Tulsa fails to take advantage of undeserved NCAA tournament bid
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The most criticized at-large selection in this year’s NCAA tournament couldn’t capitalize on its good fortune.
Tulsa caught Michigan on off shooting night from behind the arc yet failed to take advantage, falling 67-62 on Wednesday night in a First Four game between No. 11 seeds.
The game’s biggest shot was a go-ahead 3-pointer from wing Zak Irvin that gave Michigan a two-point lead with just under a minute to play. The typically sweet-shooting Wolverines had been 5-for-24 from behind the arc prior to Irvin’s shot.
Tulsa coach Frank Haith called timeout to design a potential game-tying play on the ensuing possession, but the set the Golden Hurricane ran produced an errant jumper from slumping Pat Birt. Michigan secured the rebound and closed out the victory at the foul line to advance to a round of 64 matchup on Friday against Notre Dame.
It’s tempting to suggest Tulsa either proved it belonged in the NCAA tournament with a respectable showing or proved it didn’t belong by failing to advance, but the reality is neither argument stands up.
A one-game sample size wasn’t going to prove or disprove whether Tulsa was worthy. Its previous 31 games showed it ought to be playing in the NIT.
Tulsa (20-12) was a surprise inclusion on Sunday as the final at-large team into the field despite a pedestrian resume that featured a couple of solid home victories over fellow bubble teams and one quality road win at SMU. It was such a shocker for the Golden Hurricane to be included actually admitted to a friend on Twitter last weekend that his team had blown its chance by falling twice to Memphis in the previous two weeks.
Somehow Tulsa got in anyway, earning a date with a one-dimensional Michigan team that itself was among the most controversial at-large selections due to its 4-12 record against top 100 competition. The Wolverines had four top 30 wins, but those were the only remotely decent teams they had beaten all season.
Now Michigan gains entry into the main draw and Tulsa heads home.
It’s not a referendum on which team belonged and which didn’t. It’s just a squandered opportunity for the Golden Hurricane and a satisfying victory for the Wolverines.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
