SUMMARY: Yeah. ....well, I don't know. I have faith in Beilein's ability to train players, I just think he needs more time. It's tough to learn in the thick of the season. It also certainly doesn't help that Kendric Price, K'Len Morris, and Jerret Smith left, either. That just leaves us with Merritt and Lee who, bless their Maize and Blue hearts...well, we've been over this. I can only say that, on the bright side, next year we're getting some real D-I players who can play Beilein's system. Hope I didn't come across as too cynical...after all, I love M hoops. I mean, I just sat through a 2-hour game and wrote about it, too! But it's hard to see your boys playing like that.
Well, there's still a Block M flag on the moon, suckers! Ha!
9:00 -- Your final score: 77-65, cut down by a Zack Gibson undefended jumper and an undefended Kelvin Grady jumper at the buzzer. At least we have our dignity. If we ever get a close game, we'll be able to hit that winning shot at the buzzer. We've gotten a shot at the buzzer in each of the last three games, after it was already hopeless.
8:57 -- Nothing really remarkable...except there are about 29 seconds left, and Minnesota just hit the front end of a 1-and-1. 75-61.
8:54 -- 17 turnovers for Minnesota. Now, 17 turnovers for Michigan. Lead to 10, but time's running out.
8:51 -- W2 looks away from his screen for a moment, and Michigan somehow gets the ball back and they aren't going to replay it! Never a dull moment!
8:50 -- Lee's giving it his all: He hustles to try for the steal, knocks it out of bounds, but gets called for a foul. 69-57.
8:49 -- C. J. Lee steals and scores all by himself!
8:48 -- The Michigan three cuts the lead to 14.
8:45 -- I was wondering the other day while watching the Master's of Curling (I live an exciting life), why does the CBC sports coverage look like all the American sports coverage from a decade ago? I just realized that that's the Big Ten Network's problem, too. One of them, anyway. Do I have to keep reporting the score, or can I just complain about how I won't be able to watch up to three Michigan football games next fall? Does BTN realize that "Only on the Big Ten Network" makes people bitter? Okay, back to the game.
8:42 -- "It's been a tough night for Harris." That's the kind of crucial analysis you should have automatically worked into your cable package. Only on the Big Ten Network!
8:42 -- Harris, beautiful steal, finishes with a dunk. Slowly making up for the ones he's given up today. 67-48.
8:40 -- Zack Gibson pump-fakes the three. It's reassuring to have that threat. Michigan opts to execute the popular "Turnover" play instead. 65-45.
8:36 -- I've never seen anyone who looked and sounded more like Georgette from the Mary Tyler Moore Show than the former gymnast from the U-Minnesota commercial. Only on the Big Ten Network!
8:35 -- Two positives: Harris has SUCH a quick release. Also, Gibson blocks the fast-breaking guard just by looking at him. Minnesota scores anyway on the out-of-bounds pass. 63-43.
8:33 -- Another miracle...Gibson nails the three!
8:32 -- Manny Harris's turnovers are shocking. Minnesota scores four straight: 61-40.
8:30 -- Miraculously, the full-court pressure creates a turnover and Harris makes a three. And now a foul at the other end. Minnesota makes two FTs...57-39.
8:28 -- Look Cazzie...a bobblehead of you! We're so happy to be employed! Minnesota, 55-34.
8:25 -- "Great homecourt advantage atmosphere," says Cazzie Russell. Awww. Looks like "and zero," by the way, as Coleman missed the FT.
8:23 -- Holy cow...who knew Ron Coleman could do that? And it all started with a lucky desperation pass. We need more of that. And one!
8:21 -- Ever notice that when Sims and Harris shoot, there's absolutely no backspin? They're our leading scorers--that could be a problem. Things are going from Indiana to Ohio...that is, bad to worse. 52-32.
8:15 -- OH my gosh. Well, nothing you can do about that three right there. 45-30.
8:13 -- Michigan gets its first point; Sims makes one of two free throws. Too bad Minnesota scored 8 points first. 42-27.
8:10 -- Is it also a problem that commercial breaks consist of about 3 ads? This is disturbing to me. It's like the track at IM East here at MSU where nine laps equals one mile. It's just...troubling.
8:07 -- Larrivee and McCormick: "Two-thirds of Minnesota's points were in the paint. That's a telling statistic"--fantastic observation--"and it leads you to wonder why they shot such a great percentage down there." Better not talk about it though. More turnovers for U-M, more points for Minnesota. The score: 40-26.
8:05 -- With a turnover.
8:05 -- Michigan starts off the second half.
IMPORTANT HALFTIME UPDATE: The BTN halftime guys say exactly the same things about the game I did, while not looking as good doing it. Those guys have a show, and I don't? McCormick and Larrivee suggest that Michigan play Cazzie Russel, then add these pearls: "The other Coleman is Dan Coleman" and "Ron Coleman is Michigan's only deep threat." (False.) Their major strength? The Cazzie Russell bobblehead doll. Now I understand. Also, the helpful BTN Network puts Beilein on the screen to tell us that we're watching Minnesota at Michigan.
HALFTIME -- Michigan is very lucky to be within single digits. Minnesota played an incredibly sloppy first half, and without that it would be a blowout already. What did Michigan do well? Almost nothing on the offensive side with ten ugly turnovers. Izzo taught other teams that if you just make sure Manny Harris is covered, Michigan has almost no offense. Bright spots: DeShawn Sims is a great rebounder. Ekpe Udoh plays decently, getting one fantastic block. Black spots: Minnesota's big men are very athletic. The announcer was musing over Minnesota's paint scoring despite the presence of Big Ten-leading blocker Ekpe Udoh...but Minnesota's front court is bigger and quicker, and they're passing extremely well in the paint, which has been deadly so far. Manny Harris is over-dribbling, but on the other hand, who can he pass to when Michigan's players aren't athletic enough to get good cuts? To make up for the athleticism deficit, Michigan's going to have to deny the entry pass, set great picks, and make crisp cuts.
7:48 -- Great play by Harris to cut the lead to eight at halftime!! Drive and a floater off the backboard. Minnesota leads at the break, 34-26.
7:48 -- Great block by Udoh!
7:46 -- Minnesota just now figured out to put on the full-court press against David Merritt, whose recorded height is 3'7" and who does not own a scholarship? (Bless his Maize and Blue heart...sorry.) Turnover number 10, and the score is 34-22.
7:42 -- Also, I mean, aren't they kind of preaching to the choir here? I mean, Big Ten Network viewers, presumably, kind of like the Big Ten. Because right now, they have to pay extra money to get it. This is bothering me. I just watched my 178th commercial for the Big Ten, for the day.
7:39 -- Manny Harris delivers Michigan's 9th turnover so far...dunk for the Gophers on the fast break. Want a recipe for losing? Combine bad offense and bad defense with a serious lack of elite athleticism. Minnesota, 30-20.
7:34 -- Monster putback jam by Damien Johnson of Minnesota. I'm not sure Merritt and Grady in at the same time is a great lineup for Michigan. Minnesota, 26-19.
7:32 -- Is it a bad sign that about 84% of the Big Ten Network's ads seem to be from the Big Ten and Big Ten schools? Why do those guys advertise, anyway? I mean, Coke I can see. They need to get their message out. But I'm not going to go to the store and enroll at Minnesota on an impulse. Not even after giving it some thought, probably. Oh yeah, and Ron Coleman is playing pretty well right now.
7:28 -- Coleman hits two threes! Minnesota, 21-17.
7:25 -- Good hustle for the rebound by Gibson, then he throws the ball away. Beilein shakes his head. Then Manny steals again and gets fouled on the fast-break! Hits...both. Minnesota, 19-11.
7:21 -- MANNY HARRIS! Excellent steal and ball-handling, dunk on the other end! Minnesota, 17-9.
7:20 -- GOOD drive and pass by David Merritt!! Foul called on Minnesota, Gibson goes to the line...hits one...misses the second. 17-7.
7:18 -- Good shot by Sims, then Tollackson fouled. (Won't that guy ever graduate?) Excellent passing in the paint by Minnesota. Tollackson makes both. Minnesota, 15-6.
7:17 -- Good pass! But Michigan is lucky to be down by 7 right now. Bad turnovers, bad defense. Minnesota, 11-4.
7:11 -- Stunningly bad offense right now by Michigan as John Beilein takes a time-out. Poor passing, poor shot selection (particularly the 3-pointer Shepherd had swatted from him). DeShawn Sims has had two balls taken right out of his hands. 9-2 Minnesota.
7:00 -- Tip off!
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