B1G Tourney: Rest your starters?
Given how the team played tired in the second half of the season, an early exit won't effect our seeding to dramatically do you rest your starting 5-7 and try to hit the NCAA tourney fresh? Just wondering what people thought since the regular season title is more important to most and the ncaa tourney is more important to all.
No. Your goal should alway be to hang banners. Hanging banners is cool. Play to win.
But, guys like Staus and GR3 need more minutes to regain confidence and get hot again going into the tourney. Similarly, the starters need some serious practice as a unit.
My hope is that the starters play, but that Beilein pulls them a bit sooner or rotates them out a bit more if we look like we have a decent lead.
NO.. Next question
You really don't think this is far fetched??
OK. Aside from the silliness of giving up any chance of a B1G tourney title, don't you think that this would be death for UM on the recruiting trail? How does Bielien defend giving up in a conference tournament to recruits and their parents and their coaches?? Maybe Tom Crean, Tom Izzo, Thad Matta, etc. will just let it go and not hammer us with it, constantly, repeatedly, and justifiably. Nah.....
/silly
Why even show up? Maybe we should go "all-in" and just forfiet to take this to it's logical conclusion.
Sometimes I wonder if people posting actually watch sports or just hear about them from friends.
Edit: Beaten to the snark by mere seconds.......
Tourney. We need this to get the teams mind right.
...I MAY think about it (although we'd have a bye)
Now it's or die time. These boys better be PISSED and come out on this revenge tour looking for blood. I expect us to have an edge like we have only seen in spots this year.
WAR.
March 12th, 2013 at 10:04 AM ^
March 12th, 2013 at 10:06 AM ^
if you're in it you go hard. And I have not doubt that while Beilein might not be crushed if they bowed out early, hell--you gotta beat PSU!
March 12th, 2013 at 10:35 AM ^
I am 100% with those who have said, "play to win." I also believe that winning a bunch in the Big 10 Tournament will improve seeding, and improve confidence.
I wish they had won the Big 10 regular season championship. However, if losing to Indiana helps the lightbulb to go on for several players, and they win the Big 10 Tourney and get at least the Final Four, it was worth it. I want the players to absorb the following:
- Burke to play under control, and not try to do it all;
- The bigs need to rebound better;
- The bigs need to box out better;
- McGary needs to avoid stupid fouls;
- Hardaway needs to avoid taking threes when he isn't really open;
- They all need to make free throws.
If they learned these things, from both the Indiana loss and the season as a whole, and if they do these things in the next 10 games, well, it is worth it.
March 12th, 2013 at 10:37 AM ^
"You Play To Win The Game"
That is all
March 12th, 2013 at 10:39 AM ^
1. Win a regular season conference title.
2. Win your league's tournament.
3. Make a deep run in the NCAA tournament.
Why would you ever want to give one of those up?
March 12th, 2013 at 11:15 AM ^
Beating Wisconsin, Indiana and likely either MSU or OSU not only guarantees a #2 seed, but also opens up the door to a #1 seed. Notice how Michigan didn't really suffer in the polls, actually rising in the AP after the Indiana game? People know we have top seed talent, and running through that gauntlet would justify a #1 seed.
Just beating Wisconsin and playing another tough game with Indiana probably gives us a great shot at landing a #2 seed.
On top of all that, this team needs real game experience to work on their D and rebounding. You can't replicate game experience in practice.
March 12th, 2013 at 12:35 PM ^
March 12th, 2013 at 12:21 PM ^
Simply because this team needs to get in sync, particularly on the defensive end. UM's rotations on D have seemed off. I don't think you fix that by not playing.
March 12th, 2013 at 12:24 PM ^
5 of the last seven NCAA winners won their conference tourney as well
March 12th, 2013 at 12:24 PM ^
March 12th, 2013 at 12:41 PM ^
Conference tournies are a waste of time. 4 games in 4 days for some teams is too much. The regular season is a grind. I wouldn't be upset to win thursday and friday then lose on Saturday. The only concern is staying fresh for the following week, that is more important.
No, you don't rest the starters. Winning a tournament is a great accomplishment and you have at least 3 and potentially up to 6 days up until the NCAAs (assuming we beat PSU).
You do play different rotations and go deeper into the bench because that is a means to the ends of winning the B1G tourney. When you are potentially playing 4 in 4 days and because after PSU we will be playing teams that did not have to play on Thursday we need to keep people fresh. If Burke plays 80 minutes against PSU and WI we are not going to beat Indiana, needs to be more like 60. Ideally, we kill PSU and win by 25 while resting guys, though that looks unlikely at this point. I think you'll see more of Albrecht bringing the ball up court even when Burke is in the game and both he and LeVert will get a fair number of extra minutes that will be spread around to various guys and lineups. I also think you'll see more 2 bigs sets, preferably with Morgan and McGary. Trying to get one guy to screen high and/or maybe even get McGary free for a 12 foot jumper here and there. Also to help on the boards. No drastic changes but enough to try to keep them fresh.
Lots of people mentioning UConn 2011. That's a legit example of a team that went on a big run and had to play through the whole tourney for 5 straight days and then won the NCAAs too. But the fact that everyone is using that same example also points out how much that team is the rare exception that proves the rule rather than the norm.
I think they are at worst a three seed with no wins in the Big Ten Tournament. If they win the thing, M will definitely be a two seed and perhaps a one.
Actually I don't bench my starters against PSU, but I sure as heck try to give Hardaway and Burke a lot more time on the bench than they've had as late. I remember last year's OSU game in the B1G tourney. Burke had literally carried Michigan past, I think, Minnesota, but he had nothing left for the OSU game.
March 12th, 2013 at 10:25 PM ^
I agree with the comments that this team played tired at the end of the season. The B10 was a grind and likely wore them out. 4 games in 4 days won't improve matters.
Of course, if M hadn't lost to IU, Wisky and PSU -- all games they should have won, they'd already have a #1 seed locked up (and an outright title).
I think they should go all out on the PSU game and take it EZ afterward. How many Big East champs have grinded out a Big East title only to lose their first NC2A game?
March 12th, 2013 at 10:53 PM ^
I say just win them all.