Amaker latest Coach K protege to bite the dust

"We haven't been very good when people got pressure into us," Amaker said.

This team needs to invite Bo Schembechler to a practice before worrying about getting an invitation to the tournament.

Amaker's Wolverines, now 18-10, were a bubble team going into the Big Ten Tournament. A listless 59-55 loss to the league's 10th-place team it beat by a combined 38 points in two regular-season meetings will not help.

The word "urgency" is thrown around like Scooby Snacks this time of year. On Friday, Minnesota had it. Michigan didn't. Not only that, it didn't seem to care.

"Whatever happens from here on out, happens," said Michigan's Lester Abram.

"We ... wanted it more than they did," said Minnesota's Zach Puchtel.

Convinced? While Syracuse's Gerry McNamara was single-handedly leading Syracuse to an NCAA berth in New York, Michigan was practically begging for an NIT berth, the fifth of Amaker's nine-year head coaching career. Worse, Michigan's effort played out practically right in front of the NCAA selection committee, which is meeting down street from Conseco Fieldhouse.

This is not the resume you want to present to those scrutinizing eyes: The Wolverines limps home 2-7, losing their last three in a row. In one second-half stretch Friday, they turned the ball over on eight of 11 possessions. The Gophers had at least seven breakaway baskets in the final 20 minutes.

Words like "selfish", "passive" and "lack" "of" "intensity" were tossed around the Michigan camp.

"It's hard to think about that (NCAA Tournament) right now after such a disappointing loss," said senior Daniel Horton who fouled out for the first time this season.

And if the shrub truly is stunted this season, maybe the last.