The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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ting onto the blessed bracket would have brought tears of joy. Now, the Wolverines take an NCAA berth in stride, and focus on going some- where with it. • Taking down Michigan State in six of the last nine meetings between the schools. The Wolverines would have loved a sweep of the Spartans this year, but that wasn't meant to be. U-M's run to the title game of the Big Ten Tourna- ment hit head on with a desperate MSU crew playing no-holds barred (and getting away with it). The 69-55 loss stung momentarily, but the Big Ten champions and Big Ten Coach of the Year took all of 30 minutes — the time between the final buzzer and the NCAA Tournament selection show — to get refocused. "We snapped out of it like that," Beilein said. "We were really down after the game. Then all of a sudden, the media is done, and it's like: 'Hey, let's go watch the selection show.' "I've been in that room where you've lost the championship, and it meant you weren't going anywhere, or maybe the NIT. This is huge to walk from that room, and go see us in the NCAA Tournament. It's ter- rific." What's terrific for long-suffering Michigan fans involves seeing a cul- ture change rewarded in what all too often shapes up as a sport dipped in sewage, from illicit recruiting to shady influencers to win-at-all-cost coaches. Beilein and his coaches won't compromise their standards, and have found a way to win any- way. That's a bigger deal than the casual college basketball fan will ever real- ize. Those who know, see a differ- ence. ESPN analyst Dan Dakich's son, freshman walk-on Andrew, has pro- vided some highlight moments of his own in bench celebrations of his teammates' on-court achievements. That association gives the elder Da- kich, a former Indiana player and coach, extra insight. "Aw, man, it's been unbelievable," the elder Dakich said. "We knew that it was going to be a hell of an experience. We knew when we came here. I've known Coach [Jeff] Meyer and these other guys for a while, so we knew it was going to be a great experience. "But we didn't know it was going to be this great. You kind of forget, sometimes, all the things that come to student-athletes now. He's having the time of his life. "The thing about it is, this is a team of such good guys, and they're so close. That's what he's always been around … it's a perfect fit for him." Where Michigan fits in as a No. 2 seed in the Midwest remains to be seen, amid a top-heavy bracket featuring No. 1 Wichita State, No. 3 Duke and No. 4 Louisville. One thing is certain — the Wolverines are back in the middle of the madness, and that won't soon change. ❏ Editor John Borton has been with The Wolverine since 1991. Contact him at jborton@thewolverine.com and follow him on Twitter @JB _ Wolverine.