NCAA Notebook: Michigan Forced to Carry Flag Solo For Big Ten

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – There was the Isaiah Livers foot injury, and then the three losses in the final two weeks of season. Just like that, the bloom was off the rose at trendy-pick Michigan, despite starting the season by winning 18 of their first 19 games.

The Wolverines were still a No. 1 seed when the NCAA Tournament field was released, but when people started to fill out their brackets, they looked long and hard trying to figure out which round they would flame out in.

But here we are, heading to the Sweet 16, and the Wolverines are still standing. And with their eight Big Ten brethren all back at home now, they are the last man standing in the Big Ten.

It's their cross to bear now.

It wasn't easy, either. Michigan beat a very good LSU team in the second round, winning 86-78 thanks to huge games from Eli Brooks and Chaundee Brown, who picked up the slack in a big way in trying to cover Livers' absense.

“The motto today was ‘Empty the tank.’ And our guys did that,” Michigan coach Juwan Howard said afterward.

They needed to. LSU was that good and, well, it's the NCAA Tournament. It's not supposed to be easy. Just ask those other eight Big Ten teams.

Now, it gets interesting in this tournament filled with upsets. Next up for Michigan in the East Regional is No. 4-seed Florida State. The Michigan-Florida State matchup is, somewhat amazingly, the only one of the eight regional matchups that includes the two highest seeds. Every other matchup includes at least one bracket buster.

Brooks and Brown were sensational against LSU and Howard will need more of that going forward. He said that Livers is still out indefinitely.

"Chaundee has been rock steady all season long,” Howard said. “He understands, all his teammates do, that when one guy may have it going one night, or two or three guys may have it going one night offensively, but that doesn't mean that we stop playing. We still have to compete on both ends of the floor.”

Brown transferred to Michigan from Wake Forest. Point guard Mike Smith came in from Columbia, and the two have transformed this Michigan team, which was unranked to start the season. His teammates love Brown's contributions off the bench.

"You know what you're going to get with Chaundee every single day," Brooks said. "He brings a lot of energy. It was good to see him make some shots because that smile goes a long way for the team. His energy, his presence, it helps the team. It brings the defense to a higher level."

Florida State will be ready regardless of Livers' status, Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton said.

"We are not going to do anything different than we would do if he is playing or not," Hamilton said. "We have a defensive system. It won't be Florida State against Livers. It will be Florida State's defensive system versus Michigan's offensive system, and Michigan's defensive system versus Florida State's offensive system.

"I mean, they have shown that they are capable of winning games with or without any one particular player on their team. So obviously they are a very good basketball team, and they are solid. And I'm sure that, like most teams in America, we all have been without players during the course of the year."

Syracuse run a family affair for Boeheims

The Boeheim name is synonymous with Syracuse basketball, and Syracuse is synonymous with being in the Sweet 16. This is coach JIm Boeheim's 20th trip – but it's the first time he's done with with his son, Buddy Boeheim, being his hottest player.

It's been a wonderful family moment, for sure.

“It’s hard to make the Sweet Sixteen,” the elder Boeheim said. “When I started coaching, some of them, I don't even think we celebrated — probably 10 of them. We just figured that's what we're supposed to do. But it's very hard.”

Syracuse beat the West Virginia 75-72, and were led by Buddy Boeheim's 23 second-half points. He had 25 on the day, and had 30 in the first round in an upset win over San Diego State.

The 76-year-old Boeheim has been busting brackets for years now. This is his third Sweet 16 in the last five tournaments, with teams seeded 10th, 11th and 11th. Upset specials have become the norm.

"I can't even describe it. It's something I dreamed about my whole life," Buddy Boeheim said. "To win two games, and be doubted in both ... this means everything to me."

Syracuse is the No. 11 seed in the Midwest Region, and they get No. 2 seed Houston in the semifinals. The Cougars, coached by Kelvin Sampson, are the only high seed in that quarter of the bracket. No. 8-seed Loyola-Chicago is playing No. 12 seed Oregon State in the other semifinal.

Re-ranking the field of 16

Now that 52 teams have already gone home and we've got a few days to catch our breath before regionals start on Saturday, it's time to take a look at who's been most impressive so far.

So here's our list of the 16 teams left, ranked by how impressive they've been so far during the first two rounds. There's no surprise that Gonzaga and Baylor are still No. 1 and No. 2, much like they have all year.

Here's the complete list. CLICK HERE

Complete schedule for regionals weekend

Our NCAA Tournament tracker is all updated, with game times, TV information and the latest on the point spreads for the eight regional semifinal games to be played on Saturday and Sunday in Indianapolis.

For all the details, CLICK HERE

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