(3) Oregon Tops (7) MI 69-68 In A Thriller

“It’s amusing, we never really put a goal on how far we can go, just because we didn’t know what we had”, OR coach Kelly Graves said.

Some people are going to use these three long weekends to sort out the conference rankings; others, like North Carolina coach Roy Williams, will not let the Big Dance change what they already believe. But his most important dagger came from close range: A gorgeous spin-and-scoop finish with 67 seconds left that proved to be the game-winner for OR, giving them the 69-68 lead that didn’t change over the final minute.

Few teams live and die with 3-pointers quite like MI, which made 16 of 29 in the first round against Oklahoma State. “I looked in his eyes, and I said ‘Okay, he’s going to get a good shot out of this.’ And he got a great shot out of it”. That was one of the best moves for me, one of my go-to moves.

MI has all the momentum on their side as the Wolverines are riding a seven game win streak since March 1.

“I just see everyone … this plane full of my Michigan family … with this look on their faces that I don’t even recognize”.

Walton has been arguably the player of the tournament, and he starred again: 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including some incredible, gutsy makes. He registered 20 points, eight assists, and five rebounds, drilling three of five three-point shots.

Whether it was nerves, or Oregon’s shifting defenses, or simply the collision of two talented, scrappy teams, it got sloppy at times. Wisconsin is the lone wolf from a group that was very top-heavy and pretty abysmal below that. Zak Irvin would add 19, as both seniors hit clutch shots for the Wolverines down the stretch run.

The first part of this story, you probably know. “My position wasn’t the best, but they were always there for me”. “We’re brothers for life”. They still had two to give. Next came the final minute of the riveting run.

It’s time for them to make it happen. JOHN BEILEIN: That’s why I thought I would probably have another time to call a timeout because I expected a foul but when I saw him with the match-up, because if he takes the ball to the basket they might foul him. After their mid-season failures, they won six of their next eight games buoyed by a surging collective confidence. Even its coach grants that. Sometimes he put his hands on his hips. It ended the Wolverines’ season and Walton’s career in the maize and blue.

However, he began with this game. So he tells his players to play mini-games. “It was a great shot”.

Beilein had a point. Those aren’t great clips, but they’re numbers you can win with. It’s March 23rd, and we were still playing basketball. No one else on this team that we wanted taking that shot. Then they started winning close ones.

Ennis missed another free throw with 15 seconds left, giving MI one more chance.

Can we say “Press Virginia”?

Now we’re in the Sweet 16. Along with his hot shooting night, Dorsey came down with five rebounds, putting his mark on the game.

Michigan’s Moritz Wagner became a national star during March Madness. Wilson emerged as big-time players, and guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman had a way of stepping up to stem the tide when the team struggled.

Irvin hit quite a few big shots in the second half too. Donnal grabbed important rebounds and scored key buckets.

We feel like we have the best coach in the world, and the best fans in the world, from the best school in the world, in the best city in – come on, I’m from Berlin – America. I’m proud of him. This is a real team! “It’s taught me a lot about life”.

I wrote about it four days ago. Sometimes that can sound cliché but not in their case.