Michigan men's basketball's success an inspiration for football team
Ann Arbor — About 20 of the Michigan football players made the trek to Indianapolis last Saturday to watch the Wolverines’ basketball team advance in the NCAA Tournament national semifinal with a dominant win over Arizona . Head coach Kyle Whittingham also was there to support head coach Dusty May and his team. Michigan faces UConn tonight for the national title at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
The Michigan women’s basketball team, who finished a program-best seventh in the final AP poll released Monday after reaching the Elite Eight, piled into a bus Monday to head to the game to support the team. Jake Guarnera, a starting offensive linemen, said the football players have been very supportive of the basketball program. The Michigan hockey team also departed Monday for Las Vegas for the Frozen Four.
“It’s great to see the other sports just being really competitive, and that’s what Michigan is about having competitive programs,” Guarnera said. “The football team is gonna try our best to be that top competitive program next year. ” More: New Michigan football coach Kyle Whittingham establishing discipline Fellow offensive lineman Andrew Sprague said he enjoyed being at the game Saturday and that the football team is feeding off the basketball team’s success.
“It’s really fun to cheer them on, but in the back of your mind, it inspires us to want this school to come together for the football team how they do for the basketball team going to the national championship,” Sprague said. “We want to go and get a national championship for the school. ” Receiver Kendrick Bell, who also has a basketball background, said he’d happily play for May “and play some defense and dunk some basketballs.
” “I was there Saturday watching them play,” Bell said. “Arizona is one of the best teams in the country, and we were leading by 30. We are having fun with it this whole spring ball experience.