Michigan vs. Louisville NCAA Tournament Game 6 Open Thread

Submitted by M-Wolverine on

Once more unto the breach, dear friends....

Not only keeping with the front page style, but I feel that way. I'm pretty live and let live on threads. But I might have fought someone for this one tonight. I'm taking no chances.  I even had subs tonight. Because I bet it's going to get crazy. Liveblog is up on the front page, so if there are zero posts in this thread, that's fine. It exist. (Oh, and you can check out the Gameday open thread till this game really gets started).

It's funny how 2 and a half hours, plus commercials, can bring such misery or joy, over how a ball bounces.  Both teams here have accomplished a lot. But only one gets to go home happy.  For every person who loves this team and thinks "we're due" there's a Louisville fan thinking the same.  Programs, recently overshadowed by their in-state rival, trying to win their first national championship since the late 80's, with a coach trying to set a historic personal milestone and prove their ranking among the elite. And someone is going to end very unhappy.  So it's time to seize the day. Better them than us.

Because one of these opportunities may not come along for awhile.  It doesn't have to be 20 years of darkness to not get back to this point; it's really hard, and you can be good for a good long while and not have the perfect mesh of players who come together in the right year, the right amount of chemistry and luck in big Tournament games, and things belong your control like some opposing team who is just better than you that year.

Is Louisville that team?  We'll know before the night is done. But we should try and enjoy every player and play tonight, because we have no idea how many of these guys will be back.  And while I expect we'll always be good under John Beilein, there's no guarantee we get back this far, even fielding good team after good team.  If you had told a young me that after going 3 out of 5 years and back to back that we wouldn't be back till I was 20 years older, I don't know that I'd have believed it. We were Michigan. And we will be; a new generation will get to experience that from this day forward. I just hope they also don't have to experience the agony of losing one of these things. There's not much in sports worse. But only with great risk can come great reward.......

We are here. Louisville may be the better team, but we have the better players; and while Pitino does a great job when you consider recruiting and everything, I think we have the better X&O coach.  One day to prepare. Time for them to shine in the short turnaround. Play for 40 minutes, leave it all on the court, and have no regrets.  And bring home the ring and the banner, and fire up the pep rally and parade. I want to watch One Shining Moment and be happy. 5 down, only 1 to go.  Let's do this. Go Blue!

M-Wolverine

April 8th, 2013 at 7:53 PM ^

It seems to be lagging all day. Hope it can handle the traffic.

But then, it's never had to experience a day like this in its existence.

M_Jason_M

April 8th, 2013 at 7:56 PM ^

I would've done the same "DELETE! DELETE! You aren't M-Wolverine!!!" Would've been about right. Anyway, I made sure to have subway for lunch today.

go34blue

April 8th, 2013 at 8:01 PM ^

Either way it has been fun and it's nice to enjoy college basketball again.  A win would simply put a big maize bow on things.  Go Blue!

Hoke-a-maniac

April 8th, 2013 at 8:07 PM ^

I woke up with that nervous anxious feeling but it had subsided a bit during the afternoon. Now seeing Dickie V talking with the guys shooting around in the background I've got it back. So ready to get this damn thing started!

Bando Calrissian

April 8th, 2013 at 8:19 PM ^

I was just thinking about this walking home with my sub... Is this the biggest night for Michigan Athletics since January 1, 1998? Because it sure as hell feels like it.

victors2000

April 8th, 2013 at 8:22 PM ^

I'm training for an Ironman, had three solid days of training, had to work a double Thursday- I am gassed! There's no way I'm going to miss this game, I couldn't sleep with it on anyways. I'm watching the CBS Sports channel as I check out my favorite blog; wow, tonight feels special. I know Louisville feels like a child of destiny but we have made so much progress in this tournament it's hard to feel we are the underdog. Can't wait for it to start...

victors2000

April 8th, 2013 at 8:59 PM ^

I'm one of the older 'Blues' so I've seen Michigan Seton Hall, Michigan Duke and Michigan North Carolina and they were all special to me. Michigan Seton Hall was pretty special because we lost our coach in the tournament, got past North Carolina after being booted out of the tournament the previous two years by them, blew out Virginia 102 -65 then getting past a great Illini team that owned us in the regular season. Of course the championship game was great. This year has been pretty special as well; it makes me real happy to add Michigan Louisville to this list.

UMgradMSUdad

April 8th, 2013 at 8:53 PM ^

I just hope the officials call the hand checking that Louisville guards typically use.  I also believe a couple of Wolverines are going to light it up from 3 point land--not sure which ones, but several players are due.

ThadMattasagoblin

April 8th, 2013 at 8:53 PM ^

Does the team really get distracted if 5 guys who played 20 years ago show up.  Are they also distracted that Charles Woodson, one of the best players in the NFL is there, and Glen Rice.  Isn't he a distraction too?  The bottom line is if a couple of guys showing up to the game, has impact on them then they have really thin skin.

MGoblu8

April 8th, 2013 at 9:04 PM ^

Once again, I get why everyone is high on Louisville. However, to me it's another "great defensive team" that will confuse, pressure, and ultimately force Michigan out of their game. I don't know. I guess I just feel like we match up well and in the end, we'll just do what we've been doing.

jmblue

April 8th, 2013 at 9:09 PM ^

One prediction: look for some weird substitutions in the first half.  Coaches try to get through the first half of championship games with as little foul trouble/fatigue as possible for the starters and that could mean a cameo for a guy like Vogrich.  

 

KBLOW

April 8th, 2013 at 9:08 PM ^

I felt we defintely showed our youth at the end of the Syracuse game.. although make some FT and it wouldn't have mattered.  Here's hoping we got that out of our system.