Whatever This Is: Making a Mockery of the Source Awards

Geoff:  So, we find ourselves here again.
Craig:  Once more unto the breach.
Craig:  I do worry no one reads these.
Geoff:  Sooner or later I'll learn to be funny. Then people will have to pay attention.
Craig:  You'll make 'em pay, like you're at the Source Awards!
Geoff:  If things don't work out, I'll set a homeless man on fire and begin a new life in Arizona under the name "Ron Mexico."
Steve:  I'm John Henry Giles and I approved this message.
Craig:  So we're agreed then.
Craig:  OK, so let's get to it.
Geoff:  The basketball team keeps hanging on to the merest of threads. If we beat Ohio State and take one Big Ten Tournament game, we might claw our way into an NCAA berth.
Craig:  Which is strange, because I can't see Michigan making any noise in the dance
Geoff:  Yeah. It's just the act of making it back there. But it would mean a lot to this program; the first time to accomplish that feat since the sanctions.
Brian:  It's a reward for any program that has missed out for a while.
Steve:  It would be, but it's just not going to happen.
Craig:  I guess the other important thing is, you have to start somewhere.
Geoff:  As for Saturday, I think OSU's a beatable #1 team, but it's not bloody likely that we'll get it done.
Craig:  It's a strange day, isn't it. On the one hand, tOSU has nothing to play for expect staying #1. On the other hand, they are on the cover of SI this week
Steve:  However, last time we lost to them by double digits and we took it as a moral victory.
Geoff:  Yeah. We did. This is, after all, the team that was thoroughly embarrassed by UCLA.
Craig:  But, if there is one positive here, we're at home...Which, save the Iowa game...
Geoff:  Yeah. The Iowa game was one where we just fell apart in the second half. You can't let anyone take a 20-1 run at you.
Geoff:  I like the way we responded when State started going after us on Tuesday.
Craig:  And you know, maybe some pieces finally fit. Maybe, after months of frustration, the team finally realizes what it can do. Which would piss me off, if true.
Craig:  But you know, take what you can get I guess.
Geoff:  I've said it before, but Jerret Smith is starting to play much better ball. And Courtney Sims took that first OSU game as the starting point for some much improved play as well. Those two, along with Dion Harris, are the keys to Michigan's game this weekend.
Craig:  Best bet, get an early lead and hope tOSU doesn't get ideas
Geoff:  We need Sims to play as a real inside presence, Smith to simply not turn the ball over, and Dion Harris not to go 0-15 from the field, like I think he did during said Iowa game.
Craig:  No turnovers and make your free throws.
Steve:  How many games does OSU have until the tournament when they play us?
Brian:  Should be just the Mich. game then the Big 10 tourney.
Craig:  Brian is correct, plus they will have Thursday off. Michigan will not.
Geoff:  I don't think the seeds are set in stone yet, so we don't know if they'd be a second or third round game, right?
Craig:  Nothing is known for sure until after Saturday.
Brian:  Ohio State is the #1 seed, Wisconsin #2, everything else is up for grabs.
Steve:  So it's doubtful they'll decide to rest that game.
Geoff:  No, they want that NCAA #1 seed.
Craig:  Well, when the rest of the world seems to be faltering, winning would be a chance for them to make a statement. Even if it is against Michigan, winning on the road in the Big Ten is not easy.
Brian:  Speaking of faltering, UNC down 10 at GT, 15:42 to play
Brian:  down 13
Brian:  back to 10,
Geoff:  I think Michigan's recipe for victory looks like this: Aggressive play inside gets Oden in foul trouble, so he has to go sit with Thought and Memory on the bench, and OSU's outside shooters have a bad day.
Craig:  Speaking of that GT game, can they make the center court logos any bigger?
Geoff:  I blame Tennessee for this trend.
Craig:  Texas and A&M also check in on that, but you expect that from them.
Brian:  If you could get Coach Cremins to accept a smaller font...but that almost makes the sabres on the JPJ court seem reasonable.
Craig:  I digress, however. Geoff, your strategy seems sound. But also, easier said than done
Geoff:  Yeah. It depends on the refs and luck, but that's kind of what you need when you're a lower level team like Michigan going after the top team in the country.
Steve:  Has Oden's hand completely healed? I heard it was going to be with him for a while but never a specific date.
Craig:  It's speculated that he is still only at 75%
Geoff:  It's still an ongoing thing, but that hasn't stopped him from playing some punishing defense. And the offensive end hasn't exactly been slack either.
Craig:  I love that you can guess on that sort of thing, by the way.
Craig:  Oden is, I think, unfairly being maligned because he is not Durant, but I think he is more than Durant, but then again, I know nothing of college basketball.
Craig:  This world frightens and confuses me.
Steve:  With any luck Oden'll be entering the draft after this season
Geoff:  It's quite likely. He's a guaranteed top 2 pick. He gains nothing by staying at OSU, really.
Craig:  Unless he just really likes it there
Craig:  But you're right, it's just too good
Brian:  Oden can enjoy being a BMOC without having to play for Coach Sweatervest, that may be worth something.
Geoff:  He's said that he really enjoys just being a student there, so you never know, but I'd be surprised if he sticks around.
Brian:  That being said, the money's too big these days and NBA teams can peg him in at center.
Craig:  Agreed, it could be misdirection and the like. It's just nice to have options...
Craig:  So yeah...only Saturday will tell
Brian:  As for Durant, I think even the "experts" were surprised at just how good he's playing, especially since a lot of POY talk seems to center around either him or Tucker of Wisconsin
Craig:  So, until next time gentlemen?
Brian:  Good luck, Wolverines...UW could use the boost for that last #1 seed
Geoff:  Thanks, we'll take whatever we can get.
Craig:  Have a great week folks, and if you have suggestions for future "Whatever this is" topics, please leave us a comment...