The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/798849
APRIL 2017 THE WOLVERINE 19 lieved his team was headed for the junk- yard — or the N.I.T., whichever came first. Soon after, everything changed. Admittedly angered and embar- rassed by the OSU debacle, the Wol- verines went to work. They decimated the Spartans in the rematch at Crisler, 86-57. Five days later, they clutched a treasure rare as a Bob Knight tender moment — a victory at Indiana's As- sembly Hall. They beat No. 11 Wisconsin at home, 64-58, and gained steam on a 10-2 run through the Big Ten championship game, losing only in overtime at Min- nesota and on a last-second, full-court heave and lay-in at Northwestern. Along the way, Walton turned into the best point guard in the Big Ten, an assertion challenged by All-Big Ten squad voters. They made Walton second-team all-conference, elevating Minnesota junior Nate Mason to the top spot. Walton brushed off questions about the snub, noting he couldn't do any- thing about it. But his teammates boiled a bit over the vote and used it as motivation in Michigan's 84-77 win over the Gophers in the Big Ten Tour- nament semifinals. Walton scorched the Gophers, scor- ing 29 points with nine assists, and closing them out with a 10-for-10 per- formance from the free throw line. Ma- son wound up with 23 points, but shot only 10 for 23, and 1 for 6 from three- point range. "That's not my character, man," Wal- ton said, when asked if the matchup was personal. "… All I care [about] right now is my team is still playing on Sunday." That it played on Sunday, and won, proved historic in itself. The Wolver- ines hadn't won the conference tourney since the very first year it was played, in Chicago's United Center back in 1998. Even then, U-M's run to the ti- tle — past Iowa, Minnesota and then Purdue in the championship game — eventually became vacated via NCAA issues. The Wolverines reached the title game one other time, losing to Mich- igan State in 2014, 69-55. Midway through the Big Ten season, this cer-