Georgia Tech- 2:30 on Raycom

#7 Maryland vs. #10 NC State- 7:00 on ESPN2

#6 Boston College vs. #11 Virginia- 9:30 on Raycom

Friday 3/13: Quarterfinals

#1 North Carolina vs. #8 Virginia Tech/#9 Miami- 12:00 on ESPN2

#4 Florida State vs. #5 Clemson/#12 Georgia Tech- 2:30 on ESPN2

#2 Wake Forest vs. #7 Maryland/#10 NC State- 7:00 on ESPN2

#3 Duke vs. #6 Boston College/#11 Virginia- 9:30 on ESPN2

Saturday 3/14: Semifinals

Games at 1:30 and 4 on ESPN

Sunday 3/15: Finals

1:00 on ESPN

PAC 10 TOURNAMENT @ Staples Center (LA)

Wednesday 3/11: Opening Round

#8 Oregon State vs. #9 Stanford- 9:00 on FSN

#7 Washington State vs. #10 Oregon- 11:30 on FSN

Thursday 3/12: Quarterfinals

#4 Arizona State vs. #5 Arizona- 3:00 on FSN

#1 Washington vs. #8 Oregon State/#9 Stanford- 5:30 on FSN

#3 Cal vs. #6 USC- 9:00 on FSN

#2 UCLA vs. #7 Washington State/#10 Oregon- 11:30 on FSN

Friday 3/13: Semifinals

Games at 9 and 11:30 on FSN

Saturday 3/14: Finals

6:00 on CBS

BIG 12 TOURNAMENT @ Ford Center (Oklahoma City)

Wednesday 3/11: Opening Round

Nebraska vs. Baylor- 12:30 on Big 12 Network

Texas vs. Colorado- 3:00 on Big 12 Network

Oklahoma State vs. Iowa State- 7:00 on Big 12 Network

Texas A&M vs. Texas Tech- 9:30 on Big 12 Network

Thursday 3/12: Quarterfinals

Kansas vs. Nebraska/Baylor- 12:30 on ESPN2

Kansas State vs. Texas/Colorado- 3:00 on ESPN2

Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State/Iowa State- 7:00 on Big 12 Network

Missouri vs. Texas A&M vs. Texas Tech- 9:30 on Big 12 Network

Friday 3/13: Semifinals

Games at 7 and 9:30 on Big 12 Network

Saturday 3/14: Finals

6:00 on ESPN

SEC TOURNAMENT @ St. Pete Times Forum (Tampa)

Thursday 3/12: Opening Round

Kentucky vs. Ole Miss- 1:00 on Raycom

Mississippi State vs. Georgia- 3:15 on Raycom

Alabama vs. Vanderbilt- 7:30 on Raycom

Florida vs. Arkansas- 9:45 on Raycom

Friday 3/13: Quarterfinals

LSU vs. Kentucky/Ole Miss- 1:00 on Raycom

South Carolina vs. Mississippi State/Georgia- 3:15 on Raycom

Tennessee vs. Alabama/Vanderbilt- 7:30 on Raycom

Auburn vs. Florida/Arkansas- 9:45 on Raycom

Saturday 3/14: Semifinals

Games at 1 and 3:30 on ESPN2

Sunday 3/15: Finals

1:00 on CBS

UM LaX Makes Radio Debut

That's right! Tonight, during GOTW, we will be broadcasting an hour of UM Lacrosse from Oosterbaan at 8pm. I'll have the call as Michigan takes on Big Ten rivals OSU and PSU at 8pm and 10pm respectively. The weather is terrific outside, so walk over to Oosterbaan and come say "hello" to myself or Stu. Admission is free to Students and $5 for general admission.

You might be asking yourself, "Why broadcast Lacrosse?" Well, for one thing, Michigan is hosting the Big Ten Tournament so this is a pretty big event. Stu is giving us unprecedented access to the team, so the insight and commentary should be great.

...And for selfish reasons, I'm trying to keep up with Gus Johnson for the record of "Most obscure sporting events ever called by a single person." He's still got a pretty big lead on me with "Lions Pre-Season Football" and "UFC on CBS" all within the same month.

We'll have player and coach interviews throughout the night, as well as our usual GOTW coverage before and after the 8pm hour. Hope you tune in.

Back to Business

So far this Spring, a lot of fans and skeptics I've talked to have been quick to write off the Wolverines as nothing more than a punch-line on their way to a 5-7 season in 2009. They see a quarterback jumping ship, and a depleted defensive front, and the scathing sarcasm rolls off their tongues like this is just another season. Wolverine fans have always been tough to impress and, often times, impossible to please.

But don't think the Wolverine players have bought into the talk.

Tell Tate Forcier this season will be similar to the last one. He's been spotted in Oosterbaan Fieldhouse practicing roll-out drills and firing pass after pass into the chest of a practice dummy. This all happens after strength drills and each teammate has gone home to ice sore limbs... and after you can still hear a faint echo of Coach Barwis' voice ringing in your ears. The lights aren't even turned on as Forcier tries to pop the dummy with a spiral, but hey.... its not like the Big House has lights, either. Good practice for night games.

Tell Stevie Brown this season will be just like his previous two. He was burned on more slant patterns than a Detroit Lions cornerback. But he can't hear the talk. He's too busy with becoming one of the quickest guys on the team and making sure he has calf muscles Usain Bolt would approve of.

Tell Will Campbell his presence won't make a difference. He could have stayed in school to hang with his football buddies for one last semester. But, instead, he graduated early to vacation on Barwis Beach and show his coaches he was born to play on weekends. Hey, after all, Prom is on a Friday and Cass Tech is only an hour away.

Lastly, tell Coach Rich Rodriguez this season might not turn out the way he wants. He'll just flash his patented "half-smile" and tell you about how good this team's young core is going to be. He knows that by the time the first leaves of autumn hit the ground, he'll have a state of the art practice facility and stadium (almost done) that would make any Midwest recruiter cringe with fear. Think he's worried about the future?

Still a long way to go until football season (I'm not going to break down positions that could possibly change hands five times before September), but these are the things you can see now that shows all this "talk" about Michigan's last season is just....well, "talk."

Photo from spawn of m zone

Top 10 Reasons Why I Hate Minnesota

Yes, 72 hours and counting 'til the 'Play-Out' Game at the Barn. Below is the aforementioned Top 10 List:

#10 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome: The home to the Minnesota Vikings, Twins and Golden Gophers football is better known as the Humpty Dome. A Green Bay writer put it best, "The Metrodome is a dump. Is there any other way to sugarcoat it? From the messed up parking outside, to the manufactured noise and the overcrowded concourses inside, this is a lousy place to play a football game. The sooner the stadium gets bulldozed, the better."

#9 Common Loon: The Minnesota state bird, also known as the Great Northern Diver Bird. The Loon is known for being typically clumsy, as its legs are positioned behind its rear. There's a shocker. The Latin species name for the Loon translates as 'sea smew', grey or blackened ashes of a fire. Bizarre choice, Minnesota.

#8 Hazeltine National Golf Club: The Robert Trent Jones designed course is prestigious and has played host to multiple major championships over the years. Yet, in their last 3 major championships (1983, 1991 and 2002), the respective winners have been Billy Casper, Payne Stewart and Rich Beem.  Not exactly Nicklaus, Palmer, or Tiger.  Also, Hazeltine has a no cell phone policy, really?

#7 Love of Hockey: Yes, I know Michigan has an infatuation with the niche sport as well, but Minnesotans take their passion to a whole different level. The state of 10,000 Lakes (91 lakes are named Long Lake, where's the orginality?), saw its first professional hockey team, the North Stars, leave for Dallas in 1994. Join Canada, already, won't you?

#6 Jesse Ventura: Aah, how could I forget, Minnesota elected the former wrestler as Governor of their state from 1999 to 2002. Not that Michigan has much to brag about in this department, but at least the political leaders of Wolverine state have not called for prostitution to become legal, like Ventura did. Politics in Minnesota tends to have an independent streak: pick a party and make up your mind already, Minnesotan's (Is that the right term, Minnesotan? I guess.)

#5 Collapsing Bridges: At 6:05 local time on August 1, 2007, the I-35W Mississippi River Bridge tragically collapsed, killing 13 and injuring close to 150 people. Design flaw was the supposed reason for the catastrophe.  Nothing more needed here, you get the idea.

#4 Tim Brewster: University of Minnesota head football coach.  Brewster is a very shady character, who picks up a ton of JUCO transfers.  His wikipedia page begins with the following statement: "He is well-known as a fierce recruiter." Well, that's one way to put it. I'd put $100 down on a NCAA recruiting violation by 2010.

#3 Williams Arena: The home to Minnesota basketball is old (opened in 1928) and has an elevated floor. Better known as "The Barn", the floor is raised two feet above the ground surface.  I wouldn't want a seat in the first row, I'd be severely obstructed. Let's just hope no one from Michigan gets hurt diving after a loose ball out of bounds. I guess the lone positive is the preparation the elevated floor will provide Michigan when they see a similar surface at Ford Field for the Final Four.

#2 The Barnyard: The name of the Minnesota basketball student section.  Real creative Gopher fans. I can deal with the Paint Crew at Purdue, the Iz-Zone at Michigan State, but the Barnyard. Why not Tubby's team? All I'll say is tickets are still available for the Michigan-Minnesota game on Saturday and it better be sold out.

#1 Weather: If you think it's cold in Michigan, know you could always have it worse, much worse.  A blogger on Portana's Times wrote the following: "A word to the wise who think they want to move to Minnesota. If you don't like the cold, or severe weather, stay the #$%& away. I used to think Montana weather was bad-ha! Its the freaking tropics compared to this #$%^ that has been happening since November. I will never complain about the weather again in Montana or anywhere else I have lived after living in this hell hole of a weather cycle."

BEAT THE GOPHERS, PLEASE!!!

NCAA Bubble Talk: Who's In, Who's Out?

We have made our way into March, the best month in sports. Now, less than 2 weeks from Selection Sunday, let's delve into the field of 65. Below is a conference-by-conference breakdown (as of 3/3). Note: I only included wins against Division I opponents.

Big Ten 

Locks (4): Michigan State, Purdue, Illinois, Wisconsin

On the Bubble: Ohio State, Penn State, Minnesota, Michigan

Minnesota: 19-8 (8-8), RPI-37, SOS-46, 4-6 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: Louisville, Wisconsin, Notable Losses: @ Northwestern, Remaining Games: Wisconsin, Michigan

Ohio State: 18-9 (8-8), RPI-43, SOS-27, 6-8 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: Butler, Notre Dame, Miami, Purdue, Notable Losses: @ Minnesota, Remaining Games : @ Iowa, Northwestern

Michigan: 17-12 (8-9), RPI-47, SOS-9, 5-9 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: Duke, UCLA, Purdue, Illinois, Notable Losses: Ohio State (x2), Iowa, Remaining Games : @ Minnesota

Penn State: 20-9 (9-7), RPI-65, SOS-90, 5-8 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: @ MSU, @ Illinois, Notable Losses: Rhode Island, Remaining Games: Illinois, @ Iowa

Big East

Locks (7): UConn, Pitt, Louisville, Marquette, Villanova, Syracuse, West Virginia

On the Bubble: Cincinnati, Providence, Notre Dame, Georgetown

Georgetown: 15-12 (6-10), RPI-40, SOS-1, 4-8 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: @ Villanova, @ UConn, Maryland, Notable Losses: Cincinnati (x2), Remaining Games: @ St. Johns, DePaul

Cincinnati: 17-11 (8-8), RPI-54, SOS-19, 4-9 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: Georgetown (x2), UNLV, Notable Losses: Providence (x2), Remaining Games: @ South Florida, Seton Hall

Providence: 18-11 (10-7), RPI-68, SOS-47, 2-7 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: Cincinnati (x2), Notable Losses: St. Mary's, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Remaining Games: @ Villanova

Notre Dame: 15-13 (7-10), RPI-73, SOS-32, 3-11 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: Texas, Louisville, Georgetown, Notable Losses: St Johns, Remaining Games: St. Johns

Big 12

Locks (4): Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Texas

On the Bubble: Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Kansas State

Oklahoma State: 19-9 (8-6), RPI-31, SOS-12, 3-8 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: Texas, Siena, Notable Losses: @ Texas A&M, Remaining Games: Kansas State, @ Oklahoma

Texas A&M: 20-8 (7-7), RPI-35, SOS-38, 4-5 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: Arizona, LSU, Texas, Notable Losses: Kansas State, @ Oklahoma State, Remaining Games: @ Colorado, Missouri

Kansas State: 19-9 (8-6), RPI-71, SOS-88, 3-4 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: @ Texas, Notable Losses: Iowa, @ Oregon, Remaining Games: @ Oklahoma State, Colorado

SEC

Locks (3): LSU, Tennessee, South Carolina

On the Bubble: Florida, Kentucky

Florida: 21-8 (8-6), RPI-50, SOS-91, 2-6 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: Washington, South Carolina, Notable Losses: Tennessee (x2), Remaining Games: @ Mississippi State, Kentucky

Kentucky: 19-10 (8-6), RPI-66, SOS-61, 4-6 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: West Virginia, Tennessee (x2), Notable Losses: @ Ole Miss, Remaining Games: Georgia, @ Florida

ACC

Locks (6): North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest, Clemson, Florida State, Boston College

On the Bubble: Miami, Maryland, Virginia Tech

Miami: 16-10 (6-8), RPI-44, SOS-10, 4-7 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: Wake Forest, @ Kentucky, Notable Losses: @ NC State, Remaining Games: @ Georgia Tech, NC State

Maryland: 18-10 (7-7), RPI-52, SOS-22, 4-9 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: UNC, MSU, Michigan, Notable Losses: Morgan State, Remaining Games: Wake Forest, @ Virginia

Virginia Tech: 17-11 (7-7), RPI-60, SOS-37, 4-7 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: @ Clemson, @ Wake Forest, @ Miami, Notable Losses: @ Maryland, Remaining Games: North Carolina, @ Florida State

PAC 10

Locks (4): Washington, UCLA, Arizona State, Cal

On the Bubble: Arizona, USC

Arizona: 18-11 (8-8), RPI-48, SOS-34, 5-7 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: Gonzaga, Kansas, UCLA, Notable Losses: @ Texas A&M, Remaining Games: Cal, Stanford

USC: 16-12 (7-9), RPI-58, SOS-15, 3-9 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: Cal, Notable Losses: UCLA (x2), Remaining Games: Oregon, Oregon State

MID-MAJORS

Locks (6): Memphis, Gonzaga, Butler, Utah, BYU, Xavier, Dayton

On the Bubble: Creighton, Siena, San Diego State, UNLV, Davidson, Utah State, St. Mary's

Creighton: 25-6 (14-4), RPI-39, SOS-105, 1-0 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: Dayton, Notable Losses: Northern Iowa, Remaining Games: MVC Tournament

Siena: 23-7 (16-2), RPI-29, SOS-73, 0-4 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: Northern Iowa, Notable Losses: Niagara, Wichita St, Remaining Games: MAAC Tournament

San Diego State: 17-8 (9-5), RPI-46, SOS-62, 1-5 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: Utah, Notable Losses: @ Arizona, Remaining Games: Colorado State, UNLV

UNLV: 20-8 (8-6), RPI-51, SOS-78, 5-3 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: Arizona, @ Louisville, Notable Losses: Cincinnati, Remaining Games: Air Force, @ San Diego State

Davidson: 24-6 (18-2), RPI-67, SOS-165, 1-4 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: West Virginia, Notable Losses: Butler, Remaining Games: Southern Conference Tournament

Utah State: 25-4 (13-2), RPI-32, SOS-130, 1-1 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: Utah, Notable Losses: @ St. Mary's, Remaining Games: San Jose State

UAB: 20-9 (10-4), RPI-41, SOS-64, 1-6 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: @ Arizona, Notable Losses: @ Cincinnati, Remaining Games: @ UTEP, Marshall

St. Mary's: 22-5 (10-4), RPI-55, SOS-167, 2-2 vs Top 50, Notable Wins: Providence, San Diego St, Utah St, Notable Losses: UTEP, Gonzaga (x2), Remaining Games: WCC Tournament

Overall, 24 locks along with an additional 31 automatic berths leaves open only 10 slots in the field of 65 among the bubble teams listed above. I imagine there will be a few surprises in the Conference tournaments, leaving open a few less spots (2 or 3).  We'll play it safe and say there are only 7 spots open for bubble teams.  In my opinion, Ohio State and Arizona are IN.  The schedule favors Miami and UNLV to be IN, leaving only 4 at-large bids. This leaves the Florida/Kentucky winner, the Michigan/Minnesota winner, the Oklahoma State/Kansas State winner, Texas A&M, Penn State, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Creighton, Georgetown, Cincy and Providence (11 teams for 4 spots).  At least 1 or even 2 teams from the Big East will get IN, probably Providence and Georgetown.  Yes, I think Georgetown will make the field. Their last two games are very winnable and due the unbalanced schedule in the BIG East, they should have an edge over Cincy and, for that matter, Providence. If that is the case, the ACC, BIG 12, SEC, and BIG TEN only have 2 slots to work with.  Frankly, I am not sure why Creighton is in Joe Lunardi's field.  Moreover, I don't think any of the mid-major bubble teams, outside of UNLV, will be selected as at-large teams. Yes, that includes Davidson. Here are the scenarios: #1: If Kentucky defeats Florida, they are IN. #2 If Florida defeats Kentucky, both need at least 2 wins in the SEC tournament to get IN. #3-If Penn State wins out, they are IN. If PSU splits, they need to win 2 at the Big Ten Tournament. If PSU loses out, they are done. #4- The Michigan/Minnesota winner must win at least 1 at the Big Ten Tournament; win 2 and you are a lock. #5- If Oklahoma State defeats Kansas State, they are in pretty good shape. If KSU wins, both teams are out, unless either makes a long run in the conference tournament. #6- Texas A&M must win vs. Missouri at home and then a few more in Kansas City. #7- Maryland and Virginia Tech have to win out and then do some damage in the ACC tournament to get in.

Confused yet.  Here's how I see things playing out: Kentucky defeats Florida to get IN, leaving only one spot for the ACC, BIG Ten and Big 12. Maryland and Virginia Tech will lose this week knocking them out of the conversation. Penn State will stumble down the stretch and not be in the field, while Texas A&M will lose to Missouri at the end of the season. This leaves Oklahoma State, who will defeat Kansas State, and the Michigan/Minnesota winner. Don't like our chances. Who would have thought that Big Ten may only get 5 teams? Again, this is a very fluid situation with a lot of different scenarios that will likely change on a nightly basis.  All I will say is that Michigan surely does not control its own destiny, as I thought last night. Even if Michigan wins at Minnesota and a game in Indianapolis, their going to need some additional help as well.  Granted, I put Miami and Georgetown into the field (both are under .500 in their conferences), but the road for Michigan is not easy; I'd put the odds at 25%.  Let the madness begin.

Dancing in the Aisle

Last night after Michigan’s final home game, the usher that always sits at the end of my row in the media area shook my hand and told me, “Well, its been a great season. Hopefully, I’ll see you next year.” He then turned to the rest of our broadcast crew and did the same to each member. No one had the heart to tell this elderly gentleman, “Apparently, you haven’t worked here many years. Don’t miss us too much because we’ll probably see you in two weeks for the NIT.”

This was the sentiment we all briefly thought about. Michigan just won its biggest home game since the Duke win in Decemeber. DeShawn Sims played his best in the biggest game of the season (again) and Manny Harris showed what kind of player he intends on being (obviously, Manny Fresh reads the blog). But was it enough to get Michigan back on track for the Big Dance? Michigan has been here before (i.e. 2004) where the bottom falls out on the season with the NCAA Tournament only a few wins away. Here are just a few of the questions that were raised last night as I headed for the arena exit:

Are we in?

Are we still on the bubble?

Is Wisconsin a “Must-Win?”

Does Joe Lundari take checks or cash?

Apparently, Lunardi saw something he liked from the Wolverines last night…either from the play of the Wolverines or anonymous cash donation. Lunardi now has the Wolverines as an 11 seed in the East Region of the NCAA Tournament. They would play LSU 1st round, and presumably Duke in the 2^nd Round in Greensboro, N.C. (Uh-oh). That puts PSU and Michigan as the 6^th and 7^th teams from the Big Ten that are potentially in the tourney. The ACC gets 8 teams in, with the Big Ten and Big East tied with 7.

As a fan of the Maize and Blue, this is great news. I haven’t seen Michigan in a NCAA tournament since I was in grade school and was wielding a Jurassic Park: Lost World lunch box (old-school thermos with picture of Velociraptor included) . However, take Michigan’s tourney news with a grain of salt.

Three of the four teams behind Michigan right now (according to Lunardi) are Minnesota, Providence, and Maryland. Maryland already beat the Wolverines this season and will get a chance to beat a top 25 team in the early rounds of the ACC Tournament. Providence is coming off a win over Pittsburgh, which is arguably the best team in the country. An early round upset in the Big East tourney would almost certainly put them in the field of 65. As for Minnesota, Michigan will play them at The Barn for their season finale. A loss here (and at Wisconsin), and Michigan would kill their tournament hopes. Each of these scenarios could bounce U of M from the bracket.

The real thing Wolverine fans should take away from this is that there is still too much basketball to be played to know anything for sure. Me, Stu, and a few friends debated this for about a half hour in traffic and for another hour at the bar while celebrating the win. After arguing over who was “in” or “out” (and also attempting to wager beers on who could guess the name of Michigan Basketball’s strength and conditioning coach… Mike Curtis), one conclusion was finally reached: We have no #*$*&%^ clue. There are too many variables left in play. We all thought Michigan still had to win two more games to even get back on solid ground with the tournament committee. But even that turned out to be slightly off.

Michigan is back in the tourney hunt that will come down to the very last game. I just hope yesterday was the last time I see our friend, the old Crisler usher, until next year.

I Have Seen the Future, and it is Amazing

Over break I got the chance to watch the University of Missouri take on Kansas State in person. Missouri routed a talented K-State squad in a very exciting game. K-State was within 4 midway through the first half, then Missouri exploded and jumped out to a 23 point halftime lead, and never looked back. The game was a great experiences, and I walked away with two things on my mind. First, Missouri is a legit top 10 team, and they can give any tournament team fits with their style of play, while also keeping the crowd entertained. Second, and of more concern to fans up here, throughout the game I noticed several similarities between Missouri and Michigan, and some of them were almost spooky. (I would put up pictures, but I don't think anyone really wants to see a picture of Amaker here).

• Both teams replaced a former Duke assistant who left in controversy. Missouri fared better than Michigan, making 6 straight postseasons (4 NCAAs), but was placed on probation by the NCAA and in 2003 went from the #3 team in the country to losing in the first round of the NIT.
• Both teams hired a somewhat unconventional coach who rely on a system to get the most out of their players. Michigan got Beilein in 2007, and Missouri hired Mike Anderson from UAB in 2006. Beilein is known for his 1-3-1 defense and 3 point shooting, Anderson counters with "40 minutes of hell," where the team runs a full court press the entire game, then mixes tight man-to-man with a variety of zone looks (including the occasional 1-3-1 look).
• Both schools struggled in their coaches first season. Missouri wasn't as bad in Anderson's 1st year as Michigan was last year, but they missed the postseason.
• Both schools are technically U of M, and have similar colors (black/gold v maize/blue), Missouri even uses a block M. Still, no one should be confusing the two schools.
  

Anderson is now in his 3rd year at Missouri, and almost all the player's on the team were recruited by Anderson. The result has been a great season, a top-10 ranking, and a return to the NCAA tourney. One thing that kept popping into my head as I walked away from Mizzou Arena was if Anderson can do this in three years, I can't wait to watch Michigan next year.
**UPDATE - After watching Michigan handle Purdue, I can wait for next year.**

In other news, as Matt alluded to earlier this week, Rob, Jeremy, and I traveled down to Tampa this past weekend to cover Michigan baseball as the Wolverines opened the 2009 season with the inaugural Big East-Big Ten Challenge. The broadcast facilities were interesting for a couple of the games (read table at field level behind home plate), but I can't complain because it was Florida, and I was watching baseball. The team looked very good, going 4-0 over the weekend. For a recap that redefines the word thorough, check our the post by FormerlyAnonymous on Varsity Blue. The baseball team remains in Florida for a tournament in Jacksonville, and will return next weekend (March 6-8) to play Sienna and the New York Mets in an exhibition game.

Michigan 87 #16 Purdue 78: Quick Thoughts

Bill Raftery of ESPN said at the end of the broadcast tonight that 9 teams out of the Big Ten would make the NCAA Tournament... yes, not 7, not 8, but 9.  Remember there are only 11 teams in the league. I guess Raftery thinks Michigan and Northwestern will get in. Who knows? Anyway, Michigan made its case tonight to be the 8th team from the Big Ten into the tournament. The Wolverines were in a must-win situation and delivered, adding a third signature win to their resume (UCLA, Duke & Purdue).  Frankly, both teams slept walk through the first half and Michigan should have had a larger lead, especially with JaJuan Johnson on the bench with three fouls.  The Wolverines came out much more inspired in the 2nd half.  In an earlier post, Matt made an excellent point about how Manny Harris has been quiet in big games this year.  Tonight, Manny responded to his benching scoring 27 points.  Similar to the Duke game, DeShawn Sims was the best player on the floor, as he had a career-high 29 points. Michigan is not going to lose many games that Manny and DeShawn score 56 combined. Sure, the game had its moments where you will scratch your head (all the missed free throws, Kelvin Grady and Zach Gibson's turnovers), but when the Wolverines shoot close to 80% from the field in the 2nd half, you can't complain too much. Overall, while I give credit to Michigan for the victory, Purdue missed a golden opportunity to overtake Michigan State for the Big Ten regular season championship.  Outside of Robbie Hummel, the Boilers were asleep at the wheel tonight.

Michigan has been a prototypical bubble team all season long, exemplified in their last two games, losing to Iowa and defeating Purdue. Now, only 2 games remain before the Big Ten Tournament for Michigan, at Wisconsin and at Minnesota. Find a way to steal one and defeat Northwestern for a third time this year in Indianapolis and you're in.  Could the Committee really leave out a team that plays in the #2 conference (RPI) with 20 overall wins (3 over top 15 teams & 5 wins over top 50 RPI teams) and a .500 record in the league? Don't think so.  Still, I'd like to have the final minute of the Iowa game to play again.

Judgement Day For Harris

Today is the day we find out who Manny Harris truly is.

You can’t judge a kid by how he plays in one game, I agree. But tonight’s game against Purdue will tell us what kind of player Manny Harris has become up to this point.

Yes, he’s been immature at times. He basically took himself out of the Wisconsin game New Year’s Eve after repeatedly driving to the hole and not getting the calls he wanted. Bo Ryan was showing Manny that all Harris could do was shot jumpshots that night, and Manny didn’t try to show him otherwise.

Against Iowa and against Purdue, Harris wasn’t as assertive as he needed to be. The Purdue defense extended themselves and forced him to take some bad shots before getting tossed by the refs. At Iowa, it was his own coach who took him out of the game, but not before Harris had a dismal night from the field and didn’t run the last play of regulation (allegedly).

Harris will probably be named All-Big Ten 1^st team based on his stats and reputation. But in big games, and in big scenarios, Harris has continued to disappear. Duke, UConn, and MSU were the three biggest games Michigan played this season, and can anyone recall Harris’ numbers in any of those games? Didn’t think so. Those are the games big players show up for, and those are the games people remember how many points the star player went for. People will remember how DeShawn Sims dropped 28 on Duke at Crisler. Harris has yet to have his memorable moment.

There’s a scene from the first season of The Wire, where the gangster “Omar” tells a detective that “Either you play the game, or the game plays you.” Manny has let “the game” play him plenty of times this season, content to be a bystander. On the other hand, Harris has played the game brilliantly, with flashes of brilliance in big games (18, 8, and 5 against Iowa at home).

Tonight, Harris gets one last shot to show the committee that he is done letting the game play him. This is his chance to show the tournament committee that Michigan still has some life.

This is his chance at a memorable moment.

For more on Harris, UM basketball, and a baseball update...check back tomorrow.

Spring Break Cabin Fever

Blogging has been a bit slow since Michigan is now on Spring Break... everyone is either in Florida doing Baseball/Softball for MGoBlue.com or stuck back here in MI. I stayed back to get some work done and get some interviews taken care of.... considering there is two inches of snow on the ground, I regret the decision.

Make sure to keep up with all the Michigan Baseball coverage this week on MGoBlue (if you are not lucky enough to get to FL yourselves). Baseball is off to a quick 4-0 start and looks real good for such a team with so many new faces. The blogging might be a little light due to everyone being gone, but keep an eye out for a Mixer on Wednesday and we'll have the Purdue/Michigan Basketball game this Thursday.

OK, the Fab Five story has been up for almost a week and I'm sick of looking at it. I don't like posting back-to-back, but screw it. I got so much free time, I'm going nuts. Here are some things to keep you busy and keep you reading on this Spring Break 09:

Most people don't like Michigan's early Spring Break. I actually enjoy it. It gives kids a chance to work on applications for internships that are due in late February, as well allow kids the unique opportunity to enjoy New Orleans during Mardi Gras. Whether you are at home in front of the computer entering your name, address, and past work experience OR out on an RV headed to the French Quarter, this break comes early enough for students to get away from Ann Arbor right before the weather breaks. Ann Arbor is great in good weather, so I'm a big fan of anything that gives me more time to enjoy Ann Arbor in the sun.

Speaking of Mardi Gras, my roomates and friends are headed there right now... some by air, and some by RV. From just asking around, this seems like to be the place to be at Spring Break 09. However, I was also shocked the amount of students doing alternative spring break. Props to the ASB kids... and props to those willing to drive to Mardi Gras. Both are things I don't think I'd sign up for.

...Ok, maybe I'd do ASB.... if it was someplace warm... on a beach....and, I need to stop thinking about this. It will only depress me.

One great thing about Spring Break at home is the time you have to read for fun: Here are three books worth checking out that I've read so far this year:

Born Standing Up- Steve Martin's Autobiography. Pretty short and it has some great stuff from his days on Leno and SNL.

Playing for Pizza- John Grisham's attempt at writing sports fiction. If you can set aside the inaccuracies and his skimpiness on the lack of football knowledge, the story itself is pretty good. Think NFL Europe meets The Replacements.

The Last Lecture - This is the much publicized book by Randy Pausch, the Carnegie-Mellon professor diagnosed with cancer who gave his last lecture on life to his students before it was turned into a book. After he passed away, I bought the book and it was definitely worth shelling out the 15 bucks. Here is the 10 minute version, but it really doesn't do the book justice.

Honorable Mention: Dreams of My Father, Now I Can Die in Peace, and Moneyball

BUT, if you are at home, you can only take reading for so long. Here are three television series to check out while at home with nothing to do:

*Appologies to all those who think Lost should be on this list. I just don't have the time or the patience to watch a series that should only have lasted one season.

Friday Night Lights: Greatest drama on network TV. If you are a sports fan, watch it. If you don't like sports, watch it. Season 1 on DVD is the best TV on DVD season I own. If I can't convince you, I'll let Bill Simmons do it.

The Wire: My buddy Shaak has been talking about the Wire for the last four years, so I finally gave in once a professor of mine said it'd help with understanding the subject matter in his class. Season 1 is awesome, and its short (13 episodes), so it'll be easy to get through during the break.

The Office: Best Comedy on TV. Season 1 sets things up, but it's only 6 episodes and not that great. Season 2 is classic so I would go straight to Season 2, and then watch Season 1 if you like what you see.

And if THAT doesn't tide you over, here are three must see games to catch this week:

Michigan vs. Purdue: 9pm Thursday - Michigan's tourney life hangs in the balance. I'm of the opinion that they need to win out before the B10 Tourney them to have a shot at the NCCA Tournament. Can they do it? Stranger things have happened as we head towards the best sports month of the year...

Spurs vs. Cavaliers: 9:30pm Friday - A possible Finals preview? Everyone has been talking about the Cavs and Lakers, but don't be surprised if SA sneaks into the Finals. I hope to God this doesn't happen in order to avoid a replay of the 2007 NBA Finals (aka the worst NBA Finals EVER on TV). I think the Cavs would actually make it a series if this were to happen, but nothing would beat Kobe vs. Lebron in June.

Clemson vs. FSU: 2pm Saturday - A battle of two ACC Cinderellas. When you mention the ACC, these two teams aren't the ones that immeadiately come to mind. But, both these teams are top 25 teams (13 and 25, respectively) and could make some noise come March. At the very least, I want to see what these teams have so I know if they have what it takes to make it to the second weekend of the Big Dance.

Always good to have a little break from sports and enjoy ourselves. Hope everyone is enjoying their break. However, we will get back to our Michigan sports coverage very soon, and will have a baseball and basketball update up by mid week.

Fab Five Reunion

Last month at Mock Rock, Jimmy King said that the Fab Five are "coming back, man." He made a couple references to the team and casually talked about the their return. I mentioned it briefly in my Mock Rock X recap two weeks ago. No one really thought much of it at the time.

Turns out, the reunion tour is coming to Michigan sooner than everyone expected.

As reported by the Associated Press, the Fab Five will reunite on April 4 at a Final Four charity event hosted by the Motor City Casino. The event will benefit the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. The Motor City Casino is just down the road from Ford Field, site of the 2009 NCAA Championship Game. The final game will take place two days after the event.

This is story will pick up more steam as we get closer to tourney time here in S.E. Michigan. But the fact that all five guys have agreed to appear at the same time under the "Fab Five" moniker has to be a step in the right direction for their return to Michigan's campus.

It'll be interesting to see what kind of comment Bill Martin will have about this event, as well as what the guys themselves will say about a possible return to Ann Arbor and Crisler Arena.

A-Rod Injected by his Cousin

Let the search begin...

By the way, I learned today that Alex Rodriguez was "stupid," "naive," "irresponsible," "young," "24," and "a kid." This is all breaking news.

In all seriousness, how does a world-class athlete inject himself over 70 times (approximately twice a month for three years) with a performance enhancing drug and get to blame it on youth, stupidity, and naivety?

Does he really expect us to believe that the best baseball player in the world was willing to inject a drug into his body without determining what he was putting into his body?

And if he really didn't know what he was doing and he really didn't see a noticeable difference in his performance and energy, why did he do it twice a month for three years?

Most importantly, if he didn't know that what he was doing was wrong, why did he go about it in a covert manner? Why not ask around about this drug? Why use this "cousin" and not a doctor?

Sorry Alex, but this story did not die today... it has just begun.

The Mixer

Last week, I took the LSAT exam and so in preparation for that test, I was not able to get around to getting up last week's Mixer. And just in case you are wondering why I took the LSAT... well, let's just say blogging doesn't pay the bills.

Valentine's Day: With Valentine's Day coming up, I thought we'd throw in a special V-day video. I have a soft spot for WOLV TV, having done some work with this group myself. Here is the Average Joe's take on Valentine's Day:



I've known Joe for longer than I can remember and really like the work he's done in a short time at WOLV. Unethical to use your friends in the Mixer, you ask? Hey, if it works for Bill Simmons, it can't hurt.

Michigan Clip of the Week: In honor of a fellow blogger, I'm going to show Veronica Hicks some love and put her B10 PSA as the winner. An engineering student from just outside Chicago, her story is an interesting one. The blog is a cool idea to give her team some exposure, and she's been a consistent contributor to Women's Bball the entire season...and she killed it at Mock Rock X! Keep up the good work and writing!



Tiger's Cub: Congrats to Tiger Woods on the birth of his second child, Charlie Axel Woods. I'll be interested to see what kind of childhood this kid receives with a high-profile father, and with the way Tiger was brought-up himself by Earl Woods. Only time will tell. Until then, enjoy what I consider to be one of the greatest commercials of all time:



Whenever I'm out on a golf course, I always try to re-create this commercial when I am on the tee waiting for the group in front of me to finish. The most I've gotten to is 11. When this first came out, every kid with a set of sticks immediately went out into his/her yard to mimic Tiger. The fact Tiger did this without digital effects is absurd.

Top Stories:

Kwame gets a job: If this man can get a job after publicly stealing 8 million dollars from Detroit, AND getting caught cheating on his wife, theoretically we should all be getting jobs with no problem. Thanks, Peter Karmanos.


Miracle on Ice: The Sequel?: A look inside the possible roster for the '10 USA Hockey team. Former Wolverine stand-out Jack Johnson is among those mentioned.

Great Journalism Lives Here: Dan Wetzel gives a great account of Billy Joe Johnson's tragic story. I'm a big fan of Wetzel, a local guy from S.E. Michigan, and I'm glad this story has gotten some much-deserved recognition.

103: The Names Which Must Stay Secret

Performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) have given an era of baseball a black eye.

George Mitchell provided the knock-out blow.

And, now, Alex Rodriguez's name has been released as one of 104 players who tested positive for PEDs in 2003 during an anonymous drug test for the purpose of determining if mandatory drug tests were necessary.

Cue the clamors for a public release of the other 103 names.

"It's unfair to A-Rod!" "The rest of the players are innocent and we should know who they are!" "Because the people -- baseball fans -- deserve to know!"

Here's my request: stop telling me who did steroids in the past and work on eliminating steroid use in the future.

The Mitchell Report has forever legitimized the practice of investigating PEDs for the purpose of exposing the "cheaters."

A 409-page report which detailed Major League Baseball's failure to adequately respond to the problem of steroids has been boiled down to a he-said, he-said court battle between Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee.

A 409-page report which proposed substantive changes in the infrastructure of Major League Baseball is remembered for 87 names.

A 409-page report which was supposed to prove that a problem exists across the entire league relied on two sources. And they are both criminals.

However, the primary issue with the Mitchell Report is that it came with the implicit message that the list of players mentioned was exhaustive -- that players not on the list are innocent. And now we learn that, in 2003, 104 players tested positive for PED use.

Where does it stop? How many lists of names need to come out before we take a page out of Mark McGwire's book and stop talking about the past?

Let's look past the "fairness" issue as it pertains to Alex Rodriguez. He cheated, and he admitted it. He lost the right to "fairness" a long time ago.

Let's also ignore the plea from baseball fans that they have some inherent right to see who cheated. This list of 104 players was supposed to be kept secret, and everyone was willing to turn a blind eye when Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire rescued the game from "The Strike Era."

And let's be honest: people want to see the list because they are interested in tabloid news.

The best argument for releasing the other 103 names is that the presence of the anonymous list casts a shadow of doubt over the rest of the league; fans and media sources will continuously speculate on whom that list contains.

The problem with this argument is that the speculation never stops. We are entrenched in an era of baseball that has been forever tarnished by cheaters, and we have been taught to trust nobody.

We can stop guessing the other 103 names once this list is released, but will anyone believe that every other baseball player is clean? Will anyone believe that this list is the exhaustive one?

And why should they? From Barry Bonds to Roger Clemens to Alex Rodriguez, our imaginations have been stretched to include the unthinkable. We are prone to expect the next headline to include a new allegation of steroid use.

Stop. While we can still save the game, let's move forward.

Clearly, the status quo is not working. Major League Baseball has mandatory drug testing in place, and players are still stupid enough to use PEDs. Shame on them.

Let's get serious about moving past "The Steroid Era." Let's focus on what the current game has to offer: speed, defense, and youth. Oh, and the stories.

This offseason has been spent discussing steroids, Manny Ramirez, and Joe Torre. Remember when a 10,000-loss team won the World Series against a team that finished the year with a record above .500 for the first time in franchise history?

Baseball has given its fans plenty to talk about.

Now, it's time to move on.