One of these games, Wolverines just gotta finish

I heard Kevin Costner interviewed this week on NBC’s TODAY Show, remarking about the key to his success throughout his illustrious career in Hollywood has always been “building on my failures.”

Hmmm?….I am hoping the Michigan Basketball program for 2016 will build on its “failures” from this forgettable 2014-15 campaign. Now let’s be clear – this Wolverine unit of John Beilein has performed admirably under the circumstances with the season-ending injury loss of Caris LaVert and Derrick Walton’s toe-ailment absence for the past few weeks.
But watching Michigan — now 13-12 overall, 6-7 Big Ten — squander a seven point advantage in the final 5 minutes to Illinois Thursday night, and then completely running out of gas in a 64-52 overtime setback (third time that has happened this season) - tells me this season represents “building blocks only” for next year’s go around.

I think the most glaring frustration of the season for not having LaVert in the lineup appeared during the final seconds of regulation last night in Champaign, when the Wolverines could not inbound the ball and turned it over. Remember the 6 ft. 7 inch LaVert inbound the ball in the exact same situation last year at Purdue, and got the ball to GR3 for a game-winning base-line runner? Sigh….sure could have used that kinda length last night against the albatross arms of Illini Nnanna Egwu.

So now it’s on to a Tuesday night 9 p.m. tilt with Sparty at the Crisler Center. Another great opportunity for Michigan. I am sure they will play well. But God forbid this game goes to overtime. Because if it does, I can safely predict the legs of the Wolverines fatigue again and the third loss of four overtime decisions will extend to four of five. Building block or not (for next season) – this is really starting to get old.

(Follow Tom Crawford on Twitter @BlueBellyTom and come visit him during his Friday remote broadcasts with Jack Ebling at The Blue Gill Grill in Haslett 3-6 p.m.)