"Back On the Map" by Darius Morris
Great story by Darius Morris on The Players Tribune today. He writes about the 2011 NCAA Tournament and how it put Michigan basketball back on the map.
I'm not sure if I would say 2011 was the year they got back on the map, because they did win a game in the tourney 2 years prior. It did start a good consistent run though. It's a good read if you have some time.
March 18th, 2015 at 10:39 AM ^
Sorry Darius, you had us one shot away from the sweet 16 but you weren't the catalyst to getting Michigan back on the map. It was two years prior when we made it back to the tournament and knocked off Clemson (iirc) before losing to Blake Griffin and Oklahoma.
March 18th, 2015 at 11:02 AM ^
i contend that we didn't lose to blake griffin and oklahoma... we just lost to blake griffin
March 18th, 2015 at 11:06 AM ^
Yeah I agree. I feel like he went for like 85 that game haha. Was just dominant
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dunked from the free throw line, twice.
And 2011 was the back on the map year. 2009 was nice, but we swept State in 2011, the Fab Five documentary got people to remember Michigan, and the Duke game was a really good game. Morris was a big part of it. He was a good player.
Sportscenter did a Top 10 Blake Griffin Dunks of his career and #1 was when he jammed on Novak and put his nuts in his face.
Still trying to find this game on youtube, one of these days...
And didn't he hit his head off the backboard in that game? Or was that later in the tournament?
you couldn't breathe on griffin that game w/o getting called for a foul. when manny got called for a foul while just boxing out griffin for a rebound, i went balistic. if manny doesn't foul out on two horrible calls, we may have won that game.
March 18th, 2015 at 10:41 AM ^
This seems so long ago to me. Anyone else feel that way?
March 18th, 2015 at 10:47 AM ^
"Get the fuck off my court"
March 18th, 2015 at 11:56 AM ^
It feels long in one sense, but in another I remeber taking a plan down to SC to watch Uofm destroy that cheating Tennessee team.
That Morris behind the back pass to Stu for the dunk in that game is still one of my fav Michigan dunks of all time.
March 18th, 2015 at 10:45 AM ^
Stuvak... those were the days
March 18th, 2015 at 10:46 AM ^
He was the first big recruit we drew from out of state under beilein
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March 18th, 2015 at 11:13 AM ^
I always thought (and still think) that Morris should have dished to a wide open Stu Douglass to take the three pointer and try to win the game in regulation. I guess that Michigan had the momentum so OT was a viable option. However, Duke was the better (higher ranked) team and they essentially had a home game. I'd go for three and try to win it in regulation.
For what it's worth, I would have done the same thing against MSU in East Lansing this year. I think that Michigan put the game into OT by making a two pointer on their final possession (about :20 to go). On the road, without LaVert, I'd be trying to hit a three pointer to take the lead before Sparty's final possession.
Yeah, he had Novak trailing on the play too. Douglass was in the corner and would have been a tougher find. I remember during the play begging Darius to drop it off to Zack. Oh well, it was a clean look to tie.
....but you were right. Both Stu and Novak were trailing.
March 18th, 2015 at 11:21 AM ^
As someone mentioned above, it does seem like this was a while ago and even though a few people might quibble with the idea that this moment put Michigan basketball "back on the map", it is hard to deny that it was a significant moment for the program to - in a Tournament setting, no less - give Duke everything it could handle in a game where few really thought much of Michigan's chances as the opening tip went in the air. It is that sort of experience, those sorts of moments - even in losses - that seem to pay off later for teams.
March 18th, 2015 at 11:34 AM ^
alas
March 18th, 2015 at 12:43 PM ^
had stu missed, u and others would be saying "morris shoulda taken the easy 2!"
March 18th, 2015 at 12:53 PM ^
They were playing essentially a road game and you go for the win on the road. Plus we were still an undersized team compared to Duke. I would've preferred the kickout for the three. I thought that was what he was going to do. Either way, it was a great game and I enjoyed watching Duke get blasted by Arizona the next weekend.
PITCH IT TO BREASTON!!!
Still have a dent in my forehead from banging my head against the wall for that one.
Guh. No politics. No religion. No sexybits. No mentioning that bowl game.
It simply didn't happen.
Novak not Stu
March 18th, 2015 at 11:39 AM ^
but that's a tough,situational call to make in-game.
for mostly "get the fuck off my court."