Trey Burke....

Happy Easter!
I have been waiting for the right time to continue my summary of our European vacation. Next stop: La Trappe and our last night in Eindhoven.  Then, I thought why not post a nice, little blog about Easter. But, we've got a game to play today people!

Thanks in large part to Trey Burke and his supporting case, Michigan has reached the Elite Eight for the first time in nearly twenty years with today's match up against Florida looming large.  Friday night's game against Kansas was excellent on many levels.  For large stretches of the game KU dominated us inside.  They got to the rim with ease, and converted more than their fair share of fastbreaks.  Down 14 points, the game looked over.  However, we have Trey Burke.  The best player in the country willed  his team to victory.  He hit step back threes and a 28 footer to tie the game with 4 seconds left.  It was a shot that will go down in Michigan basketball history.  In overtime, Trey took control. He hit jumpshots and forced his way into the paint with ease.  It was the best performance by a Michigan basketball player since I have been watching (twenty years.)  Ultimately, it led to a two point win over last season's national runner-up.

It would be a shame to forget Mitch McGary.  He was our only force in the paint.  He kept us in the game for long stretches when the offense got stagnant.  Since the tournament started, Mitch has been on a mission. He looks like a freshman just starting to realize how good he can be.  We need Mitch if we want to keep advancing.

Friday night's game leads us to today against Florida.  Florida will be a big challenge.  They are probably more athletic than us.  They shoot plenty of threes, which should allow Trey, GR3, and Tim to push the tempo.  But, if they are making their shots at a decent rate, we need to keep up.  On paper, it looks like a tough matchup for us.  Friday night was a tough matchup as well.  However, we have the best player on the floor, and the best player in the country.  He should be able to drive the lane at will.  I expect him to get lots of open shots for the rest of the team.  We need the supporting cast to step up.  Tim, Nik and GR3 have to be able to capitalize when Florida inevitably helps out on Trey.

The stakes keep getting bigger with each game.  We have an opportunity to write the next great chapter in Michigan basketball history.  I feel like C and I have earned plenty of good karma from our time having to endure Tommy Amaker's teams.  We watched more than our fair share of bad basketball from 2003-2007. But this team is everything those teams weren't: smart, gritty and mentally tough.  All the credit goes to Coach Beilein for putting this squad together and placing them in positions to succeed.

Well, with only thirty minutes to tip-off, the blog is going to come to an end here.  Pictures of our visit to La Trappe will be posted soon.

Keep the faith.  This team can win, and win, and win. We On. Go Blue!