Michigan Thursday: House Money

Michigan Basketball an 11 seed in the NCAA tournament tonight takes on the #2 seed Villanova.   We know about the roller coaster this season has been for the team and our coach.   Juwan has gone from the reigning National Coach of The Year, to signing a top 2 recruiting class, to slapping a Wisconsin coach, to consoling a Tennessee guard that he has known since he was in grade school.  

Tonight, is all about upside and that's what makes the Wolverines a dangerous team.  They don't have anything to lose.   This isn't Duke with the pressure to win Coach K a National Championship for his last game, Gonzaga who has become Duke 2.0, or even Arizona that is trying to separate itself from the FBI and NCAA allegations.   

Remember UCLA last year?  They played MSU in Dayton and turned that team into a Final 4 team.   That's playing with no fear and nothing but upside.  Michigan has the talent, but everything has to stay connected, and the shots have to drop.   I have a similar feeling to the CFP Playoffs, we all knew Georgia was the better team, but we had a great year and had a chance to advance.   Michigan Basketball has made a nice run in this tournament and that is the memory I will take forward from this year.

I'm proud of this team and everything they have gone through.   I wrote after the Wisconsin debacle that, "sometimes a season should end".  Tonight, I hope it doesn't.  

• Jesse Minter, Michigan's new DC met with the media for the first time on Wednesday, here are some interesting topics:
• This is really Year 2 of the defense, not starting over
• He and Coach Mac speak often
• Mazi could be dominate 
• Morris and Upshaw have had a good spring
• Junior Colston could be elite 
• Very happy with Will Johnson's early development
• He is more of a college coach then pro
• Happy that Dad is on the staff
• Trust is built over time 
• Will have the defense ready to face tempo 
• Understands the OSU rivalry 

• I expect Jones to play tonight, he traveled and practice with the team in San Antonio