LOS ANGELES — Inside the victorious Michigan locker room, atop a carpet long soggy from spilled water bottles, someone pushed a white board against the wall. The right side of this white board told the story of the Wolverines season. On top, someone had affixed a picture of a dog, maybe a pitbull, its mouth twisted into a grimace, teeth out, spit flying everywhere. And below the picture someone had scribbled a single word followed by three exclamation points.
It read: Final 4!!!
That was Michigan this season, a team that wasn’t defined by baggy shorts or future NBA stars or thought early on to be a national championship contender.