It's Monday. The men's basketball national championship game is tonight and Louisville is all that stands in the way of Michigan Men reaching a level of smugness not see since the years following the school's split football title in 1997. So, go Cards.
The Big Ten has not won an NCAA championship in the big three sports – football, men's and women's basketball – since 2003 and I, like most Ohio State fans, would be in favor of keeping the B1G drought alive if it means Michigan does not get to cut down the nets.
Things would be different if Michigan State, Purdue, or really, any other Big Ten team not coached by Bo Ryan or Tom Crean was in the final. I'd have no problem pulling for a fellow Rust Belt institution of higher learning against Rick Pitino's Cardinals. But the last thing I want to hear from Wolverine fans for the next decade is the story of how a guard Ohio State didn't feel the need to offer led Michigan to a title.
That's not to say I don't appreciate elements of the Michigan basketball program. John Beilein is, by all accounts, one of the classier coaches in the Big Ten. The anti-Crean, if you will.
And then there's Trey Burke. He's a Columbus kid, so try as I may, I sometimes find it hard to cheer against him when he's not playing the Buckeyes. I know, it's a weakness, but at least I'm coming clean about it.
So, ideally, Trey Burke goes off for 40 points tonight, but Louisville beats the Wolverines on a buzzer-beater. A blowout would be nice, too, but a million Wolverine voices crying out in terror and then suddenly silenced would be perfect.
While we're at it, we should also hope Mitch "White Thunder" McGary has a great night leading him to join teammates Trey Burke, Glen Robinson III and Tim Hardaway Jr. in declaring for the NBA.
THE PITINO-MICHIGAN BACKSTORY. Rick Pitino, vying to become the first coach to win men's basketball titles at two different schools, was a squash game away from taking the job at Michigan in 2001:
“The day that I committed to Louisville, I signed an agreement to be the next head coach of Michigan and I was fired up to be the coach at Michigan," Pitino said. "The athletic director at the time, who’s no longer there (Bill Martin), was playing squash and my wife came up, she just didn’t want me to go to the west coast, UNLV, and be away from the children. She agreed, okay let’s go to Michigan."
Bill Martin is the same man that missed Les Miles's phone calls five years ago because he was yachting. He would settle on Rich Rodriguez to replace Lloyd Carr.
Missing out on Rick Pitino and Les Miles because you were playing squash and on a boat? That's the most Michigan thing ever.
BIG WEEKEND ON THE RECRUITING FRONT. Ohio State's Student Appreciation Day gives students a chance to get up close and personal with the football team and staff, but it's also a fantastic recruiting tool.
More than 20 prospects were in town at some point over the weekend, many to take in Saturday's action in front of thousands of students, including four-star receiver Demarre Kitt, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary linebacker Dante Booker, five-star corner Jabrill Peppers, and Glenville's Marshon Lattimore.
On Friday, Urban Meyer locked down the sixth member of Ohio State's 2014 class when Moeller LB Sam Hubbard committed, and those that were able to resist the urge to commit on the spot, still came away very impressed with what they saw in Columbus.
Here's Kitt shortly after returning home from his visit:
I wanna make my college decision now
— Demarre Kitt (@D_ocho) April 7, 2013
And here he is a couple of hours later, daydreaming of a loaded Ohio State class:
Imagine @jabrillpeppers @kwon_datruth @kingcinco_ and me at #OhioState
— Demarre Kitt (@D_ocho) April 7, 2013
Yes, we're imagining that would be great.
[Speaking of recruiting, Eleven Warriors is still seeking an analyst to fill an open position on the team. If you are that person or know someone, please drop us a line.]
Four-star wide receiver Demarre Kitt enjoyed his visit.REPLACING JIM FOSTER. Three weeks after parting ways with Jim Foster, Ohio State is still searching for a women's basketball coach. After striking out with UConn's Geno Auriemma and South Carolina's Dawn Staley, Swish Appeal reported Texas coach Gail Goestenkors was in talks to become the next coach of the Lady Buckeyes. And then Goestenkors was off:
As reported earlier, Ohio State's negotiations with Gail Goestenkors broke down once it became clear that another "high-profile" coach was in fact their favorite.
That coach was Louisville coach Jeff Walz.
Ohio State will continue to pursue Walz and if that doesn't work out, a coach in the WNBA with college experience is also a possibility.
Walz has his team in the finals – the first time a 5-seed has ever advanced to the women's championship game – so, if the next coach is indeed Walz, don't expect to hear anything for a few days following Tuesday's night's game with UConn.
BASKETBALL WITHOUT THE BASKETBALL. For as much hype as the NCAA Tournament receives, the actual basketball part of game telecasts is actually depressingly low:
In fact, basketball accounts for just 29.4% of a basketball broadcast. The rest is devoted to stoppages like media timeouts, which are extended in the NCAA tournament and take up 20.5%, and halftime, which is more than 22 minutes on average. The stoppages starting with the last media timeout, at the first whistle after the four-minute mark of the second half, averaged over 17 minutes. The total time of rest after whistles is more than 12 minutes. And the wait during free throws accounts for 13.2% of NCAA tournament broadcasts, or almost 18 minutes. In fact, the median break for free throws in these three games lasted 50 seconds—enough time to think of everything else you could be doing with your time.
Football, with stoppages between every play and TV timeouts of its own, is no better. Really looking forward to all of the timeout-kickoff-timeout action when playoffs begin in 2014.
HE'S FINE (WE THINK). People are still talking about David Perkins annihilating Brutus Buckeye.
@brutus_buckeye you okay? lol
— Braxton Miller™ (@BraxtonMiller5) April 7, 2013
Brutus left practice early and initial word was he is fine – indeed, @Brutus_Buckeye quickly took to Twitter to brag about taking the hit "like a champ" – but expect to see BB in a black jersey for the 3rd Student Appreciation Day next spring.
ETC. Dustin Fox compliments Michigan's John Beilein on Twitter Saturday night. Buckeye fan midway through case of Natural Ice responds... Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall is hard to dislike... This man is 13... Just Iowa being Iowa... Golden Gate bridge traffic shortly after opening in 1937... Acting!
