The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/956415
APRIL 2018 THE WOLVERINE 19 stayed for the trophy presentation. He didn't have to finish. The following few hours were a whirlwind of interviews and celebra- tion. The players and coaches mingled with their families and took pictures with fans. First-year assistants Luke Yaklich and DeAndre Haynes, co- workers at Illinois State a year ago, shared a hug while the confetti rained. "It was meant to be," Haynes told Yaklich. "It was meant to be." And it certainly felt like it, espe- cially to Beilein. "Four days in New York City, Madi- son Square Garden," he said. "… My only regret is that as soon as you win it all it's do this, do this. "I wish I would have stopped and looked around and just looked at all the Michigan fans, how we filled up the place, how people were just so happy for this team and this univer- sity." EARLY ANGST They, along with the Michigan team, almost didn't have a team in the tournament past Thursday. After waiting until the last day of the regu- lar season to learn if they'd be the No. 5 seed and play Thursday or the No. 4 seed and get the double bye to Friday, the Wolverines slid into fifth when Nebraska beat Penn State at home. They drew the winner of Iowa- Illinois, which turned out to be the Hawkeyes. That old adage that it's hard to beat a team three times in a year proved true, with U-M pulling out a 77-71 overtime win in a foul-ridden game. Both of Michigan's leading scorers, junior forward Moritz Wagner and senior shooting guard Muhammad- Ali Abdur-Rahkman, fouled out, and they played only 38 minutes between them. "We didn't make foul shots, we didn't execute, we had a [late] five- second violation … I have no idea how we won the game," Beilein said. "I have a lot of respect for Iowa. They have great young talent. "We were very fortunate to get the win." The Wolverines made only 18 of 32 free throws and 3 of 19 triples. Fifth- year senior Duncan Robinson hit huge shots down the stretch to will the win, finishing with 11 points and all three of Michigan's three-pointers. "It says a lot about us. We don't just need three-pointers to win," Beilein said. "Duncan Robinson came up huge for us. "I'm not especially proud of the way we executed. Sometimes it goes your way, and we got the win." When it was over, Beilein said he planned never to watch that one again. Instead, he moved on to Ne- braska film and a chance to atone for a 20-point beating in Lincoln earlier in the year. This time, though, Michigan wasn't playing its fourth game in nine days. The Wolverines fell behind by five early, but grabbed control midway through the first half and never let up in a 77-58 victory. "We definitely remembered that game," Michigan sophomore point guard Zavier Simpson said of the previous meeting — and they wanted to atone for the 72-52 loss in Lincoln that had Cornhuskers' play- ers chest thumping and chattering all over the floor. The only gestures and talking this The Wolverines won four games in four days for the second straight year to become just the third school to win back-to-back Big Ten Tournament titles, joining Michigan State (1999 and 2000) and Ohio State (2010 and 2011). PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS