Michigan basketball team drives to join NCAA tournament bubble debate
When Stu Douglass discussed the NCAA tournament in October, telling a visitor that was the goal for the Michigan basketball team this season, it sounded a bit far-fetched.
Michigan lost its top two scorers from the 2009-10 season. Most of its rotation from a season ago had graduated, defected, declared for the NBA or were dismissed. What remained was a team with little experience.
Now, as Michigan enters the final three weeks of the regular season, Douglass’ preseason boast doesn’t look so out there anymore. Michigan is in the midst of challenging for a NCAA tournament berth as it enters its final five games of the regular season.
Stu Douglass on the Michigan basketball team's drive to make the NCAA tournament field: "We knew there were going to be a lot of bumps, a lot of struggles because there are so many good teams in the Big Ten."
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
“We knew there were going to be a lot of bumps, a lot of struggles because there are so many good teams in the Big Ten,” Douglass said. “To face those stretches and see how we reacted, there are only a few teams that could have come out of there with a winning record in our situation. We did a really good job responding.”
The major bump was a six-game losing streak in January that spanned the entirety of the Michigan football coaching search and then some. Then Michigan beat Michigan State on Jan. 27 and including that game, has won five of its last six games.
Michigan (16-10, 6-7 Big Ten) moved from the bottom of the league standings and now is in a three-way tie for sixth with Minnesota and Penn State. The Wolverines are a half game out of fourth place and they face fourth-place Illinois on Wednesday (8:30 p.m., Big Ten Network).
So Michigan is within distance of Douglass’ preseason goal. It was something the Wolverines noticed during the last week, when they had must-win games against Northwestern and Indiana.
“Guys (were) really focused,” junior guard Zack Novak said. “Once you get back in sight of your goal again, it gives you a little extra bit of motivation to work a little bit harder because you can see things. That’s just psychology.
“When you’re closer to a goal, you’re going to work harder at it and when you’re farther away, it’s tough. We’re back there.”
The Bracket Project, which is a compilation of all the mock NCAA tournament brackets around the Internet, has Michigan on its matrix for the first time this season. Plus, with the NCAA expansion to 68 teams, it leaves four more at-large slots to grab.
Even Michigan coach John Beilein, who has tried to deflect NCAA tournament talk throughout the season, acknowledged Saturday that winning at Illinois on Wednesday could make a difference.
Beilein noted Monday that some of the teams Michigan has beaten — Clemson, Michigan State, Harvard — need to keep winning to improve his team’s profile, too.
“With our guys going to Illinois, they know how important that would be,” Beilein said. “Who has gone to Illinois and won? One team, two teams. You do that, just like our Michigan State win, like our Clemson win, Clemson’s having a heck of a year.
“Those are things you just do to build it up. It’s almost like a tournament within a tournament. Each win gets you closer to where you need to go.”
Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein
Comments
Macabre Sunset
Mon, Feb 14, 2011 : 9:06 p.m.
They will need 21 wins to make the tournament. It's still possible, but it will require a better win than any they have manufactured so far this season. The losses at Indiana and Northwestern the week after they put a scare into the Buckeyes are the outliers that could well cost them a spot. They have come a lot further than I thought they would back in November. And who would have guessed that the Harvard nail-biter in December, which at the time seemed almost embarrassing, would turn out to be a signature win along with the Michigan State road game?
Jon
Mon, Feb 14, 2011 : 5:18 p.m.
If Michigan can pull out 20 wins before the end of the Big Ten tourney, they have a shot at the NCAA tournament. However, the Wolverines have no quality wins this year. They only have "quality losses" (Syracuse, Kansas, Ohio State), which don't add up to much. A win over Wisconsin or Minnesota next week would beneficial in that it would show the tournament committee that Michigan can beat good teams. Beating State again would help the committee make a choice if both Michigan and Michigan State are on the bubble.
johnnya2
Mon, Feb 14, 2011 : 9:15 p.m.
If as most experts seem to agree that the Big Ten is the second best conference in the country, how can they not have quality wins? Penn State twice. Northwestern, Clemson (an upper half ACC team). Based on this logic, Purdue has no quality wins since they have no beaten anybody either. If Michigan finishes 9-9 and 5th or 6th in the conference and they do not get a bid then the whole process is flawed. I think Iowa should be a win. Michigan State will always be tough, but very possible. Illinois and Minnesota are the two dark horses, and Wisconsin is going to be tough. My basic thought would be a split with Wisconsin and Minnesota and winning two of three versus MSU, Iowa and Illinois and they are in for sure. A win or two in the Big Ten Tournament and it is almost guaranteed.