The Veteran Move ... No One May Have Noticed
The RAC is the smallest arena in the Big Ten, seating just 8,000, and it felt even more intimate than advertised last night. Rutgers basketball has not made the NCAA tournament since 1991, so their fan attendance has been poor. However, with the Scarlet Knights on pace to make the tournament this season, the Rutgers fans have come out to support their team and the RAC has been rocking all year because of it.
Despite the loss, the Rutgers fans certainly made it tough on the Wolverines, especially during a few of the Scarlet Knights' runs throughout the game. I thought Michigan point guard Zavier Simpson made a very veteran move during one of those runs to quiet the crowd, and I wasn't sure if fans watching on TV noticed.
After Ron Harper Jr. hit a three pointer with 7:05 left in the first half to give Rutgers its first lead, 22-21, since leading 6-5, Simpson, knowing his team needed to regroup, seemed to casually untuck his jersey. He handed the ball back to the referee under the basket while slowly tucking his jersey back into his shorts.
Simpson took his time tying his shorts, as it took about 10 seconds off the game clock. It might not have seemed like much at the end of a 10-2 Rutgers' run, but it allowed the Wolverines to set up their press break and have a quick reset.
On the ensuing possession, Simpson found senior center Jon Teske for a three pointer to silence the Rutgers' crowd. The RAC was rocking, and then had to wait impatiently for the ball to be put into play, and then saw Teske drill the three. All that momentum and at the next timeout, Michigan was up two.
While Michigan would trail again, 31-28 at the half and by as much as nine in the second half, Simpson stemmed the tied at a critical juncture. Had he inbounded quickly and the ball was turned over or a possession wasted, the RAC, already deafening, might have gone nuclear.
Rutgers was 17-0 at home this year not because it's one of the Big Ten's most talented teams, but because it has one of the best home-court advantages, with a raucous fan base starving for success.
On Wednesday night, that crowd was again amped up, and the tide was turning after Harper's three until ... Simpson untucked his shirt. On a night when he made six baskets, had six rebounds and five assists, this might have been his most important play.
