Before last week’s plane mishap and Michigan’s improbable run to the Big Ten tournament title, coach John Beilein told his players a story.
Back when Beilein was coaching at West Virginia in 2005, the Mountaineers were on the NCAA Tournament bubble and desperately needed to string together wins in the Big East tournament.
Rather than drive to Madison Square Garden, Beilein and his team took a charter flight, something it rarely did. The plan was to get into New York City at 6 p.m. the night before its opening round game against Providence and get a good night’s sleep.