Michigan Overcomes Shaky Start to Advance to the Next Round:

With Michigan's offense struggling in the first half, Tim Hardaway Jr. provided the lift needed to help the Wolverines advance to the next round of the NCAA Tournament.For the Michigan Wolverines, last night’s game against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits was more about redemption than anything. In last year’s NCAA Tournament, the then 4-seeded Wolverines lost in their first game to the 13-seeded Ohio Bearcats. And because of how poorly Michigan played in the tournament last year, this year’s matchup was one the experts were talking about. Which Michigan team would show up- the team that started the season 16 – 0 or the team that limped into the tournament by going 6 – 6 down the stretch?

Michigan didn’t necessarily put those questions to rest as they started the game. Play of the Year candidate Trey Burke struggled to find any rhythm and at times seemed more concerned with getting his own game kick started. Luckily for Michigan, Tim Hardaway Jr. put the team on his back in the 1^st half scoring 12 points (all 3-point shots). As Michigan went to halftime however, they still only had a slim 30 – 26 lead. In the 2^nd half, a couple freshmen for Michigan took over the game. Glenn Robinson III scored the first 11 points of the half for Michigan as he went on to lead all scores with 21 (8 of 9 from the field). Mitch McGary gave Michigan the added height, muscle, and energy they needed as he added 13 points. McGary also probably sealed the victory when he stole a Nate Wolters pass late in the game and took it the length of the court for a dunk. As for Burke, the night probably didn’t go quite as planned. He finished with only 6 points and had to leave the game for a little while after coming down hard on his tailbone and elbow. His team lived to fight another day however, and they will face the 5-seeded Virginia Commonwealth Rams at 12:15pm on Saturday. The Rams will be a much tougher opponent, and Michigan will need Burke and his teammates to be on top of their game to move on to the Sweet Sixteen. When Michigan shows up and plays like they can and should, I don’t think there is another team in college basketball that can beat them. I expect Michigan to come out firing this time and while the game will be fairly close throughout, Michigan should advance to the next round. (Picture from Detroit Free Press)

Michigan and Michigan State Both Top Four Seeds in NCAA Tourney:

The Michigan Wolverines (26 - 7) and the Michigan State Spartans (25 - 8) have made the 68-team field of the 2013 NCAA Tournament. Michigan State were granted the 3rd Seed in the Midwest Region and will play the 14-seeded Valparaiso Crusaders (26 - 7) on Thursday at 12:15pm ET. While the Spartans should move past Valparaiso with relative ease, they are in probably the toughest regions in the tournament. Potential matchups against 2-seeded Duke and 1-seeded Louisville could be on the horizon if the Spartans expect to advance to another Final Four. For Michigan, there opening match against the 13-seeded South Dakota State Jackrabbits (25 - 9) on Thursday at 7:15pm ET could be a little tighter. The Jackrabbits are a good team that could give Michigan's youth some trouble. On a side note, Michigan was a 4-seed last year as well and lost to 13-seeded Ohio University in their first game in last year's tournament. Should Michigan advance as expected, their potential matchups could be against 5-seeded VCU, 1-seeded Kansas, and 2-seeded Georgetown or 3-seeded Florida Gators. I would expect both teams to win their first two games to make it to the Sweet Sixteen, but they'll both have to really be on top of their games to make it further than that. Anything can happen though...that's what makes this time of year so exciting!

Tigers Release OF Brennan Boesch After Three Seasons:

OF Brennan Boesch showed signs of being a nice young outfielder for Detroit, but injuries and slumps kept him from fully developing.After three seasons with the Tigers, Detroit released OF Brennan Boesch on Sunday. In Boesch’s first season with the Tigers, he came out scorching hot in the first half of the season. The second half of the season was a different story- whether he just got tired or pitchers started to figure him out. He finished his rookie season with a .256 batting average with 14 homeruns, 67 RBIs, 49 runs scored, and 7 stolen bases in 464 at-bats. Boesch came out hot again in his second season, but a thumb injury derailed his season and caused him to miss the postseason, which resulted in the Tigers losing to the Texas Rangers in the A.L. Championship Series. His second year numbers were a .283 batting average with 16 homeruns, 54 RBIs, 75 runs scored, and 5 stolen bases in 428 at-bats. In his third and now final season with the Tigers, Boesch started off very slow. He eventually picked it up a little during the season and finished with a .240 batting average with 12 homeruns, 54 RBIs, 52 runs scored, and 6 stolen bases in 470 at-bats. His up and down season led the Tigers to leave him off the postseason roster, which resulted in a losing to the San Francisco Giants in the World Series. This offseason, the Tigers decided to upgrade the second hitting spot in the lineup and singed RF Torii Hunter from the Los Angeles Angels. With Hunter taking over at right field and Austin Jackson manning center field, it left Boesch, Andy Dirks, and Quintin Berry battling for the left field position. Boesch got off to another slow start in spring training (.188 batting average), which was helped by an oblique strain at the start of training camp. So when the Tigers were unable to trade Boesch to another team, they decided that the best thing for him and the team would be to release him rather than sending him down to Triple-A. With that decision, Dirks is the leading candidate for the left field position. With less than a month left in spring training, management can now focus their attention on their overabundance of starting pitching and their struggles at the closer position. (Picture from Google Images)

Lions OT Jeff Backus Retires After Twelve Seasons:

OT Jeff Backus was a model of consistency and durability during his 12-year career with the Detroit Lions.After twelve seasons in the NFL, OT Jeff Backus has finally called it quits even though he still had one year left on his contract. After being drafted in the 1^st Round in the 2001 NFL Draft out of Michigan, Backus spent his entire career with the Detroit Lions. Backus was probably better suited to play at right tackle in the NFL due to background in a more run-oriented offense in college, but he proved to be a good left tackle and was very consistent. Backus also proved to be a very durable throughout his career as he set a franchise record with 187 consecutive starts (236 consecutive starts bating back to his time at Michigan), which was snapped when he was unable to play the Thanksgiving game this past season against the Houston Texans. In that game, OT Riley Reiff replaced Backus in the starting lineup at left tackle. Reiff, the 1^st Round pick of the Lions in the 2012 NFL Draft out of Iowa, is an option to take over the left tackle position going forward. Detroit could also look at other internal options like Jason Fox or Corey Hilliard, but neither of those players have a lot of playing experience. Another option is for the Lions to look for a left tackle in free agency, but that option could cost them more money than they can afford to pay. A third option would be to trade for an offensive tackle mush like they did when they acquired OG Rob Sims from Seattle for a 5th Round pick. The final option is for the second consecutive year to take another offensive tackle in the draft. The Lions do have the fifth pick in the draft and while it was expected the Lions would either draft a corner or a defensive end with the pick, there are two offensive tackles that could be options. Luke Joeckel out of Texas A&M and Eric Fisher out of Central Michigan are the top two tackle in this year’s draft and are both expected to be taken in the first ten pick. Regardless of which direction the Lions take to replacing Backus at left tackle, the Lions will surely miss his leadership, consistency, and durability! (Picture from Google Images)

Update on Thursday, March 14, 2013 at 5:49PM by Dave Stevenson

With OT Gosder Cherilus leaving in free agency to the Indianapolis Colts and OG Stephen Peterman being released before free agency, the Lions have other holes on the offensive line that also need to be filled. While Reiff will be filling one of those three positions, Detroit will still need to find solutions for the other two holes. They could look internally, in free agency, in a trade, or in the draft to fill those holes, but they need to fill them with quality players rather than just fill-ins.

Lions Re-Sign Top Corner and Address Three Needs in Free Agency:

CB Chris Houston has been the top corner for the Lions and was one of their top priority to re-sign.The Detroit Lions were quiet on the first day of free agency, but they made up for their silence on Day 2. The first priority on their list that they resolved was re-signing CB Chris Houston to a 5-year $25 million deal. Houston was far and away the best cornerback on the Lions roster last season, and Detroit made it a top priority to resign him. There are other cornerbacks out on the market, but it makes much more sense to bring back a guy that already knows the system and from whom you already know what you’re going to get. It’s not out of the question for the Lions to possibly add another corner eventually in free agency or in the draft, but getting Houston back under contract was a big plus for Detroit.

DE/DT Jason Jones has a knowledge of the Detroit defensive system having played under Jim Schwartz in Tennessee.Next the Lions looked to add some depth to the defensive line by signing DL Jason Jones (6’5”, 276-pounds) from the Seattle Seahawks to a reported 3-year $9.5 million contract. Jones, a Michigan-native and Eastern Michigan alum, is able to play both defensive end and defensive tackle but will most likely play more end for Detroit. Drafted by the Tennessee Titans in 2008, Jones played under Lions head coach Jim Schwartz, who was the Titans defensive coordinator at the time. The signing could end up being an important one with the lack of starters at defensive end and the lack of depth at defensive tackle.

RB Reggie Bush gives the Lions offense the added dimension of speed and big-play ability that they have been lacking since the injury to Jahvid Best.Next the Lion made a big splash and addressed a big need by signing RB Reggie Bush of the Miami Dolphins to a 4-year $16 million contract. While considered only a third-down back and a change of pace back during his time with the Saints, Bush proved that he can be an every down back rushing for 2,072 yards and 12 touchdowns in two seasons with the Dolphins. The signing of Bush gives the Lions that added dimension they haven’t had since Jahvid Best’s concussion, which has kept him sidelined for the past 1 ½ seasons. Bush might not have quite the same speed and shiftiness that Best had, but I don’t think there is another player in the NFL that is quite like Best. Bush will add that big play ability from the running back position that Detroit lacked last season. He will be effective catching the ball out of the backfield and making something happen, hitting the hole a little quicker on a draw play, and motioning out to the slot to create a mismatch against opposing linebackers. The Lions will now have that one-two punch or power and speed with Bush and Mikel Leshoure that they were hoping for when they drafted Leshoure two years ago to pair with Best.

S Glover Quin is one of the top young safeties in the leagues and brings a multi-dimensional aspect that the Lions have been searching for from the safety position.Finally the Lions made another huge signing and address another huge need by signing S Glover Quin of the Houston Texans to a 5-year deal. While not exactly a well-known name in the NFL, Quin is one of the top young safeties in the league. Drafted by the Texans in 2009 out of New Mexico, Quin spent his first two seasons playing cornerback before being moved to safety. That move couldn’t have worked out better as he has flourished in his new position. The most important information for the Lions is that Quin has only missed one game in his four seasons in the NFL (Delmas and Spievey missed a combined 19 games just last season). Quin is physical enough to come up and support against the run and skilled enough to play in pass coverage in the nickel, dime, or as the safety. So the addition of Quin gives the Lions a physical, but durable young safety that is also good in coverage.

The signings of these four players cannot be understated. Adding Bush gives the offense that added dimension that they have been lacking and should force defense to pick their poison- getting beat on the ground with Bush or through the air by Calvin Johnson. Re-signing Houston gives the Lions a top corner to build around. Signing Jones could answer one of the questions at defensive end. And signing Quin gives the Lions the pass-covering safety that they have long been searching for. The best part is that the Lions didn’t break the bank and overpay for any of these players. They found that middle ground in the contracts that worked for the player and for the team. Don’t expect these additions to be the only ones for Detroit however. The Lions still have holes that need to be addressed. While some of those holes will be addressed in the draft, the Lions will most likely be patient and look for deals in free agency to fill some of their other needs. (Pictures from Google Images)