Tweet
Take for what it's worth:
NIT no longer wows Michigan's seniors
March 13, 2007
BY MARK SNYDER
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
When word arrived that Michigan would play Utah State in the NIT, coach Tommy Amaker scrambled to find game tape.
He spent Sunday night watching what he could gather and ordering more to examine during the short turnaround before tonight's first-round game at Crisler Arena. By Monday afternoon, Amaker declared: "We're excited about being a participant in the NIT."
His players were less enthused.
"It's not like we're going to go out there and lose on purpose -- whatever happens, happens," captain Lester Abram said. "You're happy you're still playing, but nobody wants to play in the NIT.
"It's something you have to do, though."
What they "have to do" is regain the intensity from the final three weeks of the regular season, when Michigan was making its final, ill-fated push for an NCAA tournament bid.
While that has worked during NIT runs in 2004 and 2006 -- with a championship and a runner-up finish -- there is some question how much this group of Wolverines wants to play in this tournament.
"My freshman year, it was a new thing and exciting for my first year playing college basketball -- everything was brand new," senior center Courtney Sims said. "Last time and this time, we were more disappointed in not making the tournament. Hopefully we can bounce back and have the spirit to play. ...
"That's one concern, I'll be honest. That's one concern because we have four seniors, and we've been through it before."
Amaker was more confident.
"Obviously, we're hoping they're excited to be involved in this, and I can't imagine they wouldn't be," he said. "It's always an honor to be in the postseason. It's disappointing on one hand, and hopefully that was dealt with a day ago, two days ago, whatever."
A planned gathering for the NCAA tournament selection show was canceled when coaches concluded Saturday that a bid wasn't realistic. So the team was scattered Sunday night when the news of the NIT bid came through.
Abram said he held out hope for the NCAA tournament while watching the lower seeds pop up on the CBS selection show, but Sims didn't bother, going to dinner with teammate Jevohn Shepherd during the broadcast.
"Coach told us before that we weren't going to sit down and watch it, so I figured we weren't going to make it," said Sims, who classified this season as disappointing. "We tried not to think about it."
While Amaker told the seniors about trying to emulate Bernard Robinson Jr., a senior who played well in the 2004 championship run, the players will have to push themselves.
Sims talked about a Utah State team that fell just short of an NCAA bid.
"They're going to want to prove something coming in here," he said, "and we're going to have to match their intensity."
NOTEBOOK: Amaker wouldn't commit to any lineup changes but said, "We're going to look at everything possible to continue our season, whether it's lineups or what." ...
Last season Amaker played all seniors in the starting lineup to open the NIT and substituted five underclassmen as a group. He followed a similar pattern earlier this season, spending most of it with five upperclassmen starters (the four seniors and junior Ron Coleman) before mixing in freshman Ekpe Udoh and sophomore Jerret Smith later in the season. ...
The Wolverines have missed the NCAA tournament for the ninth straight season. Michigan State has made 10 straight trips.
NIT no longer wows Michigan's seniors
March 13, 2007
BY MARK SNYDER
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
When word arrived that Michigan would play Utah State in the NIT, coach Tommy Amaker scrambled to find game tape.
He spent Sunday night watching what he could gather and ordering more to examine during the short turnaround before tonight's first-round game at Crisler Arena. By Monday afternoon, Amaker declared: "We're excited about being a participant in the NIT."
His players were less enthused.
"It's not like we're going to go out there and lose on purpose -- whatever happens, happens," captain Lester Abram said. "You're happy you're still playing, but nobody wants to play in the NIT.
"It's something you have to do, though."
What they "have to do" is regain the intensity from the final three weeks of the regular season, when Michigan was making its final, ill-fated push for an NCAA tournament bid.
While that has worked during NIT runs in 2004 and 2006 -- with a championship and a runner-up finish -- there is some question how much this group of Wolverines wants to play in this tournament.
"My freshman year, it was a new thing and exciting for my first year playing college basketball -- everything was brand new," senior center Courtney Sims said. "Last time and this time, we were more disappointed in not making the tournament. Hopefully we can bounce back and have the spirit to play. ...
"That's one concern, I'll be honest. That's one concern because we have four seniors, and we've been through it before."
Amaker was more confident.
"Obviously, we're hoping they're excited to be involved in this, and I can't imagine they wouldn't be," he said. "It's always an honor to be in the postseason. It's disappointing on one hand, and hopefully that was dealt with a day ago, two days ago, whatever."
A planned gathering for the NCAA tournament selection show was canceled when coaches concluded Saturday that a bid wasn't realistic. So the team was scattered Sunday night when the news of the NIT bid came through.
Abram said he held out hope for the NCAA tournament while watching the lower seeds pop up on the CBS selection show, but Sims didn't bother, going to dinner with teammate Jevohn Shepherd during the broadcast.
"Coach told us before that we weren't going to sit down and watch it, so I figured we weren't going to make it," said Sims, who classified this season as disappointing. "We tried not to think about it."
While Amaker told the seniors about trying to emulate Bernard Robinson Jr., a senior who played well in the 2004 championship run, the players will have to push themselves.
Sims talked about a Utah State team that fell just short of an NCAA bid.
"They're going to want to prove something coming in here," he said, "and we're going to have to match their intensity."
NOTEBOOK: Amaker wouldn't commit to any lineup changes but said, "We're going to look at everything possible to continue our season, whether it's lineups or what." ...
Last season Amaker played all seniors in the starting lineup to open the NIT and substituted five underclassmen as a group. He followed a similar pattern earlier this season, spending most of it with five upperclassmen starters (the four seniors and junior Ron Coleman) before mixing in freshman Ekpe Udoh and sophomore Jerret Smith later in the season. ...
The Wolverines have missed the NCAA tournament for the ninth straight season. Michigan State has made 10 straight trips.
Comment