密歇根新闻广播 狼獾队的最佳表现

The Michigan basketball team beat Loyola last weekend and made it to the NCAA finals. That was a minor¹ miracle in itself.

The team had almost no stars – with maybe one future NBA draft pick. They started slowly, with very weak defense², playing one of the nation's toughest schedules.

So head coach John Beilein and his staff went to work, transforming their team from one of the nation's worst defensive³ teams to one of the best – plus great shooting. When they got to the Big Ten tournament, they knocked off the league's top three teams in three days.

In the NCAA tournament, the best teams on Michigan's side of the bracket were swept away early, which gave the Wolverines the luxury of playing their first five games against lower-ranked teams. Even though they shot poorly in four of those five games, their new defense and some timely buckets were enough to advance all the way to the finals.

But when they got there, Villanova was waiting. Unlike the Wolverines, the Wildcats were great from start to finish, starting the season ranked fifth, and spending eight weeks at number one.

They had player of the year Jalen Brunson, and five others who averaged more than 10 points a game. When Michigan Radio's Doug Tribou asked me which Villanova players Michigan should watch, I said, “All of ‘em.”

If Michigan played Villanova ten times, Villanova might win nine. But the finals are one game takes all. I thought if the Wolverines kept playing tough defense and returned to their hot shooting ways, they could win.

San Antonio's Alamodome seats 68,000, and it's designed for football, not basketball. When you play basketball in such a cavernous environment the energy is often lost, but not this time. An hour before tip-off, the Alamodome was packed to the rafters, and loud. VERY LOUD.

It was a great atmosphere, with the exception of the refs' horn, which sounded like it came from a clown car. If I'd killed the operator, no jury of my peers would convict me.

The game started with both teams treating the fans to spectacular basketball, with championship-level intensity⁴. The Wolverines showed they could hang with the mighty⁵ Wildcats, going up 21-14 – a stark⁶ contrast to the start of Villanova's previous game, when the Wildcats put up 47 on Kansas in the first half alone. Game over.

But when the Wolverines' hot hands turned icy cold, Villanova's first man off the bench, Donte DiVincenzo, started hitting everything in sight, pumping in 31 points by himself. The next closest scorer was... not even close. The dude singlehandedly won the game for Villanova, 79-62.

The drubbing at least allowed Coach Beilein to practice one of basketball's great traditions: calling a timeout to bring his senior starters off the court for one last ovation⁷, and a big hug.

After the game, Beilein said, "The sadness that we feel right now will go away, once you (remember) all the great things we were able to accomplish this year."

The list was considerable. Since 2013, Michigan is tied for the most NCAA tournament wins with the University of North Carolina. Yes, the same university that had to claim its bogus courses were real to keep its banners. Meanwhile, Beilein's peers named him the most honest coach in the game, and his players rank among the nation's best in the classroom.

The Wolverines won their second straight Big Ten tournament title this year, and made it to another NCAA final -- far more than anyone could have expected. Next fall Michigan will raise two more banners in Crisler Arena⁸ – and neither will ever come down due to cheating.

Getting this far, led by the cleanest coach in the country, should count for something.

John U. Bacon is a freelance sports commentator⁹. His views are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Michigan Radio, its management, or its license¹⁰ holder¹¹, the University of Michigan.

1 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

4 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

5 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

6 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

7 ovation   

n.欢呼，热烈欢迎，热烈鼓掌

参考例句：

• The hero received a great ovation from the crowd. 那位英雄受到人群的热烈欢迎。
• The show won a standing ovation. 这场演出赢得全场起立鼓掌。

8 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

9 commentator   

n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员

参考例句：

• He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
• The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。

10 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

11 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。