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Two weeks ago, on what turned out to be one of the best days in recent Michigan basketball history, the Wolverines were called in to an emergency meeting long after dark.
"It was a terrible night out," senior captain Colin Dill said. "It was raining and there were thunderstorms. We didn't know what to think."
Actually, they did know what to think: Uh-oh.
"You go there thinking the worst," sophomore center Graham Brown said.
Then coach Tommy Amaker walked in wearing what Dill described as a "gleaming
smile." Moments later, the Wolverines found out they were eligible for
the NCAA tournament this season. The NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee granted
their wish. Ticketmaster
U-M has not played in the NCAA tournament since 1998, and even those games have
been forfeited because of NCAA sanctions. Last season, the Wolverines were ineligible
because of the sanctions, and before that the Wolverines were ineligible because
of a lack of talent.
Now Michigan is surprisingly eligible, and the Wolverines think they have the
team to take advantage of it.
"We have a lot of depth, especially defensively," said sophomore point
guard Daniel Horton, the Big Ten freshman of the year. "We have a bunch
of guys who can do different things. We can change defenses and give teams problems."
Because of that depth, Horton and fellow guard Lester Abram said they are prepared
to play fewer minutes this season. Last winter, U-M finished the season with
almost no backcourt depth, forcing Horton and Abram to play extended stretches.
Michigan, which will begin practice Saturday, has added three talented freshmen
this season -- Courtney Sims, Dion Harris and Brent Petway. Sims is a shot-blocking
center with excellent shooting range. Harris will get a chance to play both
backcourt spots. Petway, a 6-foot-9 forward, is one of the best athletes on
the team. Ticketmaster
Those three, plus Virginia transfer J.C. Mathis, join Abram, Horton, Brown and
forwards Bernard Robinson Jr. and Chris Hunter to give Michigan its deepest
roster in years.
Meshing all the players could be a tough task, but the early returns are promising.
Michigan played well on its three-game Canadian tour. When asked about his freshmen,
Amaker replied, "They fit."
The Wolverines are still young, but Amaker said youth was a major reason for
their surprising success last season. After an 0-6 start, U-M won 17 of its
last 24 and finished 17-13, 10-6 in the Big Ten. "They didn't know any
different," Amaker said Thursday on the team's media day. "They came
from winning environments, winning programs, winning teams. That's all they
were accustomed to."
Last season, Michigan had a rallying cry of "earning and deserving"
an NCAA tournament bid, even though the team knew it couldn't get one.
Now, out of a storm-filled night, U-M emerges with the same chance almost every
other team has.
"We are eligible for something this year," Amaker said. "But
you know what? You still have to earn it and deserve it."