Hoopraker wonders what percentage of the battered, success starved Michigan basketball following is secretly harboring pro-Buckeye fantasies this weekend. After several years of slow, teasing torture at the hands of Bill Martin and his protege, there have to be more than a few of the Maize and Blue willing to beta block their hatred for an afternoon and trade an Ohio State blowout at the Crisler Saturday for a new and better future. These folks, exchanging knowing glances at Zingerman’s and using semaphore outside the Brown Jug, are wondering if two resume sexying wins to close the season and a back-dooring of the Dance are worth a continuation of the lackluster Amaker decade.
Careful What You Wish For
It would be hard to blame them for some temporary heresy. Because this season is both typical of the kind of empty caloried basketball they’ve been forced to live with the last six years and the best they can ever expect. With an injury free, senior quartet that many elite programs drooled over four to five years ago, the Wolverines are still teetering above NIT gorge. 2003 found Dion Harris as Michigan’s Mr. Basketball. Lester Abram 2002 averaged 22.7 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.8 steals and was tournament MVP as he led his Pontiac Northern team to the Class A Michigan state title. In 2003 Courtney Sims chose the Wolverines over the likes of Syracuse, UConn, Maryland, and Memphis. Brent Petway arrived in Ann Arbor in 2003 as one of the most ballyhooed leapers and athletes in the nation. As of today the four sit as one of the most talented yet unfulfilled senior classes in the Big Ten, needing one or two more wins and lenience from the selection committee.
The Buckeyes are more than capable of underplaying and Amaker and his seniors will be more motivated than has been customary during their careers at Michigan. They played with immediacy in their Wednesday defeat of Michigan State and thanks to some ugly shooting from the Spartans and Neitzel’s high white blood cell count, got it done. Amaker, usually a master of understated bench coaching, showed some neck veins during a few timeouts in that game. It’s unfortunate it’s taken him so long and the prospect of unemployment to show some affect.
If Thad Matta is smart, he gets his Buckeyes to hit the floor with a vengeance and put the Wolverines down early. He certainly has the roster to break a foe’s will and in short order. Otherwise, this will turn into very interesting ballgame. And if Amaker and his job defenders can find their way to the upset, Michigan fans will enjoy a Pyrrhic victory. They stick it to the hated Buckeyes and get their NCAA, but they get their coach too. That’s a tough spot for a Michigan basketball fan to be in.
Two Years Ticking
Even the kid-gloved Northwestern athletic department is subtly saying that Bill Carmody has approximately two more years to save his job. Saving his job means postseason play of any kind. Two years from now Carmody will be in his tenth season as head coach in Evanston and will have Jeff Ryan and Kevin Coble as seasoned junior leaders. The two man 2007 recruiting class of Chicago Public Leaguer Michael Thompson and suburban swingman Mike Capocci, a class Carmody is touting as a breakthrough, will be well broken in and ready to make big sophomore contributions. Craig Moore will have exorcised his second year demons and will be a lights out senior shooter. Jeremy Nash and Sterling Williams will be lock down defenders, loose ball magnets, and all-around playmakers by then. Carmody’s latest batch of Croatians will be of the Vedran Vukisic ilk by 2009, providing much needed size and Euro-style versatility. The 2008 class will build on its predecessor and bring in several more immediate producers. Right? It’s certainly possible. Just don’t expect it.
And don’t expect a road win from the Wildcats Saturday. Purdue in a must win situation at Mackey combined with Carmody’s allergy to road games of any kind be they conference, non-conference, or neutral site puts Matt Painter and his Boilermakers in a great position to succeed. And unlike some conference teams Painter’s crew will not show up half-hearted or entitled. They will bring their best effort from the tip and look to bury the Cats by the ten minute mark. Look for Teague and Landry to have senior days to remember.
Something To Prove
Bruce Weber and Tom Izzo bring the two most talent maximized, pundit defying units in the conference into tough road finales. Both of their teams should’ve already earned tournament placement, but neither man is the begging, leave it to the committee sort. They want to win and make it easy for Gary Walters and his knights around the faux wood table in Indianapolis. Iowa and Wisconsin already have their tickets punched, the former’s marked NIT while Wisconsin is playing for favorable seeding and geography.
The loss of Butch is unfortunate, but Wisconsin is deep and well coached enough to weather it. Tomorrow’s game and the Big Ten tournament will give Bo and his team a few games to find a new rotation. Bohannon will be asked to step up his perimeter contribution and Steimsma, Landry, and Chappell will get increased minutes and responsibility. All of these players are capable of answering the call and then some. Yes, the Badger margin of error got thinner and eighty percent free throw shooters like Kammron Taylor won’t be able to miss many front ends the rest of the way, but this is too good a team to write off. Superstars like Alando Tucker have a way of writing pretty good stories in March. As do coaches of the caliber of Weber, Izzo, and Ryan.
You are on the money with your commentary. Part of me (the majority), however, hopes Amaker suffers knee-deep in sewage for several more years. As much as I would like the Wolverines to be successful (for the sake of the Big Ten only) I would enjoy infinitely more the public recognizing that the stamp of Duke and it’s “smart, gritty bunch of kids” is not only fallible but accountable as well.
Left by kurt on March 2nd, 2007