Auburn exits, Michigan remains last since UF for bball + football

Submitted by 950_Blue on April 6th, 2019 at 11:54 PM

I'm frequently reminded of the surprising rarity it is for a school to win recent football and basketball championsips. 1997 and 1989 seem like the distant past, but, 1989 +1997 remains the 2nd most recent entry in the vaunted bball + football champsionship series to date, after tonight's Auburn loss. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the next on the list would be for MSU in '65/'66 football (+2000 bball), and then further next Ohio St. (1960 bball/2014 football). Shocking to me that harldy any school can put a dual championship together, besides those freak UF years, in the last 50 years.

Jasper

April 7th, 2019 at 9:39 AM ^

Thirded.

It reminds me of something a co-worker used to say: "No one remembers the second-drunkest guy at the office holiday party." (A variation I've heard: "No one can tell you whose yard maintenance is second-worst in the neighborhood.")

So, OP, I'm impressed that you remember that Michigan is second on this particular list. I suspect that most people outside the UMich fanbase don't.

Steve in PA

April 7th, 2019 at 12:57 PM ^

There is no way the NCAA allows Auburn to go all the way regardless.  They cannot afford to have a championship vacated and since the FBI and wiretaps are involved they couldn't brush this brewing scandal under the rug.

I don't think officiating was biased last night in the 1st game (holy heck  did Sparty benefit in the 2nd) but I don't think Auburn would have gotten any close calls in the Championship game.

ThadMattasagoblin

April 7th, 2019 at 12:35 AM ^

Only a few schools are good at both football and bball. Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Florida etc. Duke aint ever winning a football national title. Same thing with alabama or clemson basketball winning a title. Not gonna happen.

Frank Chuck

April 7th, 2019 at 12:49 AM ^

I hope Larry Appleton's "friends" are miserable for the remainder off their pathetic lives. 

This was Izzo's best chance at winning another title. I hope this is as close as Sparty gets for decades. 

Izzo is 64. He doesn't have many more years left. And whoever replaces him will probably be a major downgrade. 

lulz, I'm living it up. 

FYS

Ty Butterfield

April 7th, 2019 at 1:53 AM ^

Honestly MSU could be better next year. Possibly preseason number one. Hopefully Winston strikes while the iron is hot and leaves. Can Michigan please get Franz Wagner? 

Frank Chuck

April 7th, 2019 at 2:18 AM ^

I will be surprised if Sparty is preseason number 1. 

Sparty loses 5th year senior Goins (who developed into a good player) and senior McQuaid (who developed into a good 2 way college player).

Nick Ward should've left last season. He has been thoroughly exposed. Sparty plays better when Xavier Tillman (and not Ward) is in the game. To that end, the Ward injury turned out to be a blessing.

In any case, we'll be preseason top 10 (and probably closer to top 5). We will probably return 4 of our 5 starters. Our 5th starter in 2020 will be Isaiah Livers who was a quality 6th man. 

We've got some up-and-comers in Castleton and Johns. I liked the flashes they showed. Castleton, in particular, did enough for me to be quite excited about his sophomore season. And Brandon Johns could develop into a quality 4/5 hybrid. Johns reminds me of Indiana's Juwan Morgan because of similar body type.

I want to see more from DeJulius before I become comfortable with him. (Him struggling mightily as a shooter was a huge surprise. Usually shooting is a skill that translates well from HS to college.)

And then we have at least 2 players coming in I'm excited about (Cole Bajema, Jalen Wilson). They might be joined by Franz Wagner. 

If someone from one of the bench players exits, we'll have room for Lester Q.
We could end up with a quality 4 man class. I'll take that.

WorldwideTJRob

April 7th, 2019 at 9:09 AM ^

I doubt Winston leaves and they will get back Langford. Throw in Rocket Watts and the emergence of Henry and Tillman and they will probably be a solid favorite to be preseason #1. Goins and McQuaid are solid players but it’s possible next year they could have 2 more talented players replacing them.

Beilein 4 Life

April 7th, 2019 at 3:52 PM ^

Lol at Watts replacing McQuaid. Izzo has no clue how to use freshmen so Watts being the defensive leader and shooting 42% from 3 is guaranteed not to happen. Also lol at having Langford back as a positive....they were a better team with Ahrens starting because he didn’t need the ball in his hands to make an impact like Langford does. Winston as a ball dominant guard is what MSU needs, not Ward, Langford, and Winston all trying to get their own shots

snarling wolverine

April 7th, 2019 at 10:27 AM ^

I don't think he'll be a star or anything but I think he has enough skill to hang around in the league. His game reminds me of Trey Burke's, and while Trey hasn't lived up to his lottery pick billing, he's averaged over 10 ppg over six years.  

At any rate I don't think he can raise his NBA stock anymore - he is what he is at this point.

Frank Chuck

April 7th, 2019 at 9:29 PM ^

Jalen Brunson is neither lightning quick nor has supreme athleticism. However, he has carved out a role for himself on the up-and-coming Dallas Mavericks as a rookie. I think Winston can do something similar but I fully expect him to return for his senior season because Izzo will do his utmost to get Winston to return. (See Kailn Lucas.)

Izzo knows that Winston was the difference between MSU being a Final Four team / Big Ten Champion and a round of 64 team. 

Time and again, Winston carried MSU when the team was trailing. (Example: Michigan had significant 2nd half leads in all 3 games against Sparty but squandered all of them.) But Texas Tech had an answer for Winston. 

grantlandR

April 7th, 2019 at 11:46 AM ^

It was only because the statute of limitations had run out, that Michigan's 1989 championship wasn't properly vacated. Michigan was all in with Ed Martin at that point. 

Goblueman

April 7th, 2019 at 1:45 PM ^

There are only 7 who have won both a football and basketball Div 1 NCAA Championship.Michigan,MSU,OSU,Maryland,Cal,Syracuse and Florida.