Deja Blue

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Presented without context….

“She said she too young, don’t want no man
So she gon’ call her friends, now that’s the plan
I just ordered sushi from Japan
Know your bitch wanna kick it, Jackie Chan - Tiesto featuring Post Malone”

So that wasn’t any fun, especially after being lured in to a false sense of unbeatableness (not a word) in that first half. Cassius was locked down, and Michigan’s lineup of popsicle sticks and chewing gum looked like a bright glimpse of a pending deep-benched tournament run and an unstoppable future.

But there were adjustments. And some readjustments. Halftime ones. Media timeout ones. And each time, it got worse for the Wolverines, and Cassius woke up. And then Michigan kinda gave up, which probably deserves your criticism.

Michigan State gets to share in the 2019 Big Ten Regular Season Championship with Purdue, and while I might have bought a t-shirt had we won, it’s a championship that makes me ponder why it’s actually a thing. This is something that existed in sport only before the advent of playoffs and tournaments, recent Big 12 football seasons excepted. Regular Season Champions. It’s like those President’s Cups the Red Wings used to win before running into that hot goalie in the first round of the playoffs, or the 2018 Big Ten East trophy we have on display in Schembechler.

Anyway, we’ve been here before. Doubting Beilein is a yearly pre-tourney tradition. We were in this exact position just a year ago, with nearly the same results against a Purdue team we finally found a way to dispatch in the B1G tourney. But minus MAAR, Mo, and Duncan, Michigan is in fact in a better position entering the post season than they were last year. It will take one less game to win the B1G tourney this year, and a 2-seed in the Big Dance seems likely in just 11 days.

Nine more games are on the horizon. The story of the this team will be told in April.

I Only Took 3 Pictures in Columbus — Photo Backlog 2018: Ohio State

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Pre-Game:  in retrospect probably cost us the game, ya know, karma and all

Pre-Game:  in retrospect probably cost us the game, ya know, karma and all

The tailgate:  five dudes in a car just not wanting to get noticed...neither in the car nor when they peed all over the parking garage

The tailgate:  five dudes in a car just not wanting to get noticed...neither in the car nor when they peed all over the parking garage

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A soothing beef and cheddar and curly fries

You May Remember, But I Don't: Photo Backlog Indiana 2018

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Well folks, we’ve reached the time of year where I post for several consecutive days and pretend this is a real website, often going back to post pictures from the previous season wherever I left off after getting pissed…typically November-ish timing. But man, I had no excuse not putting out these Indiana pics, with us being on the cusp of our guaranteed win in Columbus and all. Of note, I remember nearly nothing after those breakfast arepas. 2018 will forever be known as the season of brown liquor and forgetfulness.

We Almost Had Two Weeks Off

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It's tough to beat any team 3 times.  We were starting cold...Iowa played last night.  Iowa shot the lights out in the first half.  Mo fouled out.  Rahk fouled out.  We couldn't hit free throws, going 18-32 from the line.  We couldn't hit a three, going 3-19 from deep.  Matthews blew some bunnies.  We were out-rebounded.  We got in foul trouble.

And the cherry on top?  Zavier had one of those 5-second calls that have to be followed by a game tying 3...and the basketball gods obliged for Iowa, sending the game to OT.

In OT, a Duncan Robinson three was the ONLY field goal made by the Wolverines in the entire 5 minutes.  And despite all of these things...and it looked even worse than the sum of those things mind you...Michigan managed to win by 6.

It made no sense.  A little of this, a little of that, a little Teske, a dunk by Poole.  But it was not enough, except that it was.  Weird.  I don't know how they won, and neither do they.

So it's revenge time with Nebraska.  This is not going to be easy, and despite the fact they are the 4 and we are the 5, the fact remains that we are in the dance and they are not.  They need this, we do not.  The only motivation Michigan has going for it is that Nebrasketball handed us our ass in Lincoln.  That and the bullshit 1997 Coaches Poll.