: The Michigan Daily I michigandaily.com I March14, 2011
'Mto playin
West Region
as No. 8 seed
By BEN ESTES
Daily Sports Writer
Who could've predicted this?
Picked by everyone to finish at or near the bottom of the
Big Ten, playing with no seniors and with one of the young-
est squads in the country, the Michigan
men's basketball team has defied the OHIO STATE 68
odds this season. MICHIGAN 61
The Wolverines' surprising season
culminated on Sunday, when they were announced as a No.
8 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Michigan willl take on
Tennessee in the second round this Friday in Charlotte, N.C.
"It's huge," Michigan Athletic Director Dave Brandon said
yesterday. "It's huge for our program. I'm so proud of Coach
Beilein and his staff and these players. They've earned this,
and they've worked incredibly hard. I don't think anybody
gave us a snowball's chance in hell of being here."
The team gathered at Crisler Arena to watch the selection
show in front of a large gathering of fans.
CBS had a camera crew there to interview Michigan coach
John Beilein and get live shots of the team's and crowd's
reaction to its potential selection.
Beilein addressed the fans before the show began.
He preached about being pleased with the season no mat-
ter what the outcome of the selection show was.
It was a rather pessimistic take, considering most experts
See NO.8 SEED, Page 3B
TEAM, TEAM,
TEAM the
Wolverines' motto
and reality
Despite low early-season
expectations, Blue to play
Tennessee in NCAA Tourney
INDIANAPOLIS -
Three young Ohio State
fans stood alone at the
railing of Conseco Field-
house. Their
arms pressed
over the
black metal r
bar, their
pudgy arms
turning red
while they
tried to inchCCHANTEL
their hands JENNINGS
further and
further into
the walkway.
Even through the crimson
face paint I could see the strain
in their faces.
"He's coming! He's coming!"
one said to another, driving
his face into the rails, his final
push in this arm-lengthening
contest.
I turned, expecting to see
Jared Sullinger or Thad Matta
- both gods in their own regard
in Columbus - coming to be
greeted by their boisterous fans.
But, unexpectedly, I saw Tim
Hardaway Jr. running toward
the tunnel, hand outstretched
ready to meet the tiny hands
of his rivals. He gave high fives
before continuing his way to the
tunnel. Each boy looked down
at his hand in awe.
"I'm never washing my
hand," one exclaimed.
That's what's expected now
after basketball has become a
superstar sport. A game where
one's on-court presence and
off-court antics can solidify a
legend at the age of 18.
It didn't matter that LeBron
See JENNINGS, Page 3B
(top) The Michigan basketball team prepares for Sunday's selection show. (middle)
Darius Morris looks on as he sits on the Crisler Arena court. (bottom) Michigan
coach John Beilein celebrates after his team earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Michigan ousted in Big Ten semifinal by No. 1 OSIT
By ZAK PYZIK House, 68-61.
Daily Sports Editor And just like Vogrich, Michi-
gan fought until the last second.
INDIANAPOLIS - Midway Ohio State went on a 16-0 run
through the first half of the midway through the second half
semifinal game of the Big Ten to lead by as many as 18 points,
Tournament, Michigan guard but the Wolverines kept it inter-
Matt Vogrich fought for pos- esting until the last 10 seconds.
session with Ohio State center "Yeah, when you're playing
Jared Sullinger. against Ohio State, you have to
Sullinger tossed Vogrich - either make your own breaks or
who is about the size of one of have some breaks and really play
Sullinger's legs - to the ground through that, and that's where
like a rag doll, as Sullinger they got on the 16-0 run," Mich-
kept two hands on the ball and igan coach John Beilein said
wound up being awarded the after the game. "It just started
jump ball. with a couple tough breaks."
The Wolverines didn't look With 3-pointers from junior
much different than Vogrich, guard Zack Novak, freshman
as the Buckeyes outlasted them forward Evan Smotrycz and
on Saturday at Conseco Field- junior guard Stu Douglass in the
final minute, Michigan cut the
Buckeyes' lead to just two pos-
sessions.
"Yeah, I mean, it's just kind
of what we've done all year, I
think," Novak said. "There's
been a couple times where we've
just been knocked down, and
we just keep fighting. You know,
(we) came back yesterday not in
the same way, but we just - we
knew there was stilla chance, so
we were just goingto keep fight-
ing and see what happens."
While the Wolverines fought
for every point, Ohio State
went to the charity stripe twice
but made only one of four free
throws. That gave Michigan
one last chance to execute what
seemed like an insurmountable
comeback.
As assistant coach Bacari
Alexander yelled to his players
on the bench - tellingthemwhy
they should never give up and
play until the end - Ohio State's
defense double teamed Doug-
lass and Smotrycz while they
had the ball. And as a result of a
suffocating defense, no Wolvqr-
ine could get off a clean sho
Alexander also told his -
ers to dive for loose ballsUe
redshirt freshman Jo n
Morgan had done. On o e play,
Morgan drew a foul as We face
planted for a loose rebound.
Ohio State found itself in foul
trouble early because of the
effort.
See OSU LOSS, Page 3B
Freshman forwrd Evan Smotrycz is defended by the Buckeyes' star power
forward Jared Sullinger. Ohio State won the game, 68-61.
ESPN's "The Fab Five" documentary delivers candid answers
By LUKE PASCH bad attitude from the Detroit
Daily Sports Writer projects (though, that's exact-
ly where Rose learned to talk
DETROIT - Jalen Rose built trash). It wasn't about proving
his career on smack talk more anything to people off the court.
than anything else. And it certainly wasn't just to get
Sure, he had everything - the in the opponent's face.
raw skill of a baller, the basket- It was about getting in the
ball IQ to become an elite point opponent's head. Knowing his
guard, the winning drive to make competition was afraid of what
back-to-back NCAA Champion- he'd say next gave Rose the
ship appearances. Rose had all mental advantage he needed to
the traditional tools for success unlock all those other tools he
on the hardwood, and those possessed.
assets made him one of the Nowadays, in life after bas-
most highly-coveted backcourt ketball, Rose's attitude hasn't
recruits of his day. changed much - he confronts
But to Rose, smack was at the controversial issues face-to-face,
forefront of his game. It wasn't always with blatant candor. So it
because he was a thug with a was no surprise how ESPN Films'
upcoming documentary "The
Fab Five," which Rose helped to
produce, started.
Jimmy King, Rose's teammate
on the Michigan basketball team
from 1991-94, describes the dev-
astation of the University's Ath-
letic Department taking down
the banners that once hung
proudly in the Crisler Arena raf-
ters.
Now collecting dust in the
basement of Bentley Library, the
banners represent the achieve-
ments of five former Wolverines
- Rose, King, Juwan Howard,
Ray Jackson and Chris Webber -
who were affectionately dubbed
The Fab Five in their freshmen
season.
There's something that really
hits home in that opening image
of the banners, rolled up neatly
on a shelf next to hundreds of file
boxes that contain God knows
what. The Michigan basketball
program has reached just one
NCAA Tournament appearance
in the past 13 years, and the glory
days are not only forgotten, but
locked away in a basement under
dim, flickering light bulbs.
Until now.
ESPN aired "The Fab Five"
documentary last night on a mis-
sion to show the world every-
thing there is to know about the
most highly-touted recruiting
class in the history ofecollege bas-
See FAB FIVE, Page 3B
MARISSA MCA
Former Michigan guard Jalen Rose, who spoke in Detroit Friday about '
Five" documentary, plans to open the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy.
PERFECT NO LONGER
U After starting the season 24-0, 'M'
softball lost its magic touch, falling to
Western Kentucky, 3-2. Page 2B
ONE LAST THING
This senior class has accomplished
nearly everything on its to-do list. Its final
task? An NCAA title. Page 4B