Surprising no one, Ekpe Udoh has decided to transfer from Michigan to an as yet unnamed university to finish his college career. Sadly, Udoh's decision to transfer comes on the heels of Bill Martin's announcement that Michigan (finally) has sufficient money to build the desperately needed practice facility every basketball coach since the 60's has been promised.

As you can imagine, the news of Udoh's departure does not make me happy. On a team that features more bricklayers than the Civil Engineering Corps, Udoh was one of the few consistent performers. He was also Michigan's only defensive presence in the paint. Michigan is now left with Zach Gibson as Michigan's starting center, red-shirt freshman Erik Puls (6' 10") and incoming 7-foot freshman Ben Cronin. All three young men collectively weigh 57 pounds and are as comfortable playing in the paint as they are on a roadtrip taken in a clown car. Nothing like a seven foot tall center playing wing. Enjoy.

Your new starting center.

I'm kind of at a loss what to make of the team for next year. Sims and Harris will play possibly every minute of every game, barring foul trouble. Kelvin Grady, though he got better as the year went on, never shot enough and never showed the ability to defend anyone. CJ Lee didn't show he was capable of doing much more than Grady in extensive minutes last year. Laval Lucas-Perry comes in and may immediately take over one of the starting guard spots despite doing nothing at Arizona, and being only 6'1". Anthony Wright  should've been better than he was down low, given his size, but spent his entire time launching off balance threes. The incoming class may add depth, but Zack Novak is going to have to be substantially better than advertised to be a contributor, and I'm not sure what to make of Stuart Douglass other than the fact he likes shooting threes.

If the new guys can hit some jumpers the team will be substantially better. If they can play some defense, it would help to. Take a look at the stats, cringe, cry, repeat.

FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGES
## Team                  G     FG   FGA   Pct
---------------------------------------------
 1.Michigan State...... 36    949  1976  .480
 2.Ohio State.......... 37    951  2052  .463
 3.Indiana............. 33    839  1814  .463
 4.Wisconsin........... 36    841  1872  .449
 5.Northwestern........ 30    681  1541  .442
 6.Minnesota........... 34    817  1872  .436
 7.Illinois............ 35    809  1860  .435
 8.Purdue.............. 34    806  1900  .424
 9.Iowa................ 32    616  1455  .423
10.Penn State.......... 31    723  1731  .418
11.Michigan............ 32    709  1796  .395


FIELD GOAL PCT DEFENSE
## Team                  G     FG   FGA   Pct
---------------------------------------------
 1.Wisconsin........... 36    719  1879  .383
 2.Ohio State.......... 37    846  2175  .389
 3.Illinois............ 35    720  1806  .399
 4.Michigan State...... 36    793  1973  .402
 5.Iowa................ 32    661  1635  .404
 6.Indiana............. 33    774  1879  .412
 7.Minnesota........... 34    724  1714  .422
 8.Purdue.............. 34    730  1675  .436
 9.Michigan............ 32    796  1776  .448
10.Penn State.......... 31    746  1664  .448
11.Northwestern........ 30    698  1444  .483

3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGES
## Team                  G     FG   FGA   Pct
---------------------------------------------
 1.Purdue.............. 34    253   679  .373
 2.Michigan State...... 36    179   483  .371
 3.Minnesota........... 34    245   667  .367
 4.Northwestern........ 30    246   671  .367
 5.Wisconsin........... 36    212   596  .356
 6.Indiana............. 33    221   633  .349
 7.Iowa................ 32    222   640  .347
 8.Penn State.......... 31    227   668  .340
 9.Ohio State.......... 37    252   748  .337
10.Illinois............ 35    196   614  .319
11.Michigan............ 32    228   731  .312


3-POINT FIELD GOAL PCT DEFENSE
## Team                  G     FG   FGA   Pct
---------------------------------------------
 1.Michigan State...... 36    228   734  .311
 2.Wisconsin........... 36    194   620  .313
 3.Ohio State.......... 37    281   879  .320
 4.Iowa................ 32    196   591  .332
 5.Illinois............ 35    215   641  .335
 6.Minnesota........... 34    215   640  .336
 7.Indiana............. 33    229   671  .341
 8.Purdue.............. 34    184   528  .348
 9.Penn State.......... 31    235   659  .357
10.Michigan............ 32    237   623  .380
11.Northwestern........ 30    248   632  .392

Is any of this going to improve? I can't say. My gut says "no way," but I could be wrong. Udoh's transfer, while it pisses me off because he was my favorite player, doesn't hurt Michigan too badly. Even though he was blocking shots left and right, he was too lean to defend anyone in the post and got pushed around a lot. His blocks were nice, but when matched up against a solid big man, he didn't fair too well. While Epke would get some points here and there, he never really developed any interior offensive game. No post moves. Nothing other than an outside jumper he had to learn to see any court time. Udoh was never a factor in the second half of a ball game. Why this is can be argued on many fronts (Harris and Sims hogging the ball, Udoh getting shy, foul trouble, etc...), but he usually disappeared statistically in the second stanza.

If the new kids can fill a hole or two scoring wise, Udoh's transfer really doesn't hurt the team that much. It's hard to get too worked up over Udoh's departure when you consider that with him, Michigan was still dead last in FG% defense and 10th conference wide in scoring defense. The defense won't get better, but a few more shots that actually find net will make the transition easier. But based on this year's performance, I'm not getting my hopes up for another year.

Next season will probably be more of the same, but at least there's a practice facility on the way.

First, my congratulations to Rock Chalk Talk , SB Nation's outstanding Kansas blog, and the Kansas Jayhawks for capturing this year's NCAA national championship in basketball. Keep your eyes on the prize there Kansas. As soon as Michigan starts its own basketball program, we'll be right on your heels. (what's that? We've got one? I thought they were... never mind...).

Congrats Guys

Second, my congratulations to Ohio State, for not losing last night's national championship game. That would've been two years in a row. Whew. That would've been embarrassing.

On a side note, one of the things I've always, always loved about college basketball is that its games are played within a fixed amount of time. (duh. Hold on. I'm getting to the point.) Unlike football or baseball, basketball is a fluid game with a basically running clock and minimal stoppage time.

That is, of course, unless you're watching the game on CBS.

God lord. Last night's national championship game took nearly as long as the football national championship. And that should be impossible! The games are 20 minutes shorter. Literally. And when you talk in terms of actual game time, there should be no comparison. The clock doesn't stop after (just about) every play. There are two 20 minute halves as compared to four 15 minute quarters. Notre Dame isn't playing. The game should've been over in two hours, tops.

Oh, but not on CBS. According to Einstein's theory of relativity, objects speed along the temporal timeline relative to each individual's vantage point on that timeline. So a person on the ground would see an airplane overhead and think it was moving fast while a passenger in the airplane would think the person on the ground was moving slow. So, a Football game broadcast on NBC takes the same amount of time to watch at home as it does in the stadium, it just seems like it takes longer because you're stuck in South Bend, which seems to be stuck in 1982.

Cleetus we're pullin' some tail to-nite!

CBS has actually disproven this bedrock of the physical and temporal universe by producing a basketball game that everyone on the planet, no matter their vantage point, saw as the most painstakingly drawn out production in this history of television. I counted three occasions where there was less than 20 seconds of gameplay between two and a half minutes of ad time. CBS marred what was otherwise one of the most exciting basketball games I've seen in years. Kudos, jackasses.

Nothing like the Big Ten Tournament for some truly gut wrenching basketball. And not gut wrenching in the edge of your seat kind of way, more in the "I just ate vending machine tuna sandwich that had an 'I like Ike' sticker on it" kind of way.

Michigan Basketball, Eat at Your Own Risk.

Despite going ten minutes without a field goal during a second half drought, Michigan topped Iowa 55-47. How anyone wins a basketball game shooting 27.3% during the second half is beyond me. I guess it helps if the bad guys shoot 20% from the floor and fails to make a single trey in the second stanza. Yeah. I bet that helps.

On a positive note, this is Michigan's first Big Ten tournament win under Beilein and it ensures Michigan will finish the season with double digits in the win column. Michigan also has the good fortune of drawing Wisconsin, a team it scared the holy hell out of two months ago, as its next opponent. During the teams' second meeting in Ann Arbor, Michigan came within three points of topping the then 11th ranked Badgers. This is even more remarkable when you consider the Badgers shot 60% from the floor during the second half, and they almost lost. Good sign? Maybe. You can take it for what its worth.

As much as I'd like to say it's a good omen, Michigan lost its next three games in embarrassing fashion, including a double digit home loss to Minnesota. Looking back Michigan lost the season's first meeting with Wisconsin by 16. Further, the Badgers shot just over or just under 50% against Michigan in both games. Better defense or not, Wisconsin isn't going to pull an Iowa and shoot 32%FG and 12% from three. No one should be holding their breath for an upset.

My congratulations to Black Heart Gold Pants for being the first member of the Big Ten Bloggers Association to be able to take their basketball season out back, tie it to a tree, and mercifully, bash its head in with a shovel. You, sirs, are lucky men. Remember to bury it deep. It keeps the smell down.

Michigan plays #1 seeded Wisconsin on Friday at noon. Keep your shovels handy.

I got nothing. Just another strange, inexplicable loss to go in the pile.

More tomorrow, but I'm pretty much done with basketball season after this loss.

We don't know either, Coach. - photo Steve Perez / The Detroit News

Somewhere James Naismith is turning over in his grave.

Saturday's scheduled Michigan Illinois basketball game honored former UM Star Jalen Rose before and at halftime of the game. Fans cheered Jalen. He met with the player. Everyone was happy.

Until the game started. Or at least allegedly started. It's fair to say no one in attendance thought they were watching basketball.

It was if John Beilein and Bruce Weber got together beforehand, sat down over a mochachino, and tried to devise an alternate ending to the movie "Hoosiers." Instead of an exciting last minute, clutch shot to seal a dramatic basketball game and spark a love of the sport in the youth of America, the two coaches got together and devised a game that would kill the sport as we know it. I have to think they determined the winner of this screenplay from hell by coin flip.

The two coaches must have been giddy that that Jalen Rose, a player known for creativity and flow would be honored during the game, and the story line would just be that much richer if they plotted this debacle during the ceremony to honor him. "Oh the irony," I'm sure Weber would've said.

There's no way they planned this.  It took almost a year to plan the visual gags and fake football in The Replacements, so there's no way they planned this off the cuff. Frankly, SAW III wasn't this gruesome.

The two teams couldn't the broad side of a barn with a cow. Passes were off. Offenses confused. Shots were no where near the target. The phrase "It's like there's a lid on the bucket," isn't an apt enough descriptor. No. It was like the bucket had ceded itself from the game of basketball, closed its borders, built a wall, and posted armed guards around the rim.  

As a team, Michigan hit only 16 of 56 field goals, with a good deal of the shots coming from in close. Michigan shot a "scalding" 26.7% in the second half, not to mention 11% from three. Harris and Sims were stone cold for the second straight game. Udoh may have contributed 5 blocks and seven points, but he fouled a guy shooting a three while leading by six with under three minutes to go. Anthony Wright, starting his first game ever, went 1-7 from three.

Thankfully, the ugliness wasn't confined to one side of the floor. Michigan and Illinois combined to score 4 points, all by Michigan, over a five minute span. Illinois somehow managed to take 6 fewer shots than Michigan and took only 9 free throws. For the game the Illini shot only 32% from the floor and 55% from the stripe. If Bruce Weber somehow keeps his job at the end of this season you have to think he's either got dirty pictures of his bosses stored somewhere or an exorcism needs to be performed in the AD's office.

Five games into the Michigan "revival," the Wolverines are 4-1. While their record is improving, their play remains remarkably inconsistent. Shot selection is still an issue. There is absolutely no post play despite two guys around 6'9" starting. Michigan's back up center, Zach Gibson, continues to shot hurried three pointers, and lurk around north of mid court while on offense. The team is wholly dependent upon jump shots and cuts to the basket, and Manny Harris seems to be the only guy capable of the latter. Three of Michigan's wins during this mini-run were more the result of managing not to collapse on themselves than truly lighting up the scoreboard. If you were writing a story about Michigan's turn around, "Alive" might be a good place to look for material.

But a win is a win is a win. Michigan is now firmly out of the Big Ten basement, and tied with Iowa for seventh in the conference (5-10). Kelvin Grady is slowly showing he can handle Big Ten play and that he can handle Michigan's offense. The team continues to play hard and refused to hand over the game to Illinois despite how badly both teams were playing. This was most assuredly a game Michigan loses earlier this year, and one they likely lose by a significant margin. But now, hey, they're winning those games.

Michigan has a minimum four games left on its schedule, including Northwestern, @ Penn State, Purdue, and @ Big Ten Tournament. At 9-18, barring an upset of Purdue, Michigan is almost guaranteed to finish the year with its first 20 loss season in a generation. Considering the season's start, escaping this season without a 20th loss would be almost as dramatic a finish to this story as the last second shot was in Hoosiers. If you're greedy, throw in a Big Ten tournament win while you're at it.

Regardless of the final season tally or Big Ten tournament advancement, Michigan will exit the season neither with its head held proudly held high nor staring embarrassedly at the ground. It will walk away from Crisler knowing it's not a good basketball team, that it has a lot of work to do, but also that it improved dramatically over the course of the season and that it will be a competitive team in 2008-2009.

As a story Saturday's game, much like the season as a whole, isn't something you'd ever read. However, if Saturday's game was a prologue for success to come, you might be excited about the rest of the screenplay.

At the start of the Big Ten season, Michigan would either start or finish strong. But never do both. In the majority of their defeats, the young Wolverines had a five to ten minute period where they were more likely to get hit by an asteroid that hit a jumper. Despite 30 or 35 minutes of solid play, Michigan somehow managed to freeze up at a critical point in the game.

That was the story Thursday night in Minneapolis, as the Gophers put an end to Michigan's three game winning streak and kept their own NCAA hopes alive in a 69-60 win over the Wolverines. Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims had 16 a piece in the game, but failed to score after the 15 minute mark of the second half.

Despite lacking contributions from their leading scorers, Michigan led midway through the second. However, after Zach Gibson put Michigan up by three at 52-49, Michigan went ice cold, scoring only 8 points over the final 9 and a half minutes going 3-18 from the field. Over the course of this game ending drought, Michigan missed as many layups as they did three point shots.

And so the winning streak comes to an end. Strangely, it's not necessarily a bad thing. This team has spent its season learning how to deal with adversity. Success is not something they've spent a lot of time preparing for. But it will come. Now they know that their jump shot won't always be there and that the bounces are as fickle when you're winning as when you're losing.

So another lesson will be learned and they will emerge stronger as a result. Illinois awaits on Saturday. Here's hoping for a meteor shower.

Game Notes

Saturday's game against Illinois will be Jalen Rose night, celebrating the Michigan Alumni's generous contributions to the community and generally not being Chris Webber. As the Free Press points out, it's going be a little awkward honoring a member of the Fab Five when you can't reference one of their members.

Manny Harris didn't take a shot in the last 10 minutes and registered only four points in the second half.

DeShawn Sims was 1-8 from three point range in the second half.

Ekpe Udoh was 1-9 from the field, grabbed 8 boards and had 4 steals. Oddly, he didn't have a single block. I can't remember the last time he played and didn't alter a shot or two.

Michigan was on the negative side of the assist to turnover ratio for the first time since their win over Penn State. Michigan dished only 10 assists compared to 14 turnovers. Manny Harris led the team in the turnover department with 5 and registered only a single assist.

Why is Zach Gibson shooting threes? He went 1-5 from three and 1-2 near the basket. Time to make the correlation Zach.

Anthony Wright played 26 minutes and scored 2 points. With Merritt gone for the season, Wright has to step up as a primary bench player. He's going to see a lot of time.

Highlights Courtesy of the Big Ten Network

Merritt Done For Season, Fate Continues To Punish Basketball Team

David Merritt will miss the remainder of the basketball season due to a torn medial meniscus in his left knee. The former walk-on was in the midst of a career day against Ohio State with seven points and four assists when his knee gave out early in the second half. Coach Beilein announced Merritt's injury late Tuesday afternoon.

All the best to our pint sized point guard, and hopes and prayers for a speedy recovery.

Injury Bug Strikes The Hockey Team, Too

Chad Kolarik, Michigan's second-leading scorer with 43 points, could miss the next five weeks with a hamstring injury. Kolarik injured his hamstring in the third period of Michigan's win over Lake Superior State on Saturday. Kolarik has never missed a game in his career, and was just 8 shy of tying the all time mark for consecutive games played at Michigan. If there's a bright side to this story, it's that Kolarik injured his hamstring rather than his groin as initially though. A groin pop and he's useless until the NCAA's if your lucky.

If all goes well Kolarik could be back by the start of the CCHA playoffs. If the five week timeline holds, Kolarik will be back by the quarterfinals of the playoffs. However, he's definitely out for the next two series, including MSU.

Get better Chad. Soon. In his stead, all signs point to uber-frosh Max Pacioretty taking Kolarik's place on the top line.

In Happier News, Big Ten Realizes Manny Kinda Kicks Ass

In a week where Manny Harris secured a road win over Iowa with clutch 8-8 free throw shooting, and dropped 27 points and 7 boards on Ohio State for Michigan's first win over Ohio State since the Polk administration, the Big Ten named Manny Big Ten Player of the week.

Manny being Manny
Photo Courtesy: Steve Perez / The Detroit News

Petway Wins NDBL Slam Dunk Competition

Brent Petway is still flying high. Currently a member of the NBA Development League's Idaho Stampede, Petway won the NBDL's Slam Dunk Contest last weekend.

Air Georgia Flight 209 now boarding for Dunksville, Bitches

Petway was his usual entertaining self. And from a fan's perspective, his between the legs clincher is un-friggin-real. Topping it off, Petway blogged it up too, documenting his victory and wandering around Na'lins. We're all pulling for you Brent, the NBA needs more guys like you. Now behold Petway in his all his You Tube Glory:

The Games Are Getting Longer, Especially if They're On CBS

A massive hat tip to The Wizard of Odds for their outstanding look at college football game length and its relationship to the network broadcasting the game. Surprisingly, CBS lead the way, taking an average of 3 hours 47 minutes to broadcast a game, with Fox coming in third at 3:41.

A look at the numbers reminds you just how lucky Michigan fans are that ABC and ESPN cover most of our games, as the time for both networks is 3:28 per game. A further look at the Wiz' numbers reveals that ABC and ESPN are only airing .69 plays per minute of airtime. This isn't surprising considering the number of commercials the networks air, but add it up, that's a lot of Tostitos they're trying to sell.

Henne Getting Eyed By Bears

The Chicago Tribune is reporting the Chad Henne is under consideration as a possible first or second round pick by quarterback poor Chicago Bears. As a Bears fan, nothing would make me happier than Chad in Chicago.

Despite a strong resume and two excellent games to close his career, Henne is somehow losing ground to Delaware's Joe "Footsteps" Flacco who spent the last four years in D1-AA ball. I'm on record as saying Henne is a better quarterback than Matt Ryan. What I've seen from Andre Woodson puts him a notch above Henne. Brohm? Good year, bad team hurt him so the jury's out. But the Flacco bump has me scratching my head. Flacco was just as unimpressive against App State in the D1-AA championship game as Henne was at the start of the season. I'm clearly biased on this point, but any team that passes on Henne at a reasonable draft position is making a mistake.

When David Merritt came up lame midway through the second half you winced sympathetic in pain as he tried to put pressure on his leg, and then winced some more when he tried to walk on it. The pain he felt in his knee was so evident it seemed to have a direct line to the television camera, and CBS focused in on this gritty over-achiever, remarking what a shame it was that his day looked over.

Emotionally, it was the type of shot that can fold even the best of teams. Your character guy in a heap of pain limping off the court in a manner no one can call dignified.  It was certainly the type of event that would crush every Michigan team during Tommy Amaker's tenure and was the type of event that should have robbed this young team of its focus when everything seemed to be going right. There he was, alone, in pain, while everyone in Crisler, including his teammates, watched

And then, out of a moment of agony, something wonderful happened.

Seeing his friend in pain, Ekpe Udoh, took a short break from blocking every shot within a five foot perimeter of his body, hurried over to lend Merritt his are for support.  When his an arm wasn't sufficient he gave Merritt his legs, too. Udoh lifted Merritt off the ground as though he weighed nothing, and carried his injured friend to Michigan's trainers before returning to the floor, pointing out assignments and readying himself for the whistle.  As if nothing had happened.  As if they'd prepared for this in every practice leading up to that moment. It wasn't a shot. It wasn't a bump in the road. It was what he knew he had to do, and at that moment his friend was weightless.

In the box score, that moment doesn't show up. It's not a highlight in the way a dunk or an off balance three pointer is. It doesn't shift the possession arrow or do anything that affects the scoreboard.

But it can redefine an entire season.

Until Sunday's game, Michigan had not played a complete basketball game against a worthy opponent since Daniel Horton score 50 against Illinois. Two years ago. Even in the midst of a two game winning streak, Michigan could not claim it had provided a full 40 minutes of play in any contest this season. Yet, there they were, toe to toe with a team that had crushed them earlier in the season and was the national runner-up the year before. For the record, Michigan did not play an Ohio State team asleep at the wheel. To the contrary, they beat a team who shot 68% in the first half and finished at 48%. They prevented the Buckeyes from running their offense in the second half and answered every Ohio State basket or run with one of their own. Both teams could have won the game, but it was Michigan that went out and won it.

Udoh's simple gesture may not have been more than a blip in the game but it was a fog horn in a crowded room for those, including myself, who still wondered about the mental makeup of this team. Michigan played a complete game. They cycled the ball across the top of the arc until a lane opened or a free man was found. Every one on the team contributed in some facet or another. Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims, limited to 13 total points against OSU in their first match up struck for 49. Udoh was a presence in the lanes, blocking 6 shots and collecting 4 steals with his condor-like wing span. Kelvin Grady/David Merritt/CJ Lee played in control and ran
the game efficiently and smartly. Zach Gibson contributed on both ends as well, most notably taking yet another charge when OSU appeared to be gaining momentum, something he seems to be able to do with regularity.

For the first time this year, Michigan reacted instantly and positively to adversity. They seemed to gather strength from the knowledge their friend would not finish the game with them. They took their time. They played their game. They did what they'd been trained to do. And they finished what they started.

This brings us back to Merritt who appears, on the outside at least, to be a living microcosm of this year's team. Unheralded. Undertalented. Prone to concentration lapses. But constantly working to prove he belongs and improving with every minute of game time. During the Iowa game he left his man unattended to give meaningless help on a cutter, which resulted in his man burying a three and nearly bringing Iowa back from the brink. Over the next two minutes he and Kelvin Grady executed Beilein's offense to a tee, including running one of the prettiest give-and-go's you will ever see between two guys who stacked on top of one another can barely reach the rim.

And so it was on Sunday, with Merritt tossing the errant pass or Michigan launching a hasty, guarded three, and seconds later finding an open man for an uncontested layup or open shot. As all tales evolve, so will the basketball team's. Though Merritt sums things up today, the final chapters will be written by the team as a whole.  It was apparent from Sunday's game Michigan will go only as far as the team is willing to go together.

While it is improbable to expect a string of continued wins to close out the season, Michigan will be competitive in every game left on its slate. If they continue to play as they did against Ohio State, beating them for the first time since 2004, they have a legitimate shot at the conference tournament.

However, such discussions are for future games, when and if the merit consideration. What we saw on Sunday was a group of young men come together as a team, as friends and brothers, and play as a unit. We saw, for the first time, a team that was unfazed by adversity.

More importantly, we saw a group that will play for and with each other, and if necessary, carry each other to victory.

All photos courtesy: KIRTHMON F. DOZIER/DFP

Wow. After the first half from hell, I didn't see this one coming. A 23-6 run? Sims playing a complete game? Harris stepping it up in the second half after getting shut out in the first? Anthony Wright becoming a legitimate scoring threat? Wow. A road win over a team that beat MSU and OSU? A balanced inside-out offense that legitimately tried to pound the ball inside during the second half? I'm in shock.

Just a couple of quick thoughts:

1. Zach Gibson is a pretty good defender, but lacks strength. Iowa pushed him around inside. Also He should not, under any circumstances, shoot three pointers.
   
   
2. Kelvin Grady needs to shoot more, but I'll take 9 assists any day.
   
   
3. David Merritt tries very hard and is competent on the offensive side of the court, but has no concept of playing team defense.
   
   
4. Udoh needs to work that baby hook more often. With his arms, no one will be able to block it.
   
   
5. Manny Harris could be a taller version of Daniel Horton, and I mean that in the best possible way.
   
   
6. Anthony Wright should be starting.

9 assists, ZERO turnovers. Wow.

In the midst of a beak season that seems to rival an artic winter in terms of its icy hopelessness, Saturday provided a rare glimmer of hope and light for fans of the Michigan Basketball team. Despite requisite scoring droughts, missed layups, and the mental foul ups that seem to define this year's team, Michigan found a way to beat Penn State in Ann Arbor.

No this is not climbing Olympus or defeating Michigan State, as PSU did two weeks ago, but it is the first home victory for the Wolverines since early December of last year and their first home Big Ten conference win. Leading the way were DeShawn Sims and Manny Harris, each with 16 points, and, of course, Epke Udoh who went 4-5 from the floor and blocked 6 shots.

I have been extremely critical of the manner and style of play implemented by Coach Beilein since his arrival. Saturday marked a healthy change in my demeanor. While the team still worked the arc and cycled through its slash and dish options, it also worked itself down low, where Sims and Udoh are at their best. I was flabbergasted to see Udoh receive an entry pass within 3 feet of the basket. For once Sims and Harris slashed into the paint, or actually received a pass or two in an area they could score in, rather than wait at the wings for a shot 3 times out of 4 they would miss. Michigan finally played to one of its strengths rather than attempting to drown its opponent with Three point attempts.

Is this a sign of things to come? I hope so. But I'm not ready to declare Michigan's ailments cured after one game. The Wolverines still came out flat at the start of the second half and turned a 6 point lead into a 6 point deficit by going scoreless for a 5 minute stretch. Manny Harris is still turning the ball over at rate that even Jerret Smith finds excessive. Sims still has a tendency to disappear for prolonged stretches, and Grady has to contribute more than 2 points a game to be our starting point guard.

Despite these faults and flaws, the sun shone brightly on the contributions of Anthony Wright, who is quickly emerging as Michigan's best outside shooter, and Epke Udoh, who with 6 blocks reminds you he is still your King. There are positives to take away, and for once, they're not moral victories. For once, it's an actual "W" in the win column as proof of their progress.

The next few games will tell us whether this long bleak winter of a basketball season is finally reaching its spring, or whether the groundhog we saw on Saturday actually foretold another six weeks of winter.

Both photos courtesy Steve Perez, The Detroit News