Way Back When-sday Pic of the Week

March 13, 2011 - Before there was Trey, Nik, and Glenn, it was Zak, Stu, Darius, Tim and J-Mo.  Talk about a different time...Michigan started the conference portion of the season going 1-6 but (including the first win at the Nasser Center since 1997) finished at 9-9 which was good enough for 4th place in the conference, and somehow an 8-seed in the tournament, where they would dispatch of Tennessee before falling by 2 to the 1-seeded Duke Blue Devils.  I joined a gathering of the Maize Rage looking on as Michigan got it's bid.

About That Seed

Tough to say if Big Ten Tournament timing had a positive or negative effect on the Wolverines' seeding.  On the one hand, the world got to watch us smother the Cornhuskers, Spartans, and Boilermakers because no one else was playing.  On the other hand, the world watched everybody else in the days and hours leading up to the selection (shit) show while Michigan sat at home.

Sure, by basically every metric, Michigan is better than Michigan State (and this is easily expanded to all metrics beyond basketball and sports of course), and going in to the tournament, Sparty is going to have to make the Final Four to salvage what may be classified as the worst 4-loss season in college basketball history.  But I'm not going to quibble over a few spaces with a team full of (undeveloped and whiny) talent like Michigan State has.  Yes, they got Detroit.  Yes, they seem to have a little easier path through the first weekend.  They also started the season at #2 and lost only 4 games.  Michigan started unranked and lost 7.  Tough to argue.  And despite the complete lack of team chemistry (or defense), watching the occasional brilliance of Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson makes all the difference.  This committee is the same group of experts that let Trae Young dance and he's only won two games since Feb 1.  This is about money.  The same money that put the Wolverines in the Outback Bowl and sent Sparty to the Screw-You-Nobody-Wants-to-Watch-You Bowl which I believe aired on tape delay on Christmas Day.  Besides, after the first weekend, assuming we both make it through and seeds hold, Sparty will have a date with blue bloods, while Michigan will pick through a pile of mid-majors with a dream.

The Wolverines went from unranked to 3-seed.  From bordering on the bubble a week into February to back to back Big Ten Champions.  Almost a great season already.  But there's still work to be done, and coming up short of getting out of the first weekend will make things feel a little incomplete.

Moving on.  Montana is on deck, and if all goes reasonably well a matchup with the winner of Houston and San Diego State will follow.  Typical caveats of double digit upstart opponent danger apply.  Fill in your own difficult matchup conversation here, either with Montana, then Houston or San Diego State.  Every 2,3, and 4-seed is hearing the same story, and their fanbases are having the same anxiety.  Somebody's worry is going to be warranted.  Things can go wrong.  We've got plenty of things that can - ice cold from 3, foul trouble, free throw shooting.  But there are a lot more ways for things to go right, and I believe we will be talking about Los Angeles at this time next week.  And I also believe in the Bisons.

Day One is Done. I'm with Stafford.

Solid amount of craziness in the early sessions, followed by some great finishes in the evening.  All in all a great first day in Bracketville.  Justin (AKA Mr. Princess) is at the top of the points and points possible leaderboard, which is about as good as it gets after a pair of 3-seeds go down.

I think we'll lose one of the 2-seed teams today, and I feel like the 5-12's might just go chalk, which I guess is a non-upset upset.

Of course, I only have one real rooting interest for today (and with me going 8 of 16 in my bracket who can blame me) and that's for the Bulldogs.  If you listen carefully you will hear the echoes of me bellowing out northern accented renditions of "Go Dawgs, Sic 'Em" nestled between chants of "SEC! SEC! SEC!."  I can't wait to see Izzo's angry little dwarf face.

Then the puck drops at 8pm at the Joe for Michigan-Michigan State in the Big Ten tournament semi-finals.  So there's that.  Go Blue.

It's 2:45PM on Thursday and You Lost Your Champion

Only one person picked UAB over ISU.  Nine people drank that ESPN Bracketology show kool-aid and had ISU at least in the Final Four, with two taking them into the championship game.  And one man did this...

Hater

There are few things better than the soothing sounds of Jim Nance, the constant upsets, and the sheer volume of games on Thursday and Friday of the opening weekend of the NCAA tournament.  It's even better when your team has a place in it.  When your team isn't in it, on occasion you can find solace in your successful picks.  Most of the time I'm mathematically eliminated by the first Sunday, so my enjoyment comes from the pain of others.  Rooting against your rival teams and looking for upsets that bust the most brackets is what gets me through this time of year.  That, and reports from spring practice...oh, and Harbaugh's twitter account.

There are three 3 vs 14 and one 2 vs 15 to start the dance early Thursday afternoon.  No way they all make it through unscathed.  So plan on Notre Dame, Arizona, Baylor, or Iowa State to be done before you finish your work day.

At 4:40pm it will be time to strap on your VCU gear and watch Shaka school Thad.  

You'll have to wait until 12:40pm tomorrow to see Napoleon whine about refs and tell you about how many of his players are injured or how they didn't get enough sleep last night as they get pasted by the Bulldogs.

You should take a basketball break at 8pm on Thursday and Friday to watch Michigan in the Big Ten Hockey tournament.  They play Wisconsin today, and Sparty tomorrow (hopefully).  Michigan missed out on the first round bye because Captain Michigan and Godfather went to the game last Saturday that we needed to win, but I'm pretty sure they don't ever travel to Detroit so we should be ok.

Enjoy.