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AD Chris McIntosh has already called B1G commissioner. He is pissed. Said no place for this at all. Says UW did not instigate. Said clearly captured on TV. Wants swift action from league.
For those who are saying
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coach Greg Gard "instigated" this. Howard pulled his mask down and said: I'll remember that." Then was going to do a blow-by. Gard touched Howard's right elbow and stopped him in an attempt to explain why he took the TO.
And a plea: Whatever happens in the future, can those
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fans who have ripped the QB play this season finally give a tip of the cap to No. 17? He has had a hell of a year. Deal with it.
Observation: MICH was peeved Gard "extended" game by calling a timeout w/15 sec left. MICH had two starters in + was pressing. UW had all subs. MICH then fouled w/13.8 left. Sorry, you lose the right to be complain about extending the game when you do that.
Nebraska president Ted Carter leaked news earlier that the B1G is set to announce it's 2020 football plan today. This is confirmed. Polls are closed. Votes are in. Time for
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fans and their pals across the league to celebrate.
Not breaking news, but think of Mark Johnson's overall resume: Wins an NCAA title with his dad. Wins Olympic gold medal, sparked by arguably the greatest upset in sports history. Plays 11 years in the NHL. Now has seven nattys with the
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women.
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Greg Gard brought all his assistants in the interview room. He is fighting back tears. Said he will take trophy to Howard Moore so he can rub it.
Friendly plea to
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fans on my timeline. I get you are frustrated with Mertz. But do you really need to take shots on Twitter just for kicks? I mean, what do you personally gain by that? Get off the kid's back.
Per
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officials: Paul Chryst was due $20 million (and change) after being removed as HC. Parties agreed to a payment of $11 million, to be paid no later than Feb. 1, 2023. Funds come from UW Foundation. No taxpayer dollars.
On Dec. 3, freshman QB Nick Evers announced he planned to transfer from Oklahoma. The portal opened on Dec. 5. Evers visited the
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earlier this week. He announced his commitment to UW today.
So to review: Michigan was playing hard, full-court, man-to-man defense against
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reserves. But Howard got upset because UW extended the game by calling a late timeout.
Have to write but need to first ask a question: If Howard wanted to leave the building w/out speaking to anyone he could have. Why did he choose to go through the line, take his mask down and bark that he would remember this? Answer: He was dying to do what he did.
You will see
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coach Greg Gard stop Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett to congratulate him/his players after UW rallied to win Maui Invitational. Check to see how Bennett reacted.
Think about the career
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coach Mark Johnson has had: HS standout, NCAA champ with his dad, Miracle on Ice, NHL career and leading UW women to enough hardware to fill an arena rather than a trophy case. Appreciate greatness, people.
Got email this AM on
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Braelon Allen: He will help feed 100 kids at Boys and Girls Club in Fondy on Friday. This is part of his NIL partnership with Outback Steakhouse.
I have to write this or I won't be able to live with myself today. To Nebraska fans: Love your passion. You are always friendly as hell. But not every development/decision by the Big Ten is part of a conspiracy to stick it to your athletic department/teams.
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Kelly Sheffield not afraid to speak mind. Notes early NCAA volleyball matches will be on ESPN3 (streaming) but with no announcers. Warns that could blow up like poor weight facilities at NCAA women's hoops. Calls it lazy.
NCAA women's volleyball: That was a
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butt-kicking. UW loses Set 1 -- first dropped set in NCAAs -- and then takes down No. 1 Baylor -- 25-21, 25-17 and 25-19. Damn.
Tony Bennett wins a natty in his 13th season as HC. For context: Calipari won in 20th season; D.Smith in 21st season; Roy Williams in 17th season; Coach K in 16th season; and Self in 15th season.
Quick note before I forget: Former
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assistant Howard Moore is close to returning home. That has been a goal for a long time. Will he return to coaching? No. But a return home would be a small step + likely ease the burden of those caring for him. 👍
Also, wasn't planning on doing this as I wasn't planning on being back today, but....want to thank those who shared their condolences about mom's recent passing. She didn't know what Twitter was but loved seeing the interaction when I shared her comments.
Michigan's John Beilein raved about quality of game today. Added: "Ethan Happ said to me at the end: "I hope to see you again this season.' Beilein replied: "No, Ethan. I don't want to see you again the rest of my life." 😂
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WR Chimere Dike on Jim Leonhard: "We knew we had to play better down the stretch. Our whole team is behind coach Leonhard. We want him to be our head coach. I think everybody in this locker room wants him to be our guy. He is our guy."
I'll likely catch heat for this but so be it.
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coach Greg Gard exchanges handshakes with eight Michigan staffers and two players without incident. Next in line is Michigan's head coach.
I'm sure MU fans hate to see the
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take over Fiserv Forum but it resulted in a tremendous vibe, true home-game feel in NCAAs. Colgate's Matt Langel: "I don't think I've ever been in an environment better than the one for college basketball tonight."
No idea whether
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will finish 13-0 and qualify for playoff. But I hope fans of UW football/men's hoops appreciate what they've seen in recent seasons.
One of the many reasons Jack Coan is respected by his
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teammates: He didn’t play yesterday and was ready if asked. Yet who does he seek out to congratulate after the victory? Chase Wolf. Classy move.
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coach Greg Gard, on the Big 1070, says he and staff made it to visit Howard Moore yesterday. Took B1G trophy and cap/T-shirt for Moore. Called it a surreal moment, with lots of tears.
Damn. Brent Moss, who helped Racine Park to the WIAA Division 1 state title in 1988 and helped the
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win the 1994 Rose Bowl, passed away today. He was 50.
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are now 15-5 since Potter became eligible. And, they are 8-2 since the departure of Kobe King, who was their leading scorer in league play at the time.
And I thought angry Nebraska football fans on my timeline was an out-of-body experience. I forgive all Huskers fans, cause Michigan hoops fans are punching their tickets to the Hall of Shame today.
One thought on
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freshman Chucky Hepburn. I have no clue how highly he was rated coming out of high school. Couldn’t care less. I do know UW fans are seeing why the staff was so excited to land him. Bunch of B1G teams would take him in a heartbeat.
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Greg Gard received seven of nine votes for USA TODAY Sports Network B1G coach of the year. Tom Izzo of MSU and Steve Pikiell of Rutgers each received one vote.
Most folks consider Purdue's Matt Painter a very good coach, correct? For some perspective, Painter has two shared B1G titles + one outright crown in 17 seasons.
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Greg Gard has two shared titles, with a chance for an outright title, in six full seasons.
To all the Michigan fans on my timeline, you are free to debate the incident with your AD. He seems to have a different view of the situation than you do.
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ILB Jake Chaney: "Coach Chryst got fired for a reason. Everybody can (have) their own beliefs, but we feel like we’re the ones who failed him. We put it on the field today for coach Chryst. This season is pretty much dedicated to him."
And one more thought on Jim Leonhard: He didn't merely waste the Packers time. They expressed interest. He listened. It is the NFL. His home state team. Not listening would be dumb. Weighing all the factors and eventually going with your heart is not dumb.
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Chucky Hepburn made the B1G's all-freshman team for many reasons. Last night vs. Colgate: eight points, six rebounds, five assists, one steal....and zero turnovers in 34 minutes.
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guard Chucky Hepburn confirmed he DOES work on types of bank shots in practice. Was he trying to bank in the shot vs. Purdue? Hell no: "I just chucked it up there." 🤣
So your team is 6-6 in the B1G and 13-10 overall after getting thumped by 18 at Minnesota on Feb. 5. What do you do? The
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answered by winning their final eight games. Damn.
I do not expect that
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Chucky Hepburn will be B1G freshman of the year. Guessing the nod will go to OSU's Malaki Branham. But I'll reiterate that I think Hepburn has been the most valuable freshman in the league, given his role/level of play for UW.
And in case some people missed it:
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coach Greg Gard said he has zero issue with Michigan pressing. He said Howard can coach his team as he sees fit.
Personal note: Reporters cheer for good stories, early start times + stress-free travel. I've covered Rose Bowls, Final Fours + a Frozen Four. The 2019-'20
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hoops team was the best story I've ever covered. Not even close.
I need to make something clear about my comments on
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Micah Potter. My frustration has grown because of seeing waivers handed out like candy, w/others denied. I loathe seeing inconsistent/unfair treatment in any arena. THAT is why I'm seething.
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coach Greg Gard joked -- well, sort of -- that anyone in attendance today who isn't a season-ticket holder should get season tickets. Players loved the noise/environment.
I know
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AJ Storr has NBA aspirations, but I hope he holds off on pursuing for one more season. Talent oozes but still has so much room to grow.
Will be writing about
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Hunter Wohler. He came in and asked media if we could keep it short. He was clearly PO'd. He then sat there and vented forever. Passionate. Expletives....He then, while walking away, apologized for the expletives. No apology needed young man.
Our quick story on Jim Leonhard announcing he will not be returning to the
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in 2023 has been filed. Yes, I got the story wrong. For that I apologize.
Some
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news for you today: Barry Alvarez, UW's full-time AD since 2006, is close to retiring. Expect an announcement sometime in the next couple weeks. Sounds as if Alvarez could stay on through July. We'll have a quick story on our site soon. He is 74.
ICYMI: Analyst Robbie Hummel during the
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-Purdue game: "If they win the Big Ten, I don't know how Greg Gard is not the national coach of the year. I really don't."
Not sure if people caught this, but
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freshman Connor Essegian tracked down Jordan Davis after Davis grabbed the last rebound and time expired. Gave him a huge hug. That is a veteran move.
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coach Greg Gard, asked about computers/analytics not 'loving UW's team: "The only analytic that matters is the final score at the end of the game."
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Chez Mellusi is up to 220 pounds. Played at 200-2005 last season. Says he is progressing from the ACL injury. Insists he will be ready for opener.
I like
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QB Jack Coan. Kid has talent. But if anyone ever again tells me Alex Hornibrook is the only thing holding UW back from reaching its potential, well, you need serious help.
As a writer and a fellow inhabitant of this planet, I have no issue with
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players going to their coaches to vent/talk/etc. I do, however, have many issues with someone choosing to record that meeting, hold onto it and choose to weaponize it.
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Potter on post-game: "We've been working so stinking hard all year for this. It was emotional. Guys were crying. Guys were celebrating. People were screaming their heads off. I was screaming like a lunatic. To get that beautiful trophy, it is just surreal."
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Jim Leonhard told team last week: "We need to know who is in/out. Make it clear." You will see guys who aren't in deciding to transfer out. Talked to some players today about that message. Will write about it later in the week.