Never take title game appearances for granted

Submitted by UMxWolverines on
Divincinczinscnzio was on fire and the rest of their team made their 3's any time we tried to make a run. It was gonna have to be a perfect game to beat them, but it wasn't meant to be. I still hate how touchy the refs called it, though. But no shame in losing in the title game. Villanova was clearly the best overall team this year without a doubt. Those of you who saw a basketball national title, football national title, and 2 hockey national titles should remmeber how good you had it. Some of us who were only in diapers when those NC's were won haven't seen us win one in a major sport. But it'll happen soon enough. Just remember how bad things were in 2014, no postseason for either of the 3. I'll take losing in the championship over being an also ran any day. This was a fantastic season, and we'll hang 2 banners! GO BLUE

Perkis-Size Me

April 2nd, 2018 at 11:27 PM ^

Great season, and one HELL of a coaching job by Beilein to get this team all the way to the title game. Bummed that it ended this way, but when Nova is getting and and every shot it wants, what can you honestly do? What team in the field would’ve fared any better? They just threw another one seed into the wood chipper two nights ago. Nova is just that good. Refs or no refs.

Don’t give two shits what any of our rivals have to say about our performance tonight. You know where they’ve been the last two weeks? Sitting on their asses at home watching us make a run to the title game.

lhglrkwg

April 2nd, 2018 at 11:32 PM ^

I thought the defense was pretty decent. That damned DiVinsoaasohs just freakin hit everything for a while. What the hell do you do with that?

Going 3-for-23 from 3 and getting Duncan zero points is obviously a big reason why the game went from a loss to a 20 pt loss

maize-blue

April 2nd, 2018 at 11:44 PM ^

Good run. Sucks to not be able to capitalize on the situation though. UM could be better next season and not get as far. A lot of things fell in place to help UM make the final this year. Next season a North Carolina may not get upset, or all the top seeds on your side of the bracket may not go down or one of your players may not hit a dramatic game winning shot.

dcloren2121

April 2nd, 2018 at 11:34 PM ^

It’s mind-boggling how much shit I’ve gotten already for this game. Like losing the NC is some sort of embarrassing travesty. Hell of a run by a group nobody thought would be able to do this.

UofMfanINcolumbus

April 2nd, 2018 at 11:34 PM ^

Is it officially fuck Notre Dame season yet? Or are we waiting until after the frozen four? Asking for a friend.

The Man Down T…

April 2nd, 2018 at 11:34 PM ^

They beat the rivals, won the conference and made it to the finals with a bunch of secondary players that few teams wanted.  I hate this ending but nothing will change the fact that this team outdid any and all expectations.  Go Blue!

HailObeans

April 2nd, 2018 at 11:35 PM ^

Pretty much spells it out. Refs really sucked, but can’t take anything away from Villanova. They totally outplayed us. Just how it goes sometimes.

charblue.

April 2nd, 2018 at 11:36 PM ^

Guys played great. Just not our night. The officiating sucked but it's imoact was only negligible from a rhythm standpoint, which in a closer contest, might matter. So, one guys scores scores 31 and it erases an almost irrelevant night by MAAR whose 23 seem invisible because nobody else besides Moe could make a shot.

 

LSAClassOf2000

April 2nd, 2018 at 11:36 PM ^

It would have needed to be an incredible shooting performance and it wasn't - but even as I struggle to form complete sentences in my current state of not sober, I am not at all upset with this team. That was an awesome ride, and I am certain that - with luck - we'll be right there with them next year if we manage a deep run like this. We didn't win tonight, but the future is decidedly very bright. 

Bando Calrissian

April 3rd, 2018 at 12:02 AM ^

I don't know if the future looks immediately bright for next year, but I think what we've seen is a program that can turn nothing into something very, very quickly. And that's a sign of stability that this program hasn't seen in decades. Look two or three years down the road, they'll be back, and they'll have learned from this.

charblue.

April 2nd, 2018 at 11:36 PM ^

Guys played great. Just not our night. The officiating sucked but it's imoact was only negligible from a rhythm standpoint, which in a closer contest, might matter. So, one guys scores scores 31 and it erases an almost irrelevant night by MAAR whose 23 seem invisible because nobody else besides Moe could make a shot.

 

A Lot of Milk

April 3rd, 2018 at 12:08 AM ^

Damn straight. If we would've lost that game everyone would've said how great the season was but the tournament was a let down. Instead we reel off another three wins. Don't let anyone tell you that this season wasn't a major success and over achievement. The future is even brighter

MGoClimb

April 2nd, 2018 at 11:37 PM ^

It was a heck of a run, any way you look at it. It was a pleasure watching this team play and they’ll go down in history as one of the great ones in Michigan lore. There will be talk of this team for a long time to come.

Go Blue in MN

April 2nd, 2018 at 11:38 PM ^

I don't think I've ever enjoyed watching a team in any year in any sport as this year's hoops team.  Most of us were hoping just to make the Big Dance and we went all the way to the Finals.  It was fun! 

brad

April 2nd, 2018 at 11:39 PM ^

1. Shot like shit from 3. 2. Nova got paid off for their ghastly acting performance last ten minutes of the first half 3. Divicenzo. If any one of those three is different, its a close game. Any two and M wins. Oh well, great season men. Next year should be fun too.

Mongo

April 2nd, 2018 at 11:40 PM ^

We were schooled in how to play the game. Still love our run but wish we could have hit the 3s tonight to match ‘Nova. They were on fire.

We'll be Champions

April 2nd, 2018 at 11:40 PM ^

If anyone thinks this on Coach B or staff prep, I think you’re out of your mind. You have to give credit to Novas big two after Brunson, Bridges and Divencenzo, they hit shots we missed them. The only way we hang with his team is perfect game both sides of the ball, and we missed some big open 3s in the first and couldn’t separate in the second

We'll be Champions

April 2nd, 2018 at 11:40 PM ^

If anyone thinks this on Coach B or staff prep, I think you’re out of your mind. You have to give credit to Novas big two after Brunson, Bridges and Divencenzo, they hit shots we missed them. The only way we hang with his team is perfect game both sides of the ball, and we missed some big open 3s in the first and couldn’t separate in the second

a2bluefan

April 2nd, 2018 at 11:41 PM ^

After losing to Northwestern on Feb 6, they were a bubble team..a loss or two from not even getting to the tourney.  Reeled off 14 in a row to get to the big one. Can't be too upset. GO BLUE.

Princetonwolverine

April 2nd, 2018 at 11:41 PM ^

Just keep in mind how many other teams did not get to the Championship game. We did.

Great year, guys. Thanks JB

harmon40

April 2nd, 2018 at 11:42 PM ^

Villanova hit shots from everywhere, and we just looked clumsy - and tired. Our guys looked gassed.

Love the title of this thread, though. Coach B now has two Final Fours under his belt. That is an accomplishment. I'm just proud of our guys, what a great season!

michmaiku

April 2nd, 2018 at 11:51 PM ^

... made it a bit uglier, exasperating and somewhat more lopsided.

But it was all the offensive rebounds we gave up that really killed us.  And a few out of control fast breaks that led to turnovers, that led to fast breaks the other way, that led to back-breaking threes.  

A lot of that speaks to fatigue / being gassed, as you say.  And a bit to inexperience.  

And 'Nova just have (at least) 1-2 more genuine scorers than we do. It was us, not them, who needed a sixth man to put up career high numbers. 

But like you I'm not mad.  Just glad to have enjoyed the not-long-ago unexpected run.

Sidepaluofm

April 2nd, 2018 at 11:42 PM ^

We won 14 straight going into tonight, we just didn't fire on all cylinders. 

 

Proud to be a wolverine and for what we accomplished. MaaR finished strong, love him as a wolverine. 

michmaiku

April 2nd, 2018 at 11:44 PM ^

Was very fortunate to be a student in '89.  Knew that experience was a rare thing, thought there'd be at least a couple more in my lifetime, still do, and regardless am always grateful to be a Wolverine. 

And I guarantee the team took nothing for granted. Overmatched, underperformed, whatever ... they made an immense effort and gave us a great run.

Onward to the Frozen Four and much, much more in years to come.