When the NCAA Tournament bracket was revealed, MI was awarded a 7-seed for their outstanding run in Washington D.C. this week. He tallied a game-high 22 points (6-15 FG), seven assists, and six rebounds, while fellow senior Zak Irvin recorded 15 points (6-9 FG), seven rebounds, and five assists and D.J. Wilson registered 17 points (8-11 FG) and six rebounds. MI threatened to pull away twice in the opening session, but Wisconsin answered both times.
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The Wolverines (24-11) ripped through a nasty draw, taking out the No. 1, 2 and 4 seeds in the process and making them the scariest Big Ten threat heading into next week’s NCAA tournament having won 10 of their past 12 games.
“The last two games were against teams that are probably gonna be in the tournament, and they’ve been there before; they have the experience”, Scottie Lindsey said in a subdued but certainly not completely disheartened locker room. They will face the Virginia Tech Hokies in the first round.
They ate breakfast at a regular hour. Wisconsin turned the ball over four times before it made a basket after missing its first eight shots in the first 8:02, by which time the Wolverine lead had already ballooned to 10.
“I think we’ve gotten better as the season has gone on, specifically on defense, ” Gard said. “Those 40 minutes out there” well, 45 when you include OT, Coach “I wasn’t thinking about that at all”.
It was an engaging, back-and-forth affair. Derrick Walton has been the top scorer for MI, with more than 14 points per game. I made the point in the last couple of days with DJ and Mark (Donnal) that Zak (Irvin) and DJ are better post defenders at a smaller size because they use their feet better.
Minnesota is a No. 5 seed, judged as a top-20 team after not ranking hire than 24th in any AP Poll all season – and even that was in January, briefly. The Badgers dominated from start to finish, holding Northwestern to its lowest point total of the season en route to a 28-point victory.
As good as Irvin and Walton have been, though, credit also goes to Michigan’s defense for upping its game throughout this week.
“These seniors came in and we’re on a great team”, Beilein said. What could have happened?
“They made a lot of tough shots”.
The Badgers have clearly righted themselves after that horrid stretch at the end of the regular season in which lost to Ohio State, Michigan State and Iowa in succession. He would just facilitate things and we weren’t going to win if that was the situation.
Some players, including Michigan’s leader, Derrick Walton, who had his leg stitched up after suffering a wound in the crash, were unsure about getting on another plane.
After hammering Rutgers and upsetting Maryland, Collins said he isn’t anxious Saturday’s letdown will spoil the momentum his team built in the conference tournament. The Nittany Lions placed fourth with 31 points (10-9-1-0), while the defending tournament champion Wolverines claimed fifth place with 22 points (6-12-2-2).
“Being at the bottom of the ACC two years in a row at this point and now we’re going dancing”.
Wisconsin was playing in Sunday’s championship for the second time in three years.
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Purdue: Will find out Sunday where it’ll be sent for the NCAAs after failing boost its seeding resume.
