My turn to assume the in-game reins seeing that I took the day off to watch the quarterfinals of the BT Tournament. I know, pretty pathetic. The math before tip-off is pretty simple. Best FG D in the conference against the worst shooting team. Take care of the basketball, and Bucky should have a date tomorrow with Sparty/Brutus.
Side observation: ERIN ANDREWS! Oh yeah, I love Coach Lav and Musberger, too. Lav said Coach Ryan should win nat'l coach of the year and he is warming up tpo them as a final four candidate.
19:04: Marcus for a deuce and the first basket of the game.
17:41: Krabby with a steal and layup in transition. 4-0 Bucky.
17:10: Michigan turns the ball over again and looks sloppy of offense.
16:55: Layup by Hughes on strong drive to basket.
16:35: Air ball by Michigan. Stiemsma and J-Bo enter the game.
16:20: Great dish by Landry to the Iceman for a layup. 8-0 Badgers, timeout Michigan.
16:04: Steal by Flowers and another transition layup.
15:41: 3 for Manny Harris, 10-3 Bucky. Hit from the top of the key. The lid finally off the basket for the young Wolverines.
15:06: TV timeout. Stiemsma leads the BT in blocks and just altered, but did not block, a Michigan layup. Great box by Flowers underneath!
Butch and Krabby back in the lineup for Stiemsma and Landry.
13:33: Flowers an animal on defense. Draws an offensive fall chasing through a screen.
13:16: 3 secs in the lane for Butch? Wipes away a layup.
12:50: J-bo travels, negating an assist to Butch for a layup.
12:17: Sims scores off turnover on fast break.
12:02: J-bo for three! 13-5 Bucky.
11:06: Sims for 2 in transition. Badgers late getting back on D after missed 3 by Flowers. Badgers out of sync themselves after solid start.
10:02: Timeout. Landry coming back into the game. The tempo seemingly favors Michigan right now. Time to slow it down, work the ball around the permiter, and look for the post entyry passes to Butch and Landry that have been there all game so far.
9:51: Hook shot by Krabby close to the basket. 15-7 UW.
9:15: Butch beat by Gibson for a layup. Still the weak link defensively.
Michigan has 8 turnovers, but Butch can't convert underneath. 0-4 from the field. Needs to take his time and square his shoulders.
7:51: Bo Ryan gets a T. Contends he was instructing his player, Butch, to no avail. Time out. Harris makes 1 of 2. 15-10 Bucky.
7:28: Gibson for 3.
6:52: J-bo answers! 18-13.
Stiemsma alters another shot, but Flowers travels on the other end.
5:54: Flowers on backdoor layup. Great pass from Stiemsma.
The big guy is really contributing on both ends. Alters yet another shot!
4:17: Layup by Stiemsma. 22-13. Follows with board on other end.
3:30: Timeout. EA reports that Flowers took Manny Harris' 26-pt game in Madison personally. Thinks it cost him defensive player of the year (he was robbed!). Harris with only early 3-pointer. Echoes of Drew Neitzel?
Technical glitch costs me three minutes of solid posts. Halftime score is 26-18. Sloppy play by both teams. Bo protests his T again on the way off the floor, said he had no explanation from refs. Credits team for solid D on Manny Harris, who finished half with 4 points.
Michigan with only 2 fouls, 5 for Bucky, with only Butch in mild trouble with 2. Michigan shoots only 23% for half, Wisconsin 44%. J-bo leads Badgers with 7, 8 for Zach Gibson of Michigan.
Michigan starts half with 5-0 run, but Flowers answers with a 3. 29-23. J-bo checks in early for Krabby.
17:21: Landry splits the lane for a dribble-drive dunk! 31-23.
16:58: Stiemsma commits stupid foul while showing on screen. I like the effort, but he simply has to play smarter if he is going to play big minutes in the Dance.
Block by Stiemsma. Time out at 15:49. They credit him with only 2, but he has altered several more. With Flowers, Krabby and Hughes giving strong ball pressure and Landry a tough post-up defender, Stiemsma plays great help side making this one of the best defensive units in the country.
15:32: Landry on turnaround j from short corner. 7-0 run for Badgers. 33-23.
Butch with 3 fouls, thus the benching.
14:32: Landry with a dunk on behind-the-basket pass from J-bo! Stiemsma hit #12 on long outlet pass. Who set Wisconsin basketball isn't pretty? Beautiful team basketball. TO, Michigan! 35-23.
Anthony Wright hits a 3 out of the TO, but Flowers draws foul on strong dribble-drive from right. Hits both FT's. 37-26 Bucky.
Hughes picks up third foul. Krabby replaces him. 37-28.
Michigan goes zone. Landry turns it over in the paint.
Sloppy underneath, as Badgers miss three tip-ins and Stiemsma ends up on floor with foul. Jarmutz and Butch enter the game.
12:12: Foul on Michigan as Flowers drives from perimter. Badgers nearly turn it over on inbound. Bo, we have to have some better plays come March!
11:22: Butch can't finish underneath again, but is fouled. Will have chance for 1st pts of game after TO. This stretch of basketball is just plain ugly on both sides of the ball. Badgers continue to turn it over, negating chance to put this one away early and rest for tomorrow with Tanner on the floor. Polar Bear hits one of two. 38-28.
11:03: 6th Badger foul. Landry replaces Jarmutz.
Flowers with a steal, but Butch can't finish again. Krabby sense of spacing on offense is amazing!
9:44: Gibson draws foul underneath on Krabby. Team's 7th. Hits 1 of 2 shots. 38-29.
9:32: Krabby fouled on strong take to basket. Hits both FT's. 40-29.
9:22: Flowers draws offensive foul on Harris and an Oscar nomination. Harris 1-10 from field with 4 points and 3 fouls.
Timeout.
9:06: Krabby on the line again. Flowers sits. Two more FT's. 42-29. Largest lead of game.
8:38: Great defensive possession. Michigan with another offensive foul.
Butch misses open j and Michigan answers with 3. 42-32.
7:36: Krabby with a bunny underneath on Landry miss.
7:12: Jarmutz drive blocks his man on rebound, finds his way into scorebook. Timeout. UW 44, UM 32.
6:25: Krabby called for foul after Hughes hits a j. Michigan misses front end.
Flowers is all over the floor. Great hustle!
3:59: Wright for 2. TO Michigan. 46-34. Game has reached the beyond ugly stage. Please let it end!
J-bo long board on Landry miss. Milking the clock. Ran 1:10 off the clock on a single possession.
2:52: Krabby fouled. Hits both FT's. Leads team with 12 pts. 48-34.
Harris can't even get the ball as Flowers is chewing his gum. Word is he doesn't like the flavor.
Flowers hits a bunny. 50-34. Under 2 minutes to go. Warm up the bus, this one is in the bank and earning interest.
1:32: Leuer and Jarmutz in the game. Where's Tanner?
J-bo misses from Lebanon, IN.
56.1: Here's comes Tanner. Is this the last we see of him as a Badger?
38.2: Bronson fouled on the perimter. Tanner hits 1 pof 2. 51-34.
Michigan misses a couple of more shots as Tanner dribbles out the clock. Lowest scoring game in BT tournament history!
Manny Harris 1-11 from field. Flowers gets to spend a minute with EA. Badger Nation is incredibly jealous. She asks him about his prospects as a DB. Coach B certainly could have used him last year.
Michigan shoots 21% from the field, but the Badgers have nothing to brag about either at 36%. Time to get some rest and prepare from the winner of the next game. I'd rather see OSU, but expect Sparty to exact revenge for Sunday's dismal performance.
