The madness of March is here, and Michigan and Michigan State both have big games today in the Big Ten tournament. Michigan needs to beat Big Ten champion Indiana to qualify for the NCAA tournament, while Michigan State is playing for a Big Ten title, and a national title after that.
Last year, the Wolverines looked promising, until key players went down with injuries. The Wolverines finished ninth in the league, missing the big dance altogether, and didn’t even get an invitation to the junior high prom, also known as the National Invitational Tournament.
But this season, most experts expected them to bounce back, and return to your office pool bracket. They started strong with a 17-5 record, but injuries hit them again, knocking out seniors Spike Albrecht and Caris Levert, and they stumbled to an eighth-place finish.
Going into the Big Ten tournament, the Wolverines needed to win their first two games just to make it back to the NCAAs. Michigan took care of lowly Northwestern Thursday afternoon to set up a must-win game today — against league champion Indiana, which has already embarrassed Michigan at home.
The odds aren’t good, which has a slice of fans calling for coach John Beilein’s job. True, his teams finished the last two seasons in the bottom half of the Big Ten, and will likely miss the NCAA tournament two years in a row. But the fact that even a minority of fans want him fired is still stunning.
In 2007, Beilein inherited a program that was still reeling from NCAA sanctions, that needed new facilities, and that hadn’t won a Big Ten title in 21 years. He pushed his team back to the NCAA tournament five of his first seven seasons, won Michigan’s first Big Ten titles since 1986, and came within a few points of a national title. And Beilein has done all this while running a scrupulously clean program in a cesspool of a sport, one so dirty it makes football look like field hockey.
Beilein’s players graduate on time, and conduct themselves with class, in or out of class, just like their coach. For these reasons, Michigan’s new athletic director, Warde Manuel, who hasn’t even taken office yet, is not as short-sighted as some fans. So Beilein will likely remain at Michigan as long as he likes – exactly as he should.
Up the road in East Lansing, Michigan State has the opposite problem: fans spoiled by too much success. The Spartans finished second in the Big Ten regular season, and they’re ranked in the top three nationwide. They’re not only playing for the Big Ten tournament title, they’re playing for another NCAA title.
Tom Izzo took over the team in 1995, and promptly missed the NCAA tournament his first two years. But since then, the Spartans have made it to 18 straight NCAA tournaments, including seven Final Fours. That’s as good as it gets, especially when compared to the corrupt programs they face once they get there.
The current Spartan squad is Izzo’s best passing and shooting team, which is saying something. It is also his most unselfish – which is saying more. Led by Bryn Forbes and All-American Denzel Valentine, they’re doing what Izzo’s teams do: Play their best basketball when it matters most.
After the Spartans finished the regular season Sunday, Valentine said, “We’ve got nine more games left.” By that, Valentine meant Michigan State would make it to the finals of both the Big Ten and the NCAA tournaments.
Mr. Valentine’s math just might be right.
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Good points John. Tommy Amaker was of equally high character and inherited a significantly worse situation, but Michigan had no hesitation in removing him when he failed to make the NCAA tournament. Beilein’s situation is perplexing and even the most loyal fans can not understand the following: 1.Why he has not been able to attract better players, since the final four year. 2. Unlike Izzo who seems to be able to keep almost all of his players for 4 years our guys bolt after 2! 3. Every team has injuries he does not have the depth to overcome it and finish in the upper half of the Big Ten? 4. The Lavert situation has not been handled transparently the athletic dept. was promoting Lavert in commercials and ads into February, to sell tickets. It was made to seem like he was day to day. His injury is the most mysterious ailment a Michigan athlete has ever suffered, then the week before the Big Ten tourney after Michigan suffered another dismal performance and the NCAA tournament is no longer a likely scenario Lavert’s season is over. 5. The program is in decline, no game changing recruits coming in next year. We have a Mr. Basketball in Irwin, he has not gotten better. Walton plays hard every game but he has had stretches where he has gone 0-10. Beilein is of high character for sure, so was Amaker. Spartan fans expect to get to the sweet sixteen every year. We have lowered our expectation to hope we’re are not going to get blown out at home by 20 points. This year’s State and Indiana games were the low points in Beilein’s tenure. Should he be fired? No, but based on his display of character he will probably retire sooner rather than later because he knows he is know longer delivering the results he was brought to Michigan to achieve.
Message (Required)I am shocked, but no longer surprised, that fans would clamor for the coach’s scalp after Michigan’s accomplishments under its current regime. Your coach is one of the best in the country. I can’t think of one, not one, Big Ten coach I’d rather have than Michigan’s. I doubt that Harbaugh would let him go.
Could not agree more, re: Coach B., a role model to all in the sport!
There is no doubt that the past two seasons have been disappointing for UM, especially from the standpoint that Michigan has not been able to build on the successes in 2013-2014. That said, the toll that injuries have taken is tremendous. Last season, Caris Levert was coming off a terrific 2014 season, and was a B1G player of the year candidate. His injury, as well as the subsequent injuries to Derrick Walton, Zak irvin, and the fact that Spike Albrecht played hurt the entire season, ruined the Wolverines’ season. This year, it’s been the same injury bug that has plagued UM’s season–Albrecht out for almost the entire year, Levert out since the end of December, Walton and Irvin out for stretches as well. I don’t care how good of a coach you are–you can’t lose your best player two years in a row, with injuries to other players, and expect to contend for a title or even an NCAA berth, especially in a conference as talented as the B1G.
The lack of senior leadership has been apparent. When the Wolverines get down, they panic–which has cost them games. Is that coaching? Partially. But, I also think that it’s a lack of experience and talent on the floor at those times . I don’t think that experienced players such as Levert and Albrecht would have panicked (see Indiana game). Also, Levert’s outside shooting could have opened up the floor and spaced the offense accordingly, allowing Michigan a different offensive look in many of those games.
I disagree with those fans who believe Beilein should be on the hot seat. For starters, the fact that people are upset that the team is on the bubble–given all of the injuries–shows just how far he has brought the program from the lost decade Michigan basketball suffered between 1998 and 2008. Secondly, the reality is that Michigan’s achievements in the period of 2011-2014 were not built on NBA superstar players. Trey Burke, Nik Stauskas, Mitch McGary, Tim Hardaway, Jr. and Glenn Robinson III were all either great or very good college players (with Burke and Stauskas standing out as National Player of the Year and B1G Player of the Year, respectively). But, none of those players are lighting it up in the NBA. Beilein was able to find untapped talent, mold it, and coach those players to success in his system. So, I believe that he has been able to get a lot out of very talented players who worked hard and bought into his system–and both he and they gained from the relationship.
As disappointing as this year has been, the team has gotten a few quality wins–Texas, Maryland and Purdue. The losses have not been horrendous, except for the Indiana game with the 25-0 run suffered at the end of the first half.
I agree that Coach Beilein runs a class program, one that has won (and can win, again), and that Wolverine fans need to gain some perspective as to how far the program has come under his leadership.
Go Blue!
JUB,
A positive vibe from you and a big win for the Wolves, well deserved (and hard fought) after losing Spike and Caris! We are obviously not an elite team, but I would challenge even Izzo ( who is a great coach) to do much better with his experienced leaders out for weeks! Michigan probably won’t go too far, but for the glory of our State and for the pride and respect for our Conference let’s hope the Spartans do!! JDB
John you make excellent points as usual but as a Michigan grad and huge fan if State has went 18 years in a row I want Michigan to go 24 years in a row. If State finished second in the B1G I want Michigan to finish first. If State makes the final 4 I want Michigan to win it all. Is this fair or reasonable probably not but fan is short for fanatical. Love the blue hate the green and scarlet and never ever want them in front of us!!! That is why we love Hutch. Have a friend who played for Hutch. In 4 years she never lost to Ohio State or Michigan State. That is the Michigan world I want!!!
Keep up the good work and enjoy your time with you son this weekend. They grow up FAST!
Professor Beilein is here to stay!!!
Defeating Hs brother in law yesterday should be enough proof as to what he can do with little to work with
Izzo, Calipari, Kryshek (and harbaugh) are all forces of nature and it is unfair to compare JB with them because its not in his character to be a force of nature
We will be fine!