Over the 32 days leading up to college basketball season, we’re profiling 32 different teams who could be in the NIT mix, aided in this effort by those who know them best (or the closest we could get). Today, a member of the Sickos CBB Committee with Ann Arbor ties responds by direct message to our questions about Michigan.
The Sickos are, well, Sickos. They embody what The Onion cartoonist Stan Kelly created in the recurring character who leers in through the window, cackling, “Yes… Ha Ha Ha… YES!” From the Ottawa Senators to MACtion, Sickos occupy a prime place in the sporting world. You can find the work of this specific college basketball sicko on Twitter/X at @SickosCBB.
Here’s the full list of 32 for 32’s published so far, with links:
- Auburn, with the Sickos CBB Committee
- BYU, with Mitch Harper
- Cincinnati, with Zach Fries
- Dayton, with Tyler Cronin
- Duquesne, with Tristan Freeman
- Indiana, with Matt Cox
- Iona, with Sam Federman
- Iowa State, with Joe Stunardi
- James Madison, with Bennett Conlin
- Loyola, with Ky McKeon
- Michigan, with the Sickos CBB Committee
- Missouri, with Jim Root
- North Texas, with Harry Miers
- Northwestern, with John Templon
- Notre Dame, with Stuart McGrath
- Ohio State, with Mark Titus
- Oregon State, with Andy Dieckhoff
- Penn State, with DJ Bauer
- South Carolina, with Brian Rauf
- St. Bonaventure, with SBUnfurled
- St. John’s, with the Sickos CBB Committee
- Syracuse, with the Marshall Street Podcast
- Texas, with NIT Stu
- Utah, with Andrew Crowley
- Virginia Tech, with Ken Pomeroy
- Washington State, with Dave Andersen
- Wisconsin, with Cole Amundson
The Barking Crow: Last year was, by our standards, a rousing success for the Michigan Wolverines. It’s tough, though, to get back to the NIT. What are expectations this season in Ann Arbor? What needs to happen for another trip to the small (by design, more selective that way) dance?
I mean the bar is set high after last year’s performances. I’m a little tiny bit negative on this season and really mainly hoping for ‘not bottom four in the Big Ten’ and some cool/fun wins. If that’s the script we’re going off of, that sounds like NIT-bound to me! But I don’t want to get too over my skis here. Let’s say it shapes up nicely for them.
TBC: Michigan entered last year’s NIT surrounded by a lot of curiosity as to who would play and how hard. In the end, they lost in heartbreaking fashion to Vanderbilt, but effort was not a concern. How would you say Juwan Howard navigates the egos that come with coaching players with reasonable All-American aspirations?
I think Juwan just wants guys who are going to work really hard and give it their all (besides Jett on defense). Anyway, sure, of course Michigan is a place that can and does get some elite recruits, but actually on this year’s team, it’s more a hodge-podge roster of transfers, guys who haven’t lived up to the hype, and two second-year guys in Dug McDaniel and Tarris Reed Jr., both of whom I expect to take pretty big leaps. Hopefully one of the ten wings on the roster can make some shots too. But I’m not so worried about egos, at least not with this year’s squad. No one should have one, at least.
TBC: Michigan was involved in the most attended NIT Championship of the last 25 years when they and Rutgers brought a combined 16,064 people to Madison Square Garden in 2004. With this year’s NIT Final Four at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, which programs can you think of that would send more fans to a hypothetical NIT Championship than the Wolverines?
Besides a season going horribly wrong for Indiana or Purdue, or maybe Butler playing in their home arena, I think in terms of fanbase size, proximity, and basketball interest, you’d be hard-pressed to find a team that would stuff Hinkle (if they are so lucky to make it to the final) than the Maize and Blue. An under the radar submissions: if Nebraska can get it too, those Huskers fans TRAVEL man. I’ve seen their crowds for football, for the volleyball championships, and man, those people love their team. So that’s my only other entry there besides Michigan, at least when it comes to size, proximity and interest.
TBC: You are, of course, a Sicko. What’s the most Sicko thing about this year’s Michigan team?
It’s definitely ‘who will replace Hunter Dickinson as the heel.’ From Nik Stauskas to Ignas Brazdeikis to Moritz Wagner to Franz Wagner to Hunter Dickinson, Michigan has had at least one thoroughly disliked player in the last ten years at all times on the roster. My preseason selections are probably Will Tschetter or Youssef “YoYo” Khayat, and if I was a betting man (which I am, but, like, $3 a weekend), I would put it on Tschetter. It’s the cheese nickname and the headband.
TBC: I’m sorry, this has very little to do with the NIT (…unless…), but Juwan Howard did get in a physical altercation in a handshake line within recent memory. Which hypothetical NIT opponent could you most see Michigan fighting, and what should I tell them this opponent said if I’m trying to instigate the fight to drum up NIT interest?
Man wouldn’t a Wayne Tinkle versus Juwan Howard fight be something. Two massive dudes. Two former players. I think if you leak something, it could be that Michigan was the one to invite Oregon and Washington to the Big Ten; that would be enough, honestly. Maybe a lower-key one: Mark Pope at BYU. And for that one you can just use the old adage that BYU is only ever good because they’re older and more experienced or something, idk.
TBC: I’m sorry, this has nothing to do with the NIT (…that we know of…), but we have to ask about Connor Stalions. From your perspective, where does the broader Michigan community presently view him on the triangular grid between blundering fool, criminal mastermind, and badass manchild living his dream?
So, I personally am approaching it as if it is (A) a little serious (especially potentially stealing player data from Navy, wtf man, not cool), (B) reflects extremely poorly on HR practices in hiring of athletics staffers (I know, we’re all shocked, trying to find the guy who did this, etc.), but also (C) is potentially the funniest thing ever? I mean the photos from the CMU sideline, the juxtaposing a known photo over him from another source onto it, the potential of the sunglasses being for recording the MSU sideline, mind you a team Michigan CURBSTOMPED and didn’t probably need their signs to soundly beat! So yeah. I think with regard to the grid you brilliantly lay out of options for where this guy lays, and this is a copout, I honestly think the first one and the last one. It’s amazing he made it this far using his public Venmo to (allegedly) buy people ticket to attend games and record these signs. But he is clearly delusional and thought in due time he would become the Michigan football coach. Insane.
However, anyone pretending this isn’t a thing at all is also crazy. Something big will come of this, I’d bet.
TBC: Dare we dream of a Michigan NIT title?
Sure, why not. Run it back.
