wbb

MGoBlue.com has posted a new gallery of photos showing the exterior construction of the Basketball Player Development Center.

This is the first time I've grasped that the building appears to be designed to look like a basketball entering a hoop. Pretty cool.

The WBB team lost their first round WNIT game tonight against EMU. The officiating wasn't good by any means, but I'm not one to blame the refs. The ladies had another off game, much like their offense against Illinois in the B10 tourney. EMU, however, was on fire. Good for them, really.

http://www.annarbor.com/sports/um-basketball/senior-cassie-schrock-leads-eastern-michigan-to-67-59-wnit-victory-against-michigan-womens-basketbal/

In other news, watching a game at EMU was... interesting. I'm not bashing them because we lost, it was just interesting. And honestly it's WBB so it's not like I'm going to lose sleep over it.

Their announcer's microphone quality was terrible so when he would talk his voice was all broken up. Whenever they would make a three, their announcer would say "(Name here) for THREEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" but hold out the "e" sound much longer than a normal announcer. Also he said it while a constantly lowering pitch, reminiscent of a bomb dropping. And they don't have a video board that can show replays, just those old display screens that were able to show color but just showed words. In the beginning of the game they had a PowerPoint presentation with pictures of the starters to make up for the lack of a video screen. I mean I complain about Crisler, but now I'm sort of happy for it.

And their student section fans rushed the court after they won the first round WNIT game. Some might say it was a little bit much, but whatever makes them happy I suppose.

Just posted at UMHoops.com, but since many of you don't visit that site, check out this virtual tour of the Basketball Player Development Center.  Yes, the PDC will be quite the boon to the MBB and WBB programs. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOH7DZ_hymo

As a reminder:

The facility... will provide approximately 57,000 gross square feet, including two basketball practice courts, team locker rooms for players and coaches, athletic medicine and hydrotherapy.

The second floor will accommodate men's and women's coaching staff and administrative support functions, as well as film-viewing rooms and strength and conditioning space.

The proposed design calls for a new entrance to Crisler Arena for players and coaches at the playing floor level and a new, dramatic Hall of Fame in the entry lobby.