

Michigan senior Josh Bartelstein breaks down Final Four run

Apr. 2, 2013


As Michigan's final practice of the season in the Crisler Center came to a close Tuesday, players shot free throws and three-pointers. But one thing put an exclamation point on that practice: Senior Josh Bartelstein dunked.

Dunks at a college practice are a dime a dozen, but this one was special because it was Bartelstein doing the dunking.

"It was great, because Josh Bartelstein's been through so many surgeries, injured a bunch of times throughout the season, and the last time I saw him dunk was my freshman year, and that was two years ago," junior Tim Hardaway Jr. said. "It was great to see him healthy and out there so he could dunk."

Bartlestein began the season as the team's lone captain until a few weeks ago when coach John Beilein added Hardaway, senior Corey Person and sophomore Trey Burke to the list.

Bartelstein couldn't believe the reaction after U-M earned its spot in the Final Four.

"My phone wasn't working because so many messages were coming through, it kept freezing," he said. "I responded to every single person who texted me or e-mailed me, I made sure. It took me awhile."

Most of that happened Sunday after U-M knocked off Florida, but the atmosphere on campus blew him away.

"Oh, my God, campus is electric," he said. "Everyone who congratulated me I asked if they were going to Atlanta ... every single person I've asked has said yes. I think they're just going down for the party."

Bartelstein will trade the party for the dream.

"You dream about it all the time, when you're playing with your dad in the driveway," he said. "The weird thing is I remember my sophomore year when we lost to Duke at the buzzer. You realize once you get in the NCAA tournament and win a game how close everything is."

It isn't that Bartelstein thought making it to Atlanta would be simple, but he broke it down into three distinctive series that didn't seem so overwhelming.

"We win four games and we're in the Final Four," he said. "The first game is always the hardest to win, and I remember telling the guys to just get to the second weekend. ... It's like a fairly tale. A weekend at a time, and before you know it, you're there."


Things To Do


Real Deals
