The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1083898
MARCH 2019 THE WOLVERINE 81 kind of energy in the building … I'm sure it has something to do with the opponent. At the same time, I think it has a lot to do with what these kids have accomplished this year." That included a 17‑0 start, the best in program history, and a 23‑3 overall record and 12‑3 Big Ten mark as of Feb. 18, which was good enough for a first place tie in the Big Ten with Michigan State and Purdue. Most analysts projected the Wol‑ verines as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, though five conference games still remained in addition to the Big Ten Tournament. Of the three front‑runners, U‑M had the toughest projected path. A 75‑69 loss at last place Penn State Feb. 12 hurt the cause but wasn't necessarily devastat‑ ing. A win, though, could have helped with games at Minnesota, Maryland and Michigan State remaining in addition to contests with the Spartans and Nebraska at home. "If we're going to com‑ pete for the Big Ten champi‑ onship, we've got to win ev‑ ery game we can win, and Penn State is not easy for anybody," Beilein said days before the loss in Happy Valley, Pa. He proved prophetic. Purdue, in fact, needed a blown call at the end of its own game at Penn State to escape with a win a week earlier. Michigan State, a prohibitive favorite after the Wolverines lost at Iowa Feb. 1, lost three consecu‑ tive Big Ten games, one at Purdue and then upsets at Illinois and home to Indi‑ ana, to open the door. It got worse for the Spar‑ tans during a home win over Ohio State Feb. 17, when junior center Nick Ward — one of the staples of MSU's outstanding of‑ fense — went down with a broken hand, an injury ex‑ pected to sideline him for at least two or three weeks. That was the latest inter‑ esting subplot on what was shaping to be a fantastic fin‑ ish to Big Ten play. A THREE-TEAM RACE What had been a four‑ or even five‑ team battle seemed to whittle to three when Michigan State won at Wiscon‑ sin Feb. 12 on the heels of the Bad‑ gers' loss at Michigan, handing them their fifth conference defeat. MSU, U‑M and Purdue were all sit‑ ting at three losses as of Feb. 18, with the Boilermakers having the most favorable remaining schedule. According to the analytics site Bart‑ Torvik.com, Purdue had less than a 55 percent chance to win in only one of its six remaining games — 54 per‑ cent to be victorious at Nebraska. They were 73 percent or more in four of their other games and 65 percent to win at Minnesota. One loss in their last six might well be good enough for an outright title for a Boilermaker unit that's im‑ proved more than any Big Ten squad over the course of the season. How‑ ever, four of their last six games were on the road. In addition to a rivalry game at Indiana Feb. 19, the Boilers had to travel to Nebraska, Minnesota and Northwestern, and then play a much‑improved Illinois team as well as Ohio State at home. The Spartans, meanwhile, still had to play Michigan twice, and if MSU doesn't have Ward, it's not unfath‑ omable that they'll lose both. Just as it's not out of the question they'll still win two or split. Such is the nature of rivalry games. Their other games are a road trip to abysmal Indi‑ ana — again, still a tough environment — and Rut‑ gers and Nebraska at home, both likely wins. With Ward, the Spartans might have been the favor‑ ite to win it outright. They could still easily win four out of five and capture a Big Ten title, but head coach Tom Izzo knew it wouldn't be easy after learning Ward would be lost for some time. Wa r d a v e r a g e d 1 5 . 1 points and 6.7 rebounds in 23.0 minutes over his 26 games this season. "We're going to have to adjust as a team. … There's no doubt our margin for er‑ ror has shrunk," Izzo said. "Nick won't be replaced by one guy — it'll be a group." Freshmen Thomas Kithier and Marcus Bingham Jr., as well as redshirt sophomore walk‑on Braden Burke, will be the guys called on to re‑ place Ward. "We're going to use the whole damn team," Izzo said. "And we're going to have some fun. "With three weeks left, at least we're in the position we wanted to be in, and that's the position to compete for a championship. I hope every‑ body here feels bad for Nick, but I don't want anybody to feel bad for us." Improved perimeter shooting from players such as sophomore guard Jordan Poole could be key to U-M capturing the Big Ten crown. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL