It’s the stories that make this run the most memorable.
Think of all the great narratives we’re seeing play out.
- a team coached by one of its most prominent alumni makes the Elite 8.
- One of our best players is injured yet uses his platform to advocate for player equality.
- two transfers immediately make an impact in widely different ways. One of those players really breaks out during the tourney.
- a guy whose brother played his way into a high draft pick does the exact same thing three years later.
- a guy stepping up for said injured player makes the case for being a pre-season all Big Ten next year, when he had been possibly written off as a transfer earlier in the season.
I can’t pinpoint which of these stories is my favorite, but it makes for an easy reason to root for these guys.
I'll add another sub-plot: this team was completely shut down in the middle of the season as they were firing on all cylinders. To come back and outright win the B1G regular season championship under these circumstances is beyond impressive.
Also got much farther than those arrogant dbags from Illinois.
Illinois' story ends either with a womp womp or Curb Your Enthusiasm music
Screw those delusional idiots. I'll lose to them head to head EVERY year if it means a B1G regular season title and an Elite 8 or better for Michigan.
And under Howard? We ain't gonna be waiting very long for the next Elite 8+!
Happy for the win and nice to see Johns contributions but lets hold off on the preseason All-Big 10 talk until he goes 20/10 while leading us to the national championship...
March 28th, 2021 at 10:54 PM ^
I'm down for this.
Juwan Howard has reached the Elite Eight in every NCAAT he's participated in.
Amazing.
March 29th, 2021 at 10:29 AM ^
He was M's best player in the 1994 Tournament, too.
Averaged 29 pts and 12.7 rebs in 4 games.
It's soooooo much fun rooting for a team that's a team, where 6-8 of the players could be most important in any game.
Best story was how Eli shots sub 80 on the links.
Dude can stroke golf balls ad thr33s
I like this. My son was playing at the U of M course with a buddy and got paired up with Eli. Brooks shot 36 and had to bolt. My son is a nice player for a state championship team and Eli beat him by a couple strokes.
Did Shea ever play with Eli???
March 28th, 2021 at 10:24 PM ^
Clearly not enough...Eli sees the whole court and just makes plays.
Otherwise...once again. In the last 50 years the NC has only been won by a team from west of the Mississippi 5 times. Michigan will be the only team in the Elite Eight representing the "East of the Mississippi". We will see.
Your basic point about teams from east of the Mississippi dominating the champions list in the past 50 years is correct, but the number of winners from west of the Mississippi is 9.
UCLA -5; Kansas -2; Arizona -1; UNLV-1
In the first 30 years of the NCAA tournament (1939-69), western teams won 16 times, but this was probably an artifact of the New York-based NIT being the more prestigious tournament from its 1938 inception to the mid-1950s. The best teams in the eastern US generally played in the NIT during those years.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Invitation_Tournament
Oh...that's right. Fifty years catches the end of Wooden's reign.
March 29th, 2021 at 10:01 AM ^
Shouldn't Arkansas be on that list?
THAT Eli not only beats you head to head over 9 holes, but then takes your girlfriend to the Chophouse, some salsa dancing lessons, and responsibly drives her home all before you have your clubs in the trunk.
Johns is my favorite. Something about that kid. I’m always rooting for him.
One of my favorites also. Seems like a lunchpail kinda guy, doesn't seem to pout or anything, ever. Just goes to work, steps up when needed. I'm really happy for him and his contribution today was great when the team seemed out of sorts in the first 10 minutes.
I respect his openness about dealing with anxiety. I appreciate when people in the public eye have the courage to speak out which reduces the stigma.
If Johns could ever get better hands he could actually be quite good.
If he puts in 14, he’s making up for the loss of Livers and is a better offensive rebounder. Still wish we had one more good 3-point shooter.
March 28th, 2021 at 10:36 PM ^
It remains a most remarkable thing that a time like this one insists upon finding a negative. My guess is that it would be a very safe bet that not only can't you play the game but you don't know a damn thing about it either. Bolivia is far too good for you malcontent snipers. What's next-kick Chaundee off the team for missing that one shot today??? Damn!!!
Edit: The story is Juwan and his coaching staff-a stunningly great job.
The longer I care about sports, the more I think that the stories matter at least as much as the games, if not more.
That's why Sparty is so insistent that they made the tournament and UM fans say otherwise, attempts to control whether the real story is its longstanding success or its 2021 failure.
That's why people crow over vague subjective competitions, i.e., recruiting rankings.
That's why people bet, the game mattering less than the story of how smart you are to beat the odds, or why you got screwed out of your brilliantly earned money by crooked refs or stupid coaches or clumsy players.
Or maybe it's just me. After losses, I get more efficient b/c I pay little attention to reports. And after a win, I spend LOTS of time reading all sorts of accounts.
All good stuff, and great stuff.
How about the fact that without Z and Teske, we were picked to finish 7th in the BIG at start of the season.
What an amazing gutsy team - love these kids!
Go Blue!!!
Head coachin’ experience?
We don’t need no stinkin’ head coachin’ experience.
March 28th, 2021 at 10:46 PM ^
You posted the parody - the line Blazing Saddles was referencing was from The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. But I will always upvote Mel Brooks.
March 28th, 2021 at 11:33 PM ^
I did not know that. So, he knows a good joke when he steals it? Milton Burle maybe.
A backup center that was written off a couple years ago steps up as key player!