"Controversial call sends Michigan to Elite 8."

Submitted by 1974 on

A Yahoo reporter has taken a side on the call. Enjoy:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger/michigan-tennessee-sweet…

There's at least one funny "Volunteer" comment.

The reporter (Kaduk) is a former Wisconsin Badger and big Chicago sports fan:

http://kevinkaduk.tumblr.com/

Presumably not a Michigan fan? :)

crum

March 29th, 2014 at 9:44 AM ^

Love most of the media focusing on that call and ignoring the 3 brutal calls that went against Michigan in the previous 5 minutes.

Sorry the media darlings got beat lol. Go Blue

bronxblue

March 29th, 2014 at 12:45 PM ^

Because most sports writers are hacks who don't pay attention to games except insofar as it helps them write their 500 words.  Honestly, you see a bunch of these old dudes and you realize that most of them could never have gotten the jobs they have now today.  

BeileinBuddy

March 29th, 2014 at 9:47 AM ^

Figures all the focus is on the charge and not on the blown review. Well, if the team can use it as motivation for Kentucky, then let the national pundits keep talking.

AR-15

March 29th, 2014 at 9:49 AM ^

I'd rather have Had Levert standing with the ball in his hands and the clock running down with 6 seconds left rather than having to run those inbounds plays that never work

remdog

March 29th, 2014 at 10:49 AM ^

people have argued that it's a no call rather than a charge. I see your point but it's not a block according to the rules. If you call it a block, you get Shaq ball where the bigger player just bulls his way in. That's not basketball. I also don't agree with a no call. Refs need to enforce the rules all the time not just when they feel like it. And they need to be more consistent on this call. I think if there's any doubt, the call should be a charge.

Yeoman

March 29th, 2014 at 11:01 AM ^

I think the no-call's defensible here, if you think LeVert had already stripped the ball before the contact. A lot of referees would choose not to call an offensive foul against a player that's already turned the ball over because it punishes the wrong team, taking away the advantage of the live-ball turnover.

MGlobules

March 29th, 2014 at 11:04 AM ^

that Stokes is known for it. Stokes bulled right into two guys. My hunch is that Martin told him he should have passed the freaking ball. 

At any rate, there are so many alternative scenarios flowing from those couple of calls down the stretch that to say TN lost because of a bad call is just garbage. 

I Wrote a 4 Wo…

March 29th, 2014 at 9:50 AM ^

Dude lowered his shoulder directly into Morgan's chest, and Morgan didn't have any part of that. Had he stuck his chest out, they may have called a block.



Plus the botched review essentially made it a one-possession game instead of two with 20 seconds left. Then the charge play likely never would've happened.



Tennessee got straight out-played for 38 minutes. And I guess they're not talking about Appling's shove or any of the questionable calls in the Kentucky game? Give me a break.

dahblue

March 29th, 2014 at 1:35 PM ^

Want to get even more frustrated?  The CBS/TNT crew did indeed make mention of Appling's uncalled push-off and said that it should have been...wait for it...a foul on UVA for grabbing Appling.  They said he is allowed to push off and that the UVA player flopped.  

This tourney, it seems almost best to watch the games on mute, not read any press and not watch any sports television.

maize-blue

March 29th, 2014 at 9:52 AM ^

I'm not one to hate on refs, but the officiating last night was terrible and crap. Anyone who drove into the lane got fouled. They had several and 1 attempts towards the end, Morgan "chest pump" fouls, missed calls and reviews. We benefited and they benefited as well but that game was shitty.

UMClassOf2018

March 29th, 2014 at 9:54 AM ^

That was definitely a controversial call, but how about the flat out wrong call on the out of bounds play a few minutes prior? That was cut and dry, the charge was a bang bang play. Also not mentioning that if nothing was called, LeVert had a steal and the clock runs off at least 3 seconds before he's fouled, which would have been an even better outcome. Again, no respect for Michigan, and I'm sure Beilein and co. wouldn't want it any other way

alum96

March 29th, 2014 at 9:54 AM ^

So lame.  Say there was no call either way instead of a charge.  Caris is still sitting there with a ball on his hip and a Tenn foul to stop the clock would be the next step.

 

Mr. Yost

March 29th, 2014 at 9:55 AM ^

No mention of the tipped ball that was CLEARLY ours.

No mention that LeVert had the steal, the ball was in bounds and he would've had a chance to just stand there until they fouled him. It would've been the best inbounds play we had all night AND they would've lost time on the clock.

This is GARBAGE and people who think that call cost them the game are idiots.

They also don't understand that Morgan was the primary defender, he can slide and be moving at the point of contact. This call goes against Aaron Craft all the time because he just lowers his shoulder and bullies his way to the rim. Either that, or its a no call and he sits on the floor with his hands in the air...OR he travels. But it's not the defender's fault Stokes (or Craft) goes barreling into them.

Generally Morgan is the "help man" and he's sliding off him man to help out and take a charge...in THAT case he's the secondary defender and it can be a block. That was NOT the case this time. Morgan was the primary and LEVERT was the secondary.

The media sucks far too often.

bacon

March 29th, 2014 at 12:16 PM ^

To be fair, in the video on the page they mention the tipped ball and say the charge essentially was a makeup for that missed call. People might not like the call, but the ref had a great view of it and he called it. He obviously thought it was a charge and it looks like one on replay. The idea that you wouldn't call a charge just because there are only 6 seconds left in the game is laughable. I guess their idea is that because the other team has the ball with 6 seconds left, the refs should just ignore the rules.

LSAClassOf2000

March 29th, 2014 at 9:57 AM ^

The 6-foot-8 senior was feeling pretty good about his role and yelled "mismatch" as the Wolverines walked off the floor with their narrow two-point victory. - regarding Morgan's exit from the court

If indeed true, that's actually pretty funny to me, especially after everything that had been said all week about Tennessee's size on the interior. Glad to see yet another reason that the national press gave that we could not advance fall by the wayside. 

Magnus

March 29th, 2014 at 10:02 AM ^

I said this last night on Twitter, but if I do what Stokes did when I play pickup basketball, I call an offensive foul on myself and walk to the other end of the court.

You can't just lower your shoulder into a guy when he's standing in one place and expect to get a call in your favor. 

Jeff09

March 29th, 2014 at 10:03 AM ^

Whatever. Let the pundits keep picking us to lose, it seems to piss the kids off and make them play with a chip on their shoulders. I'm totally fine being the dog in the media's eyes the rest of the way.

UMgradMSUdad

March 29th, 2014 at 10:06 AM ^

Morgan played yet another great game. How many opposing centers does he have to outplay before he starts getting the recognition he deserves from the national pundits?  Otoh, he seems to relish the underdog role and plays well with a chip on his shoulder.

ChuckieWoodson

March 29th, 2014 at 10:07 AM ^

who cares?  We won.  In a year, nobody besides for a few drunk volunteers will be pissed about the call.  Also - Levert had the steal anyway, so I don't really get why it's so controversial - the ball had backspin on it and stayed in bounds - if it wasn't a foul, Levert had the ball on the baseline anyway.  Same result, charge call or not.

CompleteLunacy

March 29th, 2014 at 11:51 AM ^

I mean, Michigan has a history and the stereotype is they're arrogant...but there are plenty other schools who would fit that description as well. But it's Michigan that gets the reputation that when they win, there's something controversial about it (PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE OTHER CONTROVERSIAL CALLS THAT ALLOWED TENNESSEE TO EVEN GET IN A POSITION TO WIN THE GAME, OF COURSE).

It was "controversial" in that it effectively decided the game. But you know what? Anyone arguing that it was a blocking foul is dead wrong. And that's the ONLY scenario out of the three which favor Tennessee.

I was pissed because I thought they called Levert on a reach in foul, when it was clearly a clean knockout. That's because Michigan was getting royally screwed in the foul department down the stretch, that I just assumed it was a fould on michigan. I yelled for a solid minute. Until I realized Michigan was inbounding the ball. Then I was happy.

The Harbaughnger

March 29th, 2014 at 1:50 PM ^

They don't hate us in my opinion- they just hate having to think and properly analyze. Wouldn't journalism be easier if a spade looked like a spade 100 times out of 100?

I think it's just that 'conventional' wisdom about what should win is all they see. When a team doesn't look the part (2 ballers, 1 shooter, and two bigs) they struggle to wrap their minds around it. Or I guess you could say they know they have an audience to sell to and they anticipate the audience can't wrap their minds around it (which could be true).

Either way, the result is the same: 'Properly' built team loses + Foul called in closing seconds = Rightful team got jobbed

It's as if they are simply saying, "does not compute".

We have the correct math though- and why wouldn't we? We've been watching this michigan team knock off opponent after opponent. There's no missing it if you know anything about this Michigan team.

You could cut Tenn and paste MSU from the regular season and get the same media reactions, at least pre-game...'now that Payne's back, MSU will blow this thing wide open'...etc. Really, this has been happening all season since McGary left the lineup.

umumum

March 29th, 2014 at 10:09 AM ^

When that call was correctly a charge!  Jordan anticipated and simply beat him to the spot.  Any other point of the game, no one would have said anything.  At most, Jordan could be accused of selling the charge--which, if you want one, you better do.  Thanks Jordan.

MaximusBlue

March 29th, 2014 at 10:11 AM ^

Like that one play decided the game. What about the other 39 minutes? Weren't they down 17 at one point? They're lucky our own careless turnovers mixed in with botched ref calls let them be that close. Truth be told we should have really blew them out.

We get no respect. I still can't figure out how 3 professional's go to a monitor and still screw that call up. Ball clearly went off Maybane but I digress...we won so fuck it.

BiSB

March 29th, 2014 at 10:12 AM ^

From this reporter's viewpoint on the nearby sideline, Jordan Morgan's feet sure didn't look set in the final moments of Michigan's controversial 73-71 win over Tennessee in Friday night's Sweet 16 game at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Okay, that's great. But that's not the rule for the primary defender. Morgan was in legal guarding position, he stayed vertical, and he moved laterally not toward the ballhandler.