Michigan basketball coach John Beilein remembers his bubble and one-bid days

Michigan basketball coach John Beilein kept an eye on the scoreboard last year when the Wolverines were a bubble team for NCAA tournament consideration. (File photo)

A year ago, Michigan basketball coach John Beilein and his wife, Kathleen, went to a movie. There was one stipulation.

No Blackberry. No checking scores. Just watch the show and escape the stress of being on the NCAA tournament bubble for a couple of hours.

He couldn’t help himself.

“I still remember last year clicking in the movie theater, seeing some movie that was stressful as it was, my wife says, ‘You will not be turning on, you will not go to your Blackberry,’” Beilein said. “Yet I was checking the USC score, the USC-Arizona State score the whole game, unbeknownst to her.

“Those are the stressful moments. Your wife could hit you.”

Kathleen Beilein never found out - at least so far as her husband knows - and Michigan received a bid to the 2009 NCAA tournament, where the Wolverines advanced to the second round.

This year isn’t as stressful. Michigan (14-16 overall, 7-11 Big Ten) needs to win the Big Ten tournament from its spot as the No. 8 seed to qualify for the NCAA tournament. Michigan opens Big Ten tournament play Thursday with a 2:30 p.m. game against Iowa (10-21, 4-14). That takes Beilein back to his days at Richmond and Canisius, when if he didn’t win the conference tournament, there was little-to-no chance of making the NCAA tournament.

Five times at Canisius and Richmond, a Beilein-coached team made the conference championship game in either the MAAC, CAA or Atlantic 10.

Three of those times, Beilein won and advanced to the NCAA tournament. Twice, he lost. Those times stand out to Beilein - more than a Big East or Big Ten tournament - as his fondest league championship memories.

It was something he even thought about Monday driving back from a recruiting trip when the CAA championship game between Old Dominon and William & Mary - a game Old Dominion won - was on the radio.

“One chance. I don’t recall any tension or being nervous or any stress. Just coach the game,” Beilein said. “You either feel really good the next day or you are really upset, really disappointed the next day. Seeing yourself in those situations during that time, I can’t even put myself there again.

“As the games are going on and the crowds are going crazy, most of those games we played were late-decision kind of games, they were great memories.”

It is the type of memory that might be eclipsed if Michigan were to win the Big Ten tournament, likely having to go through three Top 25 teams in the process if seeds hold to form.

And considering that’s the only way the Wolverines season will continue past Indianapolis, that’s how they have to think.

“All or nothing,” senior forward DeShawn Sims said. “If we’re not going to come out, go hard and try to win the tournament, then we shouldn’t show up.”

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.