Anonymous B1G Bball Coach Discusses Michigan's Weaknesses
Here is the full link: http://www.si.com/college-basketball/2017/02/20/acc-big-ten-big-12-scou…
The nugget on Michigan is about halfway down. The most brutal parts are highlighted:
"Michigan: “Obviously they’re not great defensively, but they’re confident they can score against you. [Junior forward D.J.] Wilson and [sophomore forward Moritz] Wagner have emerged as premiere players. If [senior guard Duncan] Robinson is in the game you want to attack him defensively. Everybody knows that. Sometimes [senior guard Derrick] Walton just coasts on defense. The point of attack is where your defense has to be at its best. You have to keep Walton out of the paint. He can shoot it, but he does most of his damage when he’s breaking your defense down. If they’re not making shots, I don’t think they can beat good teams. Everybody that starts can make shots for them. [Senior guard] Zak Irvin is having a down year. He’s not shooting the ball as well. People have been keying on him a little more and making him take tough twos. I love Wilson, but he’s not a tough kid. I’ve seen guys punk him and he didn’t fight back. They’re real soft defensively. I just think they have to spend so much time and energy getting that offense to work that they don’t have a lot of time to work on defense. There’s nobody who runs better pick-and-roll offense than John Beilein. They get guys eight or 10 points who don’t deserve to score.”
MOD EDIT - Initially took this down because that's what happens when I mod in the middle of a meeting where I don't have a chance to read, but upon reading the tab, a title change - as suggested in the Sticky - works better. My mistake. - LSA
February 21st, 2017 at 12:28 PM ^
February 21st, 2017 at 12:27 PM ^
they're good, better than most college basketball teams. But they also have some exploitable flaws.
Seems to me that's all the anonymous coach was saying.
February 21st, 2017 at 12:28 PM ^
February 21st, 2017 at 12:33 PM ^
Came here for the sarcastic comments about OP not knowing what the phrase "mercilessly eviscerates" means and was not disappointed.
February 21st, 2017 at 12:33 PM ^
By "Mercilessly Eviscerates" do you mean "gives pointed but completely fair analysis"?
February 21st, 2017 at 12:38 PM ^
If they’re not making shots, I don’t think they can beat good teams.the fact that a coach said this as if it doesn't apply to every team in the world, or the fact that you bolded this as if it is some kind of brilliant analysis (or shot against Beilein).
February 22nd, 2017 at 4:00 AM ^
February 21st, 2017 at 12:39 PM ^
February 21st, 2017 at 2:28 PM ^
February 21st, 2017 at 2:36 PM ^
I just think they have to spend so much time and energy getting that offense to work that they don’t have a lot of time to work on defense.
Yup.
February 21st, 2017 at 2:45 PM ^
I changed the title - per a suggestion in the Sticky - and put this one back. Once I got out of the longest meeting ever, I was able to read the tab in whole and there's nothing that a title change couldn't fix on this one. I guess we'll just need to skip the melodramatic titles, right?
/mod trigger warning
February 21st, 2017 at 3:01 PM ^
I appreciate this.
February 21st, 2017 at 2:45 PM ^
They called us soft after the game in Champagne* and they are our biggest rival.
* - That's how you disrespekt your biggest rival.
February 21st, 2017 at 2:46 PM ^
Sounds just like those white collar comments Maverick Morgan made. The dipshit doesn't fall far from the tree.
February 21st, 2017 at 2:50 PM ^
Wagner is mentioned at the beginning as an emerging player, but then nothing else is said about him...
February 21st, 2017 at 2:54 PM ^
The key to triangulating who this is should be the word "coast." It also appears in the MSU section and nowhere else in the article.
I bet someone with better internet skillz could break down usage of that word among B1G coaches/staffs and figure it out pretty quickly.
February 21st, 2017 at 3:16 PM ^
I think the "soft" thing is way over played. To the point that people don't even think about it anymore but just say it about the team now because it is the thing to say. Wilson and Wagner have toughened up a ton this season. Looking at their "toughness" now compared to last year at this poing is actually comical. They both play hard and I definitely wouldn't call them soft anymore.
February 21st, 2017 at 3:36 PM ^
February 21st, 2017 at 3:38 PM ^
And Donnal get absolutely punished when someone is backing them down. It has nothing to do with that "stretching the three point line" on offense narrative. They are soft because bigger dudes have pushed them off the block time and time again.
That's not just random speculation, you can go back to any game with a physical post player and roll the tape.
February 21st, 2017 at 6:00 PM ^
is going to destroy us inside. I hope we have a hot shooting night and can score with them.
February 22nd, 2017 at 4:06 AM ^
February 21st, 2017 at 3:37 PM ^
262nd in blocks
347th in rebounds (out of 351 schools, so about dead last).
This constant false badge of honor about leading the nation in least amount of fouls. And to me, I hate hearing that stat. Yeah, I want my team playing smart, but damnit they need to play physical. Get in people's faces, make them work hard, bump them.
They are a VERY SOFT team, and there's no other way to coin them.
February 21st, 2017 at 3:46 PM ^
If Teddy Valentine reffed all our road games, we'd lead the nation in fouls and still be called soft.
February 21st, 2017 at 3:58 PM ^
Love the edit. :)
February 21st, 2017 at 5:35 PM ^
February 21st, 2017 at 10:48 PM ^
February 22nd, 2017 at 10:58 AM ^
It's possible these were written up a while ago and not published right away. Or, the coach may not be preparing for M currently. We've been better on defense lately.