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.