Enjoy the Bubble! Michigan 67, Minnesota 64
I don't have the energy for a full review at the moment. It's still early on Saturday and Minnesota's loss this afternoon to Michigan has driven me to find the nearest watering hole.
First, a big congratulations and a tip of the cap to Michigan's John Beilein. With the Gophers seemingly running away with things midway through the second half, basically scoring at easy on the interior, Beilein wisely switched to a 2-3 zone that almost completely silenced Minnesota's inside game. And without a shooter on the roster, the Gophers couldn't hit from the outside to force the Wolverines to adjust.
Laval Lucas-Perry devastated the Gophers from the perimeter, as Tubby Smith's team played a suprisingly defecient game defensively.
Senior Day for the Gophers was ruined, and now they will be firmly on the bubble come Selection Sunday.
The first 30 minutes of the game couldn't have been better. Damian Johnson was everywhere. Lawrence Westbrook was playing well again. Ralph Sampson III was playing very well inside. And on his senior day, Jamal Abu Shamala was pretty damn good offensively.
But fellow senior Jon Williams, who also justifiably received a starting nod, took all over Colton Iverson's minutes. Colt 45 didnt play at all. And I still don't understand that. It's almost as if Tubby decides that whoever starts determines how his rotations will work the rest of the game. That's insane. Williams was OK on the floor, but Iverson is the one who could score inside. That's where Minnesota was dominating and Iverson would have been another option.
Michigan won this game Saturday, but the Gophers didn't do all they could to win it. It's painful on this end, so I can only imagine what it's like for the players. We'll see who we get now in the Big Ten Tournament. But now I think we need to win at least two games to be confident come Selection Sunday.
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question the rotation today
I understand starting JAS and Williams on senior day. But why do they start the second half or come back in for a second helping of minutes in both halves. Their second stint in the first half was brutal.
Also, anyone know the reason Iverson didn’t play today at all?
what you say here can, and will, be used against you
3 point shooting the difference...
gophers 2 for 10 and michigan hit 9 out of 22. I think that stat is correct. It seems the gophers will finish in 8th place in the big 10. With that said, i think the big 10 is the deepest league this year…not the best league with the best teams, but the deepest. I think if they win ONE game in the big 10 ten tourney they should be in…especially since they swept wisconsin…and one must remember that wisconsin swept michigan. So, if they get ONE win I think they will get in.
But, things get REALLY dicey if Northwestern wins at Ohio State. We should be rooting for Ohio State in that game.
by huff huff plop go the bricks on Mar 7, 2009 3:48 PM CST reply actions
That and Courtney Sims
He completely killed us, and definitely kept them in the game in the first half. DJ did a fairly good job on Manny Harris, save for a two threes here or there. We lost because we couldn’t defend threes at all down the stretch and we couldn’t go inside against the zone.
Ralph, JAS (!!), DJ and Westbrook were great for the first half or so, but the zone really killed us down the stretch. And now we’re on the bubble. Great.
Kill, maim, pillage, burn! Kill, maim, pillage, burn! Eat babies! Badger babies!
Injury
Apparently Colt 45 was injured.
http://www.bigtennetwork.com/news/article.asp?story_id=3189631
Mark 8:36

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