Yukino Yukinoshita: 2020 ISML Heavenly Tiara Winner/Saimoe Prime Minister

Good evening to all of you, or morning, or afternoon, wherever you are in the world. My name is Yukino Yukinoshita, and I will be your Saimoe Prime Minister for the 2021 campaign. Miyuki Shirogane will be assisting me as Deputy Saimoe Prime Minister, and we have immediately taken over for Violet Evergarden and Rimuru Tempest by issuing this address via Zoom. I want to start by thanking Violet and Rimuru for their services last year and in particular Violet for writing what has been a very tough story for the world to read, one that Miyuki and I intend to finish, or no.

My cabinet will consist of Yui Yuigahama, Iroha Isshiki, Saika Totsuka and my older sister Haruno. They will be my primary counsel related to any executive actions I needed to make. As for Miyuki, he has his own personal counsel of Kaguya Shinomiya, Ai Hayasaka, Chika Fujiwara and Yuu Ishigami, with Miko Iino and Miyuki's sister Kei to also help with his own matters. 

For those of you who voted for Mikoto and for Sakuta Azusagawa (who, for the second straight time, sees a final defeat), I understand your loss and Miyuki and I plan to help you the best way we can. Our two teams would like to personally salute Mikoto Misaka, a longtime servant of Saimoe, and a hero and inspiration to us all. We hope to see her again in the hunt as well as the new encouters she will have in what has been a rich, fruitful journey of adventure.

When Miyuki and I first heard of the news that we had both won out respective races, all of us that I mentioned had a special videoconference meeting to discuss a plan that we needed to implement and enforce not just to Japan, but to the world. It was clear that the first item of business was to end the coronavirus pandemic, or at least manage it to a state where people could recover and go on with their lives.

And so I made it clear that the first item is to encourage all citizens, young and old: GO GET VACCINATED. The vaccines are out to help people get back to working, to get back to living the livelihoods they lost. So many people in this world have been lost to COVID-19, that I feel that we all need to come together and take the initiative in fighting this. Our turn will come, we will get out shots, and we will come back stronger than ever, and I believe all who vote in the International Saimoe League need to do the same. Do you part, get vaccinated, and get back to doing your thing. We will do ours.

Secondly, the great city of Tokyo is due to host the Olympics this summer. And I believe all who will be in the ISML, the Saimoe Parliament, this coming campaign need to get the word out that the Olympics must take place, that all need to play their role in being safe, taking precautions, not getting infected or at least getting vaccinated prior, and then putting on a show that is for the world to see. I love this city, and I am sure you do too. Miyuki does, my husband Hachiman (a former Deputy VP) does, everyone who is a part of this whole process defends the legacy of Tokyo, Japan to the grave. The Games must take place, and it will. So let's make it happen.

And finally, the third major issue I have is the current state of the United States of America. I have called Mrs. Caroline Kennedy on their current issue regarding one of their former leaders and have been in dialogue regarding the direction of America, who I still believe can find their way. We plan to work with our American voters in keeping the dream alive and keeping the fire burning because as they continue to heal, America will continue to recover and we here in Japan hope they will do just that.

In addition to the three main topics suggested, I plan to work the with new government on other issues pertaining to the Saimoe movement as well as do my obligations to assisting the Imperial household and the youth of the household. Her Royal Highness Aiko, Princess Toshi has been personally expecting my presence as well as Miyuki's so for the two of us, this will be a unique experience so we plan to do our best. We hope she looks forward to us being their for her.

To the whole world, it's time. We must face reality with eyes forward and no regrets, at the same time being cautiously optimistic that fortune shall smile on those who believe in us and what we can do to bring happiness to everyone we love. With your support in the Saimoe movement, we can bring an end to the pandemic, we will bring the Games to Tokyo and keep the fire burning, and we will see America be a realm reborn, and even further beyond. 

So rise up, stand together, never be afraid and be ready to lead. As the French saying goes, "Ensemble on va le faire." Together, we will win.

Thank you, may God bless you, and may god bless Japan and the world. Good night.

-Yukino Yukinoshita

2021 Saimoe Prime Minister

2020 International Saimoe League

Heavenly Tiara Winner

Michigan: 2017-18 Big Ten Men's Basketball Champions

NEW YORK –- The man whom teammates sometimes refer to as the "Big Sleep" was wide awake Sunday night at center court in Madison Square Garden. Jon Teske, Michigan's soft-spoken 7-footer, pounded his chest and hollered at a crowd chanting his name after a thunderous dunk that served as the emphatic climax of his team's second consecutive Big Ten tournament championship.

Teske's two-handed finish gave the Wolverines an 18-point lead over Purdue with six minutes to play in the title game. For Teske, it capped a 14-point performance in a 75-66 win for a sophomore who is typically content to linger in the shadows of a team full of burgeoning personalities. For Michigan, it capped a stretch of four wins in four days that removed any doubt that it will enter the NCAA tournament as one of the nation's hottest and most dangerous teams.

Michigan finished fifth in the Big Ten regular-season standings but has lost only once since February began. The Wolverines have nine straight victories, including the last two against the league's top teams -- Purdue and rival Michigan State, the group traditionally known for peaking at this time of year.

Coach John Beilein has made a strong case for Mr. March in the past two years. His teams are 11-2 in the postseason during that time as he adjusts to the skills and personalities that reveal themselves during the course of a season.

"We had all new leadership," Beilein said when comparing this year's tournament champs to the 2017 team. “Players had to step up. I think it wasn't until we got almost to February that our coaching staff just figured out a little bit what we could do and what we could expect."

What Michigan can expect now is energy by the bucketful. And more than any team Beilein has coached in Ann Arbor, that energy has been infectious on both ends of the floor.

Teske's big dunk sent freshman Jordan Poole dancing toward center court to meet him and sophomore Zavier Simpson -- a feisty point guard who has taken the reins of this team in the past month -- flexing close behind them. Moe Wagner, Michigan's more established big man and energy provider, couldn't contain his smile. A few minutes earlier, he had knocked down back-to-back 3s in dramatic fashion to stretch Michigan's lead to double digits and make the final 10 minutes more of a celebration than a stressful race to the finish line.


The Wolverines have lost just once since February began. AP Photo/Julie Jacobson
Beilein said the mutual trust that has served as the foundation of his team's emerging identity took time to develop this season. With Simpson especially, there was a feeling-out process while the sophomore worked his way from a backup role earlier this season to a driving force for their current run. His defense helped change the dynamic of Saturday's semifinal win against Michigan State. Then he scored 10 points and added five assists (including the pass that unleashed Teske's slam) in the championship game against Purdue.

"We're pretty confident," Simpson said Sunday night. "We've just got to keep playing and keep doing smart things."

The trick for Michigan will be keeping that momentum rolling during an unprecedented break in action. It will be at least 11 days before the Wolverines take the court for their next game, thanks to a conference tournament that played out a week early so it could reserve Madison Square Garden as its stage.

These will be uncharted waters for all four Big Ten teams likely to be playing in the NCAA tournament later this month. While it's a thin group of participants for the conference, all four have the potential to do some damage. Michigan State remains among the country's most talented groups. Purdue can string together wins when its inside-outside attack is taking advantage of both dimensions. Ohio State features one of the country's breakout stars in Keita Bates-Diop. And, of course, Michigan has emerged as sharpest of that group the past week in New York.

"It's going to be kind of weird, but we've got to embrace it," Simpson said when asked how he plans to handle the long layoff. "We'll do the smart things in that time to get better."

A long rest could be a help to some. Beilein was quick to point out that plenty of teams that usually get their conference tournament done early have punched above their weight class in the NCAA tournament in past years. He conceded that it would be nice to keep the good times rolling right now, but he is no position to argue with the benefits of having more time.

"In a perfect world that would be great [to keep playing]," Beilein said. "But playing in this arena in front of that crowd, which I feel like was very pro-Michigan, that's a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us. I think it'll be worth the wait."

If the past couple of seasons have taught Beilein's teams anything, it should be that patience is often rewarded.

Michigan: 2016-17 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Champions

Michigan won the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament on Sunday, capping a four-game run to the finish by beating Wisconsin, 71-56, in Washington, D.C. It comes on the heels of a season in which Michigan wasn’t that good and a week that started with what could’ve been a devastating plane crash. Now the Wolverines are champions.

Their plane to Washington last Wednesday was blown off the runway in Ypsilanti, Mich., causing a scare but thankfully no debilitating injuries. The Wolverines arrived in Washington a few hours before beating Illinois by 20 points in their first-round game on Thursday, which they had to play in practice uniforms.

Then the No. 8 Wolverines kept winning: by four points in overtime against top seed Purdue, by seven against No. 4 Minnesota, and then in the final against No. 2 Wisconsin. They were the lower seed in the last three games.

Michigan was an underdog, not because of its travel nightmare but because of its season before that. The Wolverines were 10-8 in Big Ten play in the regular season, and they spent much of the year looking like a fringy NCAA tournament team. But they turned things on a bit in the last month of the regular season, and they should head into the Dance with tons of confidence.

The championship game came down to Michigan’s efficient offense. The unit’s been one of the best in the country all year, even as the defense has often lagged. Against Greg Gard’s elite Wisconsin defense, Michigan shot 55 percent from the field. Veterans Derrick Walton Jr., Zak Irvin, and D.J. Wilson had strong scoring afternoons, and Wisconsin’s offense didn’t have the juice to keep pace with them.

The Big Ten had a weird, mostly bad year. It didn’t have a single elite team, with the possible exception of the Purdue team that lost its first tournament game to Michigan. It didn’t have a serious national player of the year candidate, and it often felt like there was no difference between the second- and eighth-best teams in the league. After this tournament, it’s still hard to peg the NCAA prospects of so many.

But none of that’s on Michigan. The Wolverines were an ordinary Big Ten team with a great offense in a down Big Ten year, and they emerged when nobody else did. This four-game tournament run should go down as one of John Beilein’s most impressive coaching jobs yet in Ann Arbor.

Conference results don’t mean anything in the NCAA tournament. But I wouldn’t want my school to play Michigan later this week, and I suspect you wouldn’t, either.

Virginia Tech Hokies: 2015 Independence Bowl Champions

Virginia Tech played hard for their hall of fame coach Frank Beamer in his last game, beating Tulsa 55-52 in the Independence Bowl.

Although Tulsa lost, the team's fight and this season's turnaround are things that won't be forgotten.

The Golden Hurricane started the game hot with a 48-yard TD run by D’Angelo Brewer to give the Golden Hurricane a 7-0 lead.

Virginia Tech bounced back quick, answering with a 51-yard TD run from Travon McMillian to tie it up 7-all.

The game's lack of defense became very apparent when TU's Zack Langer broke off a long run, leading to a two-yard score to put the Golden Hurricane up 14-7, followed by another VT score to tie it again just minutes in. The tying score tallied 1,000 receiving yards for Isaiah Ford, making him the first 1,000-yard receiver in Virginia Tech history.

At this point, the game was looking like both teams would post 50+ points. Both teams were dominating with the ground game and neither team's defense was making tackles.

Total Yards (11:42, 1st Quarter)

Tulsa- 145

Virginia Tech- 138

The Hokies took their first lead with ten minutes left of one with a 27-yard field goal by Joey Slye, giving VT a 17-14 edge.

The 31 combined points by both teams set an Independence Bowl record for most points in a single quarter.

Sam Rogers increased Tech's lead 24-14 with a 14-yard run. But Tulsa stayed high tempo.

Josh Atkinson hauled in a 44-yard reception from Dane Evans to put TU right back in VT territory. Atkinson's catch helped him slate over 1,000 yards on the season and led to a 9-yard TD connection from Dane Evans to Bishop Louie, cutting Tulsa's deficit 24-21.

By the end of the first, Evans had thrown for 117 yards on 7-10 passing; three of those were to Atkinson for 70 yards.

In just one quarter, Tulsa and VT combined for 463 yards and 45 points.

The Hokies opened the second half hype with a score from Bucky Hodges to put Virginia Tech up 31-21. Tech's 31 points marked the most ever in the 1st half of a bowl game.

VT quickly advanced its lead 45-21 with back to back scores from McMillian and Greg Stroman.

A 29 yarder by Redford Jones and another score from Brewer cut the Hokies lead 45-31 just before the half.

Virginia Tech got the second half rolling with a score from Trey Edmunds that elevated them 52-31. The score recorded the most ever points in a bowl game. Ford also set an Indy Bowl record with 202 receiving yards mid third quarter.

Tulsa fought back, to put up more points. A nine-yard rush up the middle from Evans made it 52-37 as VT lead with 4:11 left of the third quarter.

Later in the final quarter, Evans connected with Atkinson for the TD play, followed by a two-point conversion from Evans to Keyarris Garrett to make it a 10-point game (55-45). At this point, both teams combined for 1,045 yards (7:35 to play). Tulsa continued to fight, posting another score from Garrett to make it 55-52.

In front of a crowd of 31,289 people, Virginia Tech went on to win the record-setting game, 55-52.b

Boise State: 2014 Fiesta Bowl Champions

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Boise State Broncos are no longer just trick-play ponies.

They did score a touchdown on a Statue of Liberty play. This was the VIZIO Fiesta Bowl, so of course they did.

But once the tricks were used up and the offensive fireworks dulled, Boise State had to grind out this VIZIO Fiesta Bowl victory with its defense.

The Fiesta Bowl has brought out the best from the Boise State Broncos over the last decade, and Wednesday's game was no different. Story

Donte Deayon returned an interception for a touchdown in third quarter and sack specialist Kamalei Correa had his biggest takedown of the season on the game's final play, lifting No. 20 Boise State to a 38-30 victory over No. 10 Arizona in the VIZIO Fiesta Bowl on Wednesday.

"They hit us, we stiffened up and came up a winner," Boise State linebacker Tanner Vallejo said.

Boise State (12-2, No. 21 AP) lived up to its unpredictable reputation in the first quarter, pulling off the Statue of Liberty play while racing to a 21-0 lead in the opening 10 minutes.

Jay Ajayi scored two of his three touchdowns in the first quarter -- one on the trick play -- and finished with 134 yards rushing. Grant Hedrick was perfect through his first 14 passes and threw for 304 yards and a touchdown. Thomas Sperbeck had 12 catches for 199 yards.

The bulk of those numbers came in the first half, though. Once the second rolled around, the Broncos bogged down, allowing Arizona to cut the lead to eight in the fourth quarter.

The Wildcats had a final chance, using their quick-strike offense to march down the field, but Correa sacked Anu Solomon at Boise State's 10-yard on the game's last play.

The Broncos charged onto the field after Correa's sack, celebrating a successful first season under coach Bryan Harsin with their third VIZIO Fiesta Bowl victory.

Not bad for a team supposedly in transition.

"People think Boise State isn't a powerhouse program," said Broncos receiver Chaz Anderson, who had a 57-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. "It feels good to be back to where we were in the past."

Arizona (10-4, No. 12 AP) was overrun by Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship and seemed to still have a hangover against the Broncos.

Once the Wildcats shook out of their daze, they shut down Boise State's high-powered offense and began chipping away at the lead.

The problem was that they needed to take bigger chunks.

Instead of scoring touchdowns, Arizona mostly dinked its way back, settling for three field goals after driving deep into Boise State's end.

Turnovers also hurt. Solomon threw for 335 yards and a touchdown, but had two interceptions that led to touchdowns for Boise State, including Deayon's pick six late in the third quarter.

"Everything wasn't going our way," the redshirt freshman said. "I was overthinking things and I just can't do that. I played like a freshman today."

With Wednesday's win over Arizona, Boise State is 3-0 in the VIZIO Fiesta Bowl despite entering each game as the underdog.

Of all the non-playoff bowls, the Fiesta had one of the most intriguing matchups: Two prolific offenses, two programs trying to make a statement with a big-bowl win.

It certainly lived up to the billing at the start.

The big-play Broncos burst out of the gate with long touchdowns on their first two drives: a 56-yard touchdown run by Ajayi and a 57-yard TD hookup between Hedrick and Anderson.

No VIZIO Fiesta Bowl with Boise State would be complete without a Statue of Liberty play, so the Broncos did that, too. Ajayi scored on it, taking a behind-the-back handoff from Hedrick, then stiff-arming Arizona cornerback Cam Denson to the ground on the 16-yard run.

"It was fun to have that play in this game as well," Harsin said.

Arizona was finally able catch its breath and marched in for a 1-yard touchdown dive by Solomon.

But just when the Wildcats looked like they were back in it, Solomon threw an interception, setting up a 1-yard touchdown run by Ajayi that made it 28-7.

Nick Wilson scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter, but Boise State still led 31-17 at halftime after Hedrick completed 17 of 18 passes for 272 yards.

Boise State had 2 yards on 14 plays in the third quarter, but took an 18-point lead Deayon's interception return.

Solomon made up for it right after that, scrambling to the right before finding Samjie Grant for a 51-yard touchdown strike that made it 38-27 heading into the fourth quarter.

Arizona cut it to eight on Casey Skowron's third field goal, from 32 yards, but failed to score on its final two drives.

"Our guys (have) come back from big deficits before," Wildcats coach Rich Rodriguez said. "(We've) just got to play better. We did at times, but not good enough to win it."