Basketball Team Showing Signs of Life After Being Left for Dead
It is amazing what a little desperation can do for team chemistry. Sometimes the weight of all the pressure can be crushing enough to cause a complete meltdown within the program, resulting in coaching firings and player transfers. For a great example of this just look back to the end of the Brady Hoke era in 2014. At other times, having their proverbial backs to the wall can bring out some emotion in a group of players, collectively raising their game to new heights.
Since the the Big Ten schedule started back on Janurary 1st, the UM men's basketball team has been inconsistent and completely boring at best. While posting a 5-6 conference record, they have struggled to find any sort of rhythm and have appeared lost on the court. The seniors have not provided the leadership that the roster needed, and the youngsters still looked like high school kids trying to play college ball. They all lacked any sense of urgency. It was ugly. Then they lost to their two biggest rivals in back to back games, one being a home loss to unranked Ohio State. As a result, the Wolverines find themselves on the outside looking in as a potential tournament team. And let's face it, there was nothing leading up to the month of February to make anybody think this team could compete among the top teams in the country.
Then came in-state rivals and perrenial basketball beast Michigan State to Crisler Arena on Tuesday night. And though the Spartans are experiencing their own troubles as a young, developing roster, hopes were not high for Michigan to pull out a crucial and much-needed win. They did manage to beat UM on their own court pretty handedly just a week earlier. And with confidence down it was being reported right before game time that there were still plenty of seats available. But despite a growing sense of negativity, the Wolverines exploded for one of their best games in John Beilein's 10-year career at Michigan - blasting MSU 86-57 while shooting 48% from the field.
What was the difference? Energy. Intensity. Emotion. It all showed up on Tuesday night and it never really wavered. D.J. Wilson even got charged with a technical foul for his celebration after a big dunk. Usually that type of play would upset Beilein, and it is surely against his coaching philosophy, but it was a much-needed display of fire and rage that this team desperately needs. And if this team wants any kind of chance at competing in the tourney next month, it will need more of that, despite what any coach might tell you.
Since the the Big Ten schedule started back on Janurary 1st, the UM men's basketball team has been inconsistent and completely boring at best. While posting a 5-6 conference record, they have struggled to find any sort of rhythm and have appeared lost on the court. The seniors have not provided the leadership that the roster needed, and the youngsters still looked like high school kids trying to play college ball. They all lacked any sense of urgency. It was ugly. Then they lost to their two biggest rivals in back to back games, one being a home loss to unranked Ohio State. As a result, the Wolverines find themselves on the outside looking in as a potential tournament team. And let's face it, there was nothing leading up to the month of February to make anybody think this team could compete among the top teams in the country.
Then came in-state rivals and perrenial basketball beast Michigan State to Crisler Arena on Tuesday night. And though the Spartans are experiencing their own troubles as a young, developing roster, hopes were not high for Michigan to pull out a crucial and much-needed win. They did manage to beat UM on their own court pretty handedly just a week earlier. And with confidence down it was being reported right before game time that there were still plenty of seats available. But despite a growing sense of negativity, the Wolverines exploded for one of their best games in John Beilein's 10-year career at Michigan - blasting MSU 86-57 while shooting 48% from the field.
What was the difference? Energy. Intensity. Emotion. It all showed up on Tuesday night and it never really wavered. D.J. Wilson even got charged with a technical foul for his celebration after a big dunk. Usually that type of play would upset Beilein, and it is surely against his coaching philosophy, but it was a much-needed display of fire and rage that this team desperately needs. And if this team wants any kind of chance at competing in the tourney next month, it will need more of that, despite what any coach might tell you.
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