March 12, 2012
Michigan basketball preparing to play the real 'Ohio'
By The Detroit News
Michigan's opening game in the NCAA Tournament is against Ohio.
Ohio? As in "Ohio," which Michigan football coach Brady Hoke uses to refer to arch-rival Ohio State? "Ohio" also is how Michigan basketball coach John Beilein refers to the Buckeyes.
But the team the Wolverines play Friday night is actually Ohio, as in Ohio University, based in Athens, Ohio.
Beilein clarified his opponent's name during an interview Monday morning on WXYT.
"There's Ohio University and then there's just Ohio," Beilein said. "And Ohio University is who we're playing on Friday. I think people understand who I'm talking about, and I'll try to be very clear about it. But we're playing Ohio University, a tremendous university in Athens, Ohio."
Ohio coach John Groce, a former Ohio State assistant, said he's staying out of the Michigan-Ohio State issues.
"My deal is that's a spat between Ohio State and Michigan," Groce told the Athens Messenger. "The thing that gets lost in the deal is we're Ohio University. We're Ohio. We like to be referred to as Ohio. That's who we are."
Groce told the paper he doesn't take Michigan's reference to Ohio State as Ohio as a knock on Ohio University.
"You can't control it, so I don't get caught up in it," he said.
Ohio State coach Thad Matta had some fun with the Michigan-Ohio matchup, joking with reporters Sunday night after the bracket was revealed.
"That is irony at its finest right there," Matta said. "That's going to be really confusing (for Michigan). Maybe (Ohio) can borrow whatever uniform we're not wearing."
