Even with a win, Michigan continues to lose...

...Lose things like respect, fans, tournament bids, and recruits. Today's lackluster victory over the Minnesota Gophers was just another blemish on the Tommy Amaker era.

I wasn't able to watch the Michigan St. game near as closely as I did the Michigan game, as I had a few real life things to accomplish. But I definitely picked to wrong game to liveblog. MSU beat Northwestern in a game that was close, decently played, and was relatively entertaining.

I can't say any of that about Michigan.

The anchors at the Worldwide Leader have been making numerous snarky comments about the pain that came from watching that awful Michigan - Minnesota Big 10 tournament game. As a fan of the Wolverines, about all I can say is that the truth hurts.

It was an awful exhibition of basketball. Actually, I wouldn't even call it basketball. It was 10 guys running up and down a hardwood floor, working up a sweat, while not accomplishing much of anything.

It was that bad. It sure as Hell wasn't Big 10 basketball.

If any of Tommy Amaker's recruits were watching, they had to be having second thoughts about committing. Michigan played a boring, turnover filled, and just plain dumb brand of basketball. Yet Michigan AD Bill Martin, if you believe the rumors, plans on bringing back Amaker for another craptacular season.

After watching that debacle of a victory, I have no idea how Martin can think that the Wolverines basketball program is in capable hands.

This was supposed to be the season that the Wolverines broke through. This senior lead team, 4 of them starters, was going to lead Michigan to what once was commonplace, a NCAA tournament bid. Instead, they are on the bubble of being on the bubble. Hell, as I said in my liveblog, even the NIT has to be having second thoughts about inviting Michigan.

Amaker's players do their best, and play hard, but that will take you only so far at the D-1 level. No one on the roster has improved in the way you see players in other programs. For example, just look up the road at Michigan State, with Drew Neitzel being proof positive that players improve under Tom Izzo's tutelage.

You don't see players take that next step at Michigan, as Neitzel did in his vast improvement from being a role player as a frosh to where he is now, 1st team all Big 10. That's a shame, as you can see the upside in many of the Wolverines. But Amaker is unable to get his recruits to play to their potential.

At this point, with season after season of the same lack of results, I don't see that ever changing.