Hail to the Victors: Michigan Wins NIT, 62-55

Coach Tommy Amaker has been through enough postseason basketball to know what Michigan needed most as it made its run at the National Invitation Tournament championship against Rutgers on Thursday night.

The message of the former Duke standout to his players was simple: Slow down.

“We talked at halftime and throughout the second half about poise,” Amaker said. “It was an electric atmosphere and sometimes you play faster than you want to.”

The young Wolverines almost fell into that trap. Rutgers wiped out a 12-point lead and nudged in front briefly before Michigan recovered and won the title, 62-55.

“We never found a groove,” Amaker said. “But it was enough to come out with a victory.”

And the victory delivered a championship Michigan might never have had a chance to play for except for a rare decision by the NCAA last September to grant the school’s appeal of sanctions and make Amaker’s team eligible for postseason play.

The reversal gave Michigan something to play for and the NIT championship was the eventual reward.

Michigan’s last NIT championship came in 1997, but that was stripped as part of self-imposed sanctions following NCAA violations. The Wolverines had not been to a postseason tournament since 2000.

“I’m thrilled for our team and our program,” Amaker said. “We tried to make the most of this season in a fashion to make our university proud.”

Michigan (23-11) opened a 41-29 lead before Quincy Douby’s only basket started a 15-2 Rutgers’ run that nudged the Scarlet Knights into the lead.

But the Wolverines quickly reclaimed momentum.

After Ricky Shields put Rutgers (20-13) in front, 44-43, Dion Harris responded with a three-point basket to move Michigan back in front.

Juel Wiggan tied it for Rutgers, but Michigan’s Bernard Robinson Jr. scored with 7:37 remaining and the Wolverines had the lead for good.

Robinson then converted three free throws in a 9-0 Michigan run that secured the victory.

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USC is in negotiations with UC Irvine to play the Anteaters at the Sports Arena for the Trojans’ season opener on Nov. 22. A game with Irvine would complete USC’s nonconference schedule for the 2004-05 season.

The Trojans already are scheduled to play host to Brigham Young (Dec. 4), Fresno State (Dec. 8), St. Mary’s (Dec. 11), Western Michigan (Dec. 18) and Southern (Dec. 28) and travel to North Carolina (Nov. 28) and La Salle (Nov. 30).

USC also will play in the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu (Dec. 21-24). Other teams competing are Indiana State, Long Beach State, Hawaii, Alabama Birmingham, Clemson, Georgetown and Louisiana State.

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Washington State assistant Mike Burns was hired at Eastern Washington, returning to the school where he once worked.

Burns replaces Ray Giacoletti, who was hired earlier this week by Utah after leading the Eagles to their first NCAA tournament appearance.

Burns agreed to a four-year contract with a base salary of $82,500 a year.

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Virginia Athletic Director Craig Littlepage announced that Pete Gillen will return for a seventh season, ending weeks of speculation about the coach’s future. Gillen is 104-78 in six seasons but the Cavaliers have failed to earn an NCAA bid in five of Gillen’s six seasons.

The Cavaliers finished 18-13 after losing to Villanova in the second round of the NIT. Gillen has seven years remaining on a contract worth about $900,000 annually.