MI fans will flock down 75 to cheer for their team, hoping they have the kind of run VCU did in 2011, when the Rams went from the First Four to the Final Four. “But you can definitely see it going the other way with us being in OH”.
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With one win under their belt, the Wolverines will get ready to travel to Brooklyn, New York, for a clash with an Irish team that’s lost three of its last five games-including a 78-47 drubbing at the hands of North Carolina in the ACC tournament.
With the Wolverines trailing 60-59 and less than a minute left, Irvin delivered the game-winner. He was one of four Wolverines in double-figures, joining Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (16), Duncan Robinson (13) and Derrick Walton (12).
“I felt like we deserved to be here and everything, but how things were looking how people were talking – it was just kind of what my mind was at the time”, Harrison said.
Tulsa scored just 20 points in 30 first half possessions (.67 PPP), but rang up 42 points in 33 second half possessions (1.27 PPP). Even though conversion rates weren’t very high at the rim-which was surprising against a smaller Tulsa team-the Wolverines diversified their attack for the better. “There will also be some chatter about (TU coach Frank) Haith’s underwhelming NCAA tourney success (a 1-3 mark, including a loss to No. 15 seed Norfolk State when Haith piloted No. 2 seed Missouri in 2012)”. “We didn’t get the breaks, and that’s what usually happens in those types of games”.
Obviously that paid off when it mattered most Wednesday night, but MI isn’t likely to survive for long unless it starts connecting on something closer to the 38 percent rate it posted overall entering the tournament. Not sure MI has that in it, especially since its two seniors, Caris LeVert and Spike Albrecht, are out. Tulsa was the last at-large team selected for the NCAA Tournament.
In the Big Ten Tournament, Irvin hit a jumper with 3.3 seconds left for a 72-70 win over Northwestern in the second round. Smith put little weight on the foot as he went to the locker room for treatment, then returned later in the half and got back into the game.
A 6-minute scoring drought, just nine points and horrific three-point shooting.
Holy Cross (15-19) was an unlikely NCAA participant, earning its automatic bid by winning four consecutive road games to take the Patriot League Tournament title. The Tulsa Golden Hurricane were not in anyone’s bracket save for the committee’s.
Tournament Record: 51-24, 25 years.
“There will be lots of pregame talk about whether Tulsa and MI should be in the field at all”, Doherty writes.
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MI wouldn’t have been in a position to take the lead if not for the excellent play from Moritz Wagner off the bench.
