Michigan
Big Ten late at night | The state of Michigan can sleep easy tonight
Big Ten late at night | The state of Michigan can sleep easy tonight
Tom Izzo’s historic night
Tom Izzo has tied Bob Knight for more career Big Ten wins.
As has always been the case, winning, particularly winning to such a magnitude takes a lot of sacrifice – some comfortable, some not so much.
But there’s no arguing it is an achievement, and one that looked doubtful to happen on Saturday until a freshman took over.
Jase Richardson announces himself
Every Michigan State flaw was on display and amplified with Michigan State’s lead play maker, Jeremy Fears, out with a stomach bug. Also, Xavier Booker out with the stomach bug.
But that’s nothing to how upsetting to the stomach Oregon played in the second half.
A double-digit first half lead turned into a double-digit loss by Oregon, 86-74.
Oregon turned every Michigan State turnover in the first half into points, but in the second, it showed every flaw in its own offense. There’s not a team more prepared to make Michigan State’s offense look like a well oiled machine. Oregon’s defense was put in a vice in the second half, and then it started to turn the handle itself to make it even tighter.
For Michigan State, Jase Richardson, the prodigal son, got his first start and went for a bananas 29 points on 9 of 13 shooting and 8 of 9 from the free throw line. It was the exact offensive explosion a team void of go to guys needed.
Was his outburst good enough to break through Izzo’s stubborness and starting rotaiton going forward or will it all be back to normal when the Spartans’ tummies clear up?
Trusty Dusty
Is there anything more disrespectful than beating a team and then having to half disown any interest in coaching them next year while the current coach is still around?
Well, Dusty Mays did his best to do that while still being a delightful, liked gentleman of scholar and hoops at Michigan.
Indiana looked like crap, then came back, then looked like crap, and then made it close before ultimately collapsing in on itself at the end of a 70-67 loss at home to the Wolverines.
Hard to say the Wolverines looked great, but this game is really going to come down to Mays after game press conference where he was asked about the IU job. Which, I get, it’s an impossible question to entertain. He went all the way to good guy, aw schucks with it, but it also wasn’t as definitely no as I would have expected. His roots are with the Hoosiers as a manager, and while he does coach for a school with a lot of money, great buildings and equipment, and stuff like that, it’s also a school that is offering $12 tickets for the #7 Purdue Boilermakers ticket on Tuesday which will be a matchup of two of the three teams with two losses in the conference.
I’ll be honest, I think IU is a way overrated job, and couldn’t imagine answering to IU fans everyday, but you’re also always going to be second fiddle at Michigan. Then again, Michigan’s had a LOT more success that Indiana in the last two decades. Maybe it’s the best of both worlds – success without expectation.
Anywho, Woodson has now said he will resign, but refuses to answer questions about it or talk to media, proving once again he just doesn’t understand the duty of a college coach and remains one of the worst hires in big time college basketball history. The Big Ten will be better for him leaving IU.
When you beat a bad team but media really likes you
People really want to believe in Illinois I guess. Illinois handled Minnesota on the road, 95, 74, and Will Riley was terrific – 27 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists good.
Generally, not gonna get that excited personally about beating Minnesota, but some people are asking if Illinois is back. The one good thing you can say about this game is that Illinois was 9 of 16 from three. Illinois’ offense has been insanely three-point centric to the detriment of its skillset and record.
But Illinois is starting to look a lot like a front runner team to me.
Let’s hold judgment on their return until after they go through the end of season gauntlet they having coming up.
Iowa winning hearts, losing ball games
Kudos to Iowa, continuing to fight after losing Owen Freeman for the season.
74-63 is a lie of a final score. Iowa was in it till late till Wisconsin pulled away in the final couple minutes.
John Blackwell continues to be great and Wisconsin will get a week to rest and prep before coming to Mackey Arena to take on the Boilers. Wisconsin isn’t really in the picture in the Big Ten, but it has games against Purdue and Michigan State still so it can have a hand in its own destiny.
Six games is way way way too much
UCLA dominated Penn State, 78-54, and I’ll be honest, I went to the gym because the entire day from noon to midnight was filled with Big Ten games.
UCLA is at a deficit with conference record, but it’s hard to argue it isn’t looking like one of if not the most complete team in the Big Ten. (If you ignore offense.)
High knees needs to go
Northwestern’s season is officially cursed. Announced this week, the Wildcats lose another starter for the rest of the season with Jalen Leach out with an ACL injury. He joins Brooks Barnhizer as gone for the year for Chris Collins.
Speaking of gone, Collins got yeeted out of the Northwestern-Washington showdown in the first half by official Mr. High Knees hiimself. High Knees has officially replaced Courtney Greene as the most problematic official in the Big Ten.
Officiating in general is a plague on the Big Ten. Not sure there’s any real avenue of improvement, but it’d be one thing all 18 teams could agree on. It’d probably help to stop sending officials from west to east coast on back to back nights. Just one guy’s opinion.
Anyways, Washington wins 76-71 over a depleted Northwestern team.
Two Super Bowl Sunday early afternoon games
For those sports hungry addicts, Maryland will play host to Rutgers and Nebraska will host Ohio State tomorrow starting at noon and then going at two o’clock on the Big Ten Network.
Both should be good games. Dylan Harper made Rutgers look like world beaters in their last game and Maryland has been one of the Big Ten’s hottest teams but has to make ammends for an upset loss to Ohio State in its last game. Should be a good showdown.
Ohio State goes into Nebraska, not an easy place to win, and Ohio State needs to handle business against lower ranked teams to stay in the hunt for the NCAA Tournament.
Lot of NBA talent in these two games. Should be a good one.
Michigan mother of three talks about how she broke her kratom addiction
Melanie Clark, 35, of Kincheloe in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, has fought a four-year-long addiction to kratom, the so-called “gas station heroin.”
Michigan lawmakers are debating a complete ban on the sale of kratom products in the state, citing cases of addiction and instances of death from people consuming the herbal supplement known as the “gas station heroin.”
Here is what to know about this unregulated herbal substance commonly sold in convenience stores, gas stations and tobacco shops across Michigan:
What is kratom?
Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia whose leaves contain compounds that can produce stimulant effects at low doses and opioid-like effects at higher doses. It is manufactured and sold in different forms: liquid tonics, tablets, gummies, powders and capsules.
What is kratom used for?
Kratom is marketed as a herbal supplement for energy, mood, pain relief or opioid withdrawal, though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved any of those uses. Some kratom users take it to get off heroin or fentanyl, according to University of Michigan researchers.
How is kratom pronounced?
Kratom is pronounced KRA-tum. The letter “a” takes a short “a” sound, as in crab or crack.
What is 7-OH?
7-hydroxymitragynin, or 7-OH, is an alkaloid found in kratom leaves. It is manufactured in a synthetic form to produce an opioid-like sensation of pain relief or sedation. It is more potent than pure leaf kratom and sometimes referred to as the hard liquor version of kratom (if pure leaf kratom were considered beer, which typically has a much lower percentage of alcohol by volume compared with distilled liquor).
Is kratom an opioid or addictive?
Kratom users, substance abuse counselors and doctors report symptoms of dependence and withdrawal from the substance, particularly when users exceed the recommended serving size.
The Drug Enforcement Agency has warned that kratom has “sedative effects” that “can lead to addiction.”
On July 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration moved to declare certain 7-hydroxymitragynine synthetic kratom products a Schedule I controlled substance, the same class of drugs as heroin, ecstasy and peyote. As of April 9, the substance had not yet been formally added to the list of Schedule I drugs, which would effectively ban 7-OH nationwide.
Does kratom have side effects?
The FDA has warned that kratom use can lead to liver toxicity, seizures or substance use disorder.
Withdrawal from the substance can lead to increased anxiety, insomnia and psychiatric episodes, according to University of Michigan researchers.
Dr. Eliza Hutchinson, a family physician based in Ann Arbor who is a clinical instructor at UM, said her substance abuse patients describe withdrawal from kratom as “the worst influenza of your life — times 10.”
CARE Southeastern Michigan, a recovery advocacy group, has reported some individuals experiencing psychotic episodes after taking 7-OH, the synthetic form of kratom.
The FDA has also said kratom is “not appropriate for use as a dietary supplement” and unsafe as an additive to food. The powder and liquid forms of kratom are sometimes marketed as an additive to shakes and smoothies.
Does kratom show up on a drug test?
Yes, if it’s part of a specialized screening of narcotics and other substances that looks for active ingredients in kratom products.
Some substance abuse clinics in Michigan are starting to test for it, said Madison Lauder, a counselor at The Guidance Center in Southgate.
“We see you so often, we have added into our (drug test) panel,” Lauder said.
Is there any age restriction on buying kratom in Michigan?
No, Michigan has no laws governing the sale of kratom and related synthetics, such as 7-OH.
But retailers set their own rules. Some stores won’t sell to anyone under age 21.
Some of the 7-OH kratom products on the shelves of stores are labeled “21+.”
But there’s no law on the books in Michigan requiring buyers to show a photo ID when buying kratom, as is required to purchase alcohol, tobacco or marijuana.
Which states have bans on selling kratom?
Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin have outright bans on the sale of kratom.
In December, Ohio’s Board of Pharmacy used the state’s controlled substance laws to ban the retail sale, distribution and possession of 7-OH and other synthetic forms of kratom, board spokesman Cameron McNamee said.
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy has a separate proposal to ban natural kratom products that remains in the rulemaking process, McNamee said.
Some cities and counties across the country have imposed varying local sales bans, including Anaheim, Calif., Spokane, Wash., and the New York City suburbs of Nassau County on Long Island, according to published reports.
What’s the status of legislation to ban kratom in Michigan?
On March 18, the Republican-controlled Michigan House voted 56-48 on legislation that would completely ban the sale of kratom products in Michigan. All 46 Democrats and two Republicans opposed the legislation.
Democrats cited a lack of any committee hearings on the legislation.
“There is no question of the growing concern around this product, and no one is saying, with this vote or otherwise, that the concern isn’t justified,” the House Democratic caucus said in a statement. “What we are saying is an outright ban, without any testimony or dialogue, is not the solution.”
The bill moved to the Democratic-controlled Senate, where Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, assigned it to her Government Operations Committee.
Some kratom industry interests and individual users have advocated for a ban on just the 7-OH synthetic form of kratom.
Sen. Kevin Hertel, the St. Clair Shores Democrat who chairs the Senate Health Policy Committee, said the House’s passage of a total ban on kratom has changed the debate toward prohibition, which he favors until the FDA can further study the substance and its impact on the human body.
clivengood@detroitnews.com
Staff Writers Anne Snabes and Beth LeBlanc contributed.
For much of April, showers and melting snow has swamped Michigan, flooding homes, businesses, cottages, roadways; threatening and destroying infrastructure, including dams, and forcing what is likely hundreds of Michiganders to evacuate.
The unusual weather put the entire state under a flood watch.
It’s not over.
To help, the state’s Emergency Operations Center — which was activated on April 10, along with the governor’s state of emergency declaration — created a digital map identifying shelters and damaged areas.
There also is a livestream of the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex.
As of Monday morning, the water level at the dam had dropped slightly, and was less than 8 inches below the top, which is still a threat to both the community in the event of a spillover — or structural failure.
The map, which the emergency center is calling a dashboard, shows warming and cooling centers and where people can get food. It tracks where the tornadoes touched down, and the roadways that are under water, were eroded away and are completely washed out.
The emergency center also is providing more information on its website on how to ask for help, what state and federal assistance might be available, and how to get emergency email alerts from the State Police.
Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com
-
Sports2 minutes agoEli Manning fires back amid debate comparing ex-Giants star to Falcons great Matt Ryan
-
Technology8 minutes agoFake Windows update installs hidden malware
-
Business14 minutes agoNetflix plans to buy historic Radford Studio Center
-
Entertainment20 minutes agoAfter Epstein scandal, Hollywood bidders race for Wasserman’s $3-billion agency
-
Lifestyle26 minutes agoThe story behind this rare architectural speaker from cult Japanese fashion brand TheSoloist
-
Politics32 minutes agoBecerra sees momentum, money and movement in the polls in governor’s race
-
Science38 minutes agoFBI probes cases of missing or dead scientists, including four from the L.A. area
-
Sports44 minutes agoRams coach Sean McVay says Puka Nacua is ‘doing really well’ after rehab stint