Sims Goes Cold, Big Ten Run Ends at 3

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DeShawn Sims was 3-14 from the floor, and had only 2 rebounds in Michigan's 66-51 loss to the Fighting Illini.  Copperyale was the only player in double figures (20), and 7-26 from 3-point is not going to get in done on most nights for a John Beilein squad.  Add in our inability to stop the biggest 7 foot dork in the Big Ten, and well, you find only disappointment.  Box score here.

It's tough to break two decade-plus-long losing streaks in one year.  We found a way to win at one Assembly Hall, but fell short at the other Assembly Hall in Champaign-Urbana.  Would have been a huge win, but it's not exactly a backbreaking loss.  We need to hold serve at home, and steal a couple on the road.  Given their record of 15-2, splitting the home-at-home with Illinois is not the end of the world, especially playing them twice in just 10 days.

Yes, I have decided to make excuses for every loss...and praise with great optimism every win.  That's what 2009 is all about.

Basketball against Ohio State...the return of the 1989 National Champions at halftime...and a chance to see Coach Beilein's 500th win.  Just your average Saturday in Ann Arbor.  Coupled with Illinois beating Michigan State, it could be a banner day.  See you at Crisler.

Go to bed.

Weekend Roundup: Return of Demetrius Calip Edition, 1/12/09

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Here's what you missed while making a sausage roll out of bacon and sausage and bacon.  Ya, I said that.

I Don't Know What This Is, But I Like It

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We played nearly perfect today, at least when the game mattered...and we didn't need to.  We can win without playing perfect.  And that is the real difference between this year and last.  Michigan completely dismantled the Hawkeyes, from the 11:30am tip to the basket by Eric Puls, winning 64-49 in front of a hungover student section at Crisler arena.  64-49...and it wasn't nearly that close.

I'm a big fan of winning, and that seems to be what Michigan Basketball plans to do this year.  This run is nothing if not improbable, and delightfully unexpected.  The bulk of the season is still in front of us, but we seem to be able to manhandle the bottom of the conference, play tough against the middle of the conference, and based on our preconference "upsets," just might steal a couple from the top of the conference.  We are dangerously close to NCAA buzzword time...rank, seed, RPI, strength of schedule, signature wins, bad losses, and perhaps even BUBBLE.

By all accounts, playing .500 basketball for the next 8 weeks is all that needs to be done in order to dance, which is all that we have wanted for the better part of 10 years.

Next up...Illinois for the second time in 10 days.  This time, it's in Champaign.  And maybe it wasn't an elbow, but legion is still a dick.  Wednesday, 8:30pm, BTN.

We Were Merely Freshmen

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Michigan decided to replay the Savannah State game on Wednesday night, falling behind by 17 by the half, then 20 early in the second half before climbing all the way back, forcing overtime, and pulling it out in the extra frame.  Abysmal from the floor at 38%, including 25% in the first half...lackluster D that gave up 39 points to an Indiana team that scored 42 points TOTAL in their only other Big Ten game.  Oh, and Indiana just lost at home to Lipscomb.  Lipscomb.  Lipscomb has a huge conference matchup on January 22nd against Kennesaw State.  That's Lipscomb.

But hey, who am I to judge?  We got ran out of Crisler in the first half against Savannah State, and Savannah State would sell their soul to get into Lipscomb's conference.  Anyway...

A win.  A big win.  A gritty, come from behind, against all odds win.  And the first in Bloomington since January of 1995, when I (and many of the fellow UMTailgaters) were freshmen at Michigan.  It was before Ed Martin.  It was Jimmy and Ray's senior year, and the first year of Fab Five II...and the win ended a 56 game home winning streak for Bobby Knight's Hoosiers, their longest in school history.  It was historic, so much so that I saved The Michigan Daily from the next day.  The headline read "Michigan Halts General's March in Bloomington" and I would share it with you from an internet archive...but there was no internet.

Had I known it would take 13 years to repeat the feat, I would have framed it.

Thank You Tulsa...and Some Quick Hits

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To my competitors in the Bowl Pool...  Stan Parrish?  Really?  Realllllllly?

For the past two weeks, Brady Hoke has been packing his bags and making daily 5pm dinner plans at Rams Horn with a geriatric Steve Fisher, leaving Stan the man to lead the Cardinals into postseason play for the first time since, well, ever.  So, ya, I took Tulsa, and ya, I clinched the pool regardless of championship game outcome.

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Ohio State kept the momentum going on the basketball court, losing 67-58.  Unfortunately, it came at the hands of Sparty.  So in short, the desired outcome, a release of copius amounts of sarin gas into the Breslin Center, did not occur.

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Scot Loeffler, who is still too cool for that second "t," has been named the QB coach of the Florida Gators.  If this whole Rich Rod thing doesn't work out, we'll give you a coordinator spot on Harbaugh's staff.

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Rosters for the Shine Game on January 17th have been set, TT is on the East, along with Morgan Trent. Look for draft stock to rise on the 3 QBs on the West Roster.

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BIG GAME TONIGHT.  Michigan looks to end a 13-year drought in Assembly Hall in Zack Novak's homecoming.  LIVE 6:30pm, BTN.