Remembering 2017's BTT Championship wild weekend - what a ride!
As we start the 2021 B1G Tourney, I thought it would be fun to celebrate the remarkable 2017 BTT.
This video is nuts. Listening to the crowd after this year is a little stunning. UM, an #8 seed, after the plane crash and in practice uniforms, as Beilein becomes UM's all-time winningest coach, runs the table and wins the B1G Tournament. What a weekend to be a UM Basketball fan.
For me, this is my favorite sport memory b/c I shared it with my son. My family had been living overseas almost the entire life of my then 16 y/o son - a serious basketball player and huge UM fan. I had never been able to take him to a game. We moved back to the U.S. and lived outside D.C., so he skipped a couple days of school and we went to the tourney all weekend. What a ride!
That OT thriller vs the boilermakers..... damn, what a game!
Yes! After that first game in practice unis, and then that thriller vs. #1 Purdue, it felt inevitable.
DJ had 26 that day on 11-18 shooting. That was the day he became a 1st round pick.
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400945800
March 12th, 2021 at 10:03 AM ^
Absolutely. I forgot how well he played that day. Showed the range, the inside game, and what real set him apart was his ball handling. The basket he made faking out Swanigan and laying it up at the rim was the play where I was like "he's gone if he keeps making moves like that"
I was a Junior at UofM. I recall walking back to my dorm room in the early afternoon trying not to fall over from the wind.
I couldn't believe the news and the pictures later that day. Talk around campus was about how this would screw Michigan and there was no chance they could win a game in the conference tourney now.
That was such a great run and I'm so thankful for it. My senior year in 2018 was also pretty magical. Quite the way to go out.
Man I still lived in Austin then. I've since moved to Chicago then back to Philly, got divorced, started my dream job, lived through a pandemic, etc. Amazing what can happen in four short years.
That was such a fun year.
It is crazy though. I remember logging on to this very site, and seeing non-stop "Fire Beilein" threads. It was negative comment after negative comment. It was insufferable. No matter what the subject was....it somehow lead to someone commenting about how Beilein needed to be fired. The "I MUST BE HEARD" crowd was large. After that year....those people went away, and Beilein suddenly became infallible. We were panicked, when he left for Cleveland.
We went from a perennial NIT team, hired Beilein and quickly go to a losing record, to sharing BIG Championships, to playing for the national championship, to not winning championships and the fan base turning on Beilein, to playing for another national championship, to Beilein is a legend. It's funny how quickly things changed. ?
March 12th, 2021 at 10:45 AM ^
Ace was the voice of reason - advocating for Beilein while the emotional and short-sighted blew unintelligent hot air into his face. Hats off Ace - right again!
March 12th, 2021 at 11:16 AM ^
I mean, halfway through that season we were 14-9 and out of the tournament for the 2nd time in 3 years, and the 3rd year we snuck in as a last 4 team. It was a very frustrating stretch after the highs of the 2011-2014 teams. That team made an incredible in-season turnaround, and Beilein himself made an incredible late career turnaround with hiring Yaklich and turning his teams into defensive juggernauts. He certainly shut up people like me and I'm glad he did. He's a good man who deserves to have success.
"We'll beat you mf'ers in street clothes."
Maverick Morgan was and is, a bum.
emotions
March 12th, 2021 at 10:02 AM ^
I miss a lot of those guys, but dang, D-Walt was so smooth.
March 12th, 2021 at 10:08 AM ^
I remember the wind that day. It was pretty strong all over southeast Michigan. I even made the comment while leaving for work that it was “annoyingly windy.”
But I never thought it would be strong enough to sideline an airplane.
The rest is awesome history. Still love DJ’s dunk against Wisconsin.
March 12th, 2021 at 10:10 AM ^
it wasn't the wind, it was an aileron issue IIRC. one was stuck in the 'down' position and that plane wasn't leaving the ground that day. thank God it didn't become a fireball and we were living the 'remember Marshall' incident from 45 yrs earlier.
March 12th, 2021 at 10:16 AM ^
Yeesh. Terrifying thought.
March 12th, 2021 at 10:09 AM ^
i remember thinking after that jet crash-to-B10-champion weekend that as far as i was concerned beilein could go 0-30 the next 5 years and i'd still want him to be our coach. loved that team and of course JB. can't believe how blessed we are to have JH as his replacement - possibly an actual upgrade. amazing.
March 12th, 2021 at 10:19 AM ^
We had just flew in to St. Thomas the day before the plane crash. Crazy high winds left many without power that week in metro Detroit. What a great tournament ☺️.
Go Blue ???
March 12th, 2021 at 10:25 AM ^
This is a good post, and you should feel good about this post.
March 12th, 2021 at 10:42 AM ^
Thanks for sharing - that really was one of the greatest sports memories of my lifetime. ✈️??
"How about those 5 days, those 4 games, and those Michigan Wolverines?!" - John Beilein
March 12th, 2021 at 10:49 AM ^
From terrifying to thrilling. How about the resilience of the players?! I know I would have been hard pressed to get on another plane in a month, let alone a day.
And then a boxout from knocking off a very good Ducks team. What a run.
March 12th, 2021 at 10:54 AM ^
What a team...
March 12th, 2021 at 11:46 AM ^
My son saw his gym teacher/football coach at the game. They both had skipped school and agreed to keep it on the downlow.
March 12th, 2021 at 12:42 PM ^
My daughter lives in DC not far from the arena so I went to visit her. I went to all 13 games. She joined me for all the Michigan games and most of the others. Other than a blowout or two by StAEE, it was a blast. A few memories:
1. My flight on Wednesday was late and the take off was very shaky. Only later did I learn that I shouldn't have been complaining.
2. Getting on the jumbotron during the championship game doing the Blues Brothers dance and getting noticed by friends.
3. Wearing the same clothes for four days for fear that changing clothes would be unlucky.
4. Rushing to lower level for the trophy presentation.
5. Booing Jim Delaney.
6. Listen to Ira play "We are champions" to open the show on Monday as I was heading to the airport.
7. Being congratulated by a couple of Sparts on the plane home.
It's hard to believe it was four years ago.
March 13th, 2021 at 12:24 PM ^
Love your story with your son!