Central Michigan 63, Michigan 61
Sometimes a game ends and you know immediately after it ends that it feels significant. Sometimes because the stakes are obvious (The Game 2021-22). Other times because of a crucial injury (Michigan-Nebraska football 2012). And even more times because of the questions it poses about a team or an organization/program. That last group is where we're at with Michigan Basketball and their 63-61 defeat to the Central Michigan Chippewas tonight at Crisler Center. Favored in Vegas by 21 points and in KenPom by 20 points and with a week to prepare, the Wolverines were outhustled and outworked on the glass and out-executed in their finishing and in the process, lost to CMU. For the Chips, they are now 5-8, with wins over over Eastern Illinois, CSUN, Purdue Northwest, Alma... and Michigan.
The Wolverines held a lead for much of the first half, but the problems that would prove to be fatal were there. At the under 12 media timeout, even as Michigan led 15-11, their offense had slammed into a ditch against the Chippewas' defensive structure, and were struggling to rebound on the defensive glass. Those issues would not get better. Jett Howard powered the Wolverines early on, knocking shots down from deep and helping drive the offensive flow. He was forced to take on the role of "point guard" after Dug McDaniel slammed hard into a screen, leading to an odd lineup of Howard, Isaiah Barnes, Joey Baker, Will Tschetter, and Hunter Dickinson.
Michigan managed to get through those minutes, leading 18-13 when McDaniel returned, and he accentuated his return with a swished jumper. Michigan led 23-15 with 5:49 remaining in the first half, starting to seem in solid position, when momentum turned back towards the visitors. They would go on a 9-1 run over the next five minutes, with CMU continuing to lean on stifling defense and rebounding nearly half of their misses to fuel their success. When Reggie Bass connected on a 3 with 28 seconds remaining to make it 27-25, the Chips had their first lead of the game. Michigan closed well, with a nice pass from Jett Howard to Joey Baker in the corner to set up a response three, which gave them a 28-27 lead at the break. Still, it was not a show of confidence in the opening of 20 from the favorites. The Maize & Blue shot marginally better than their opponents, but Central Michigan's edge in offensive rebounding allowed them to attempt a few more field goals to draw it even.
[Bill Rapai]
Michigan came out of the gate hot at first, a 7-2 run in the first 2.5 minutes thanks to two Kobe Bufkin buckets and free throws from Hunter Dickinson, but Central Michigan quickly erased that edge. An 8-0 run took 75 seconds to orchestrate and the Chips had a lead back, signaling what sort of half it would be: relatively even, but with CMU holding more leads than Michigan. The end of that 8-0 run was a five point possession for Central Michigan, which helps sum up the problems for Michigan. Reggie Bass was hacked by Kobe Bufkin shooting a three, made the first two free throws, missed the third which was rebounded by the Chips, then passed around to set up a made three by Jesse Zarzuela.
As the minutes of the second half ticked away, the teams remained tight and the favored hosts could not consistently stitch together fluid offense enough to pull away or even build a significant lead. It was 45-44 CMU at the under 12, 49-49 at the under 8, and 60-58 CMU at the under 4. There did not seem to be a clearly better team, and Central Michigan continued to plug away at what they did well, bogging Michigan's half-court offense down and working harder in grabbing offensive rebounds. Out of the under four timeout, McDaniel made both free throws to tie the game at 60 with 3:14 remaining. Kobe Bufkin got a steal and on the ensuing possession, Dickinson would draw a foul and split a pair at the line. The score was now 61-60 with 2:27 left. As it turned out, those would be Michigan's last points.
Central Michigan's Markus Harding attempted an odd three pointer that Michigan rebounded down, but their following possession never got going. Michigan passed the ball around until Kobe Bufkin jacked up an awkward corner three that wasn't close. CMU came up the floor but were unable to get points and Bufkin came down with a seemingly huge rebound. Up one with 53 seconds left, Michigan couldn't pad the lead as a Jett Howard triple was off the mark. CMU came up the floor and put the ball in the hands of Reggie Bass. He would pump oddly into a stepback three over Dug McDaniel and swished it. 63-61 CMU, with 11 seconds remaining. Michigan got one more possession, a missed three from Bufkin and a tip drill on the rebound that was unsuccessful. The horn sounded and the Chips had themselves a monumental win.
[Bill Rapai]
You can go two ways for the culprit in this game. On one hand, there was the shooting. Michigan shot 35% from the floor and 27% from three. Their offense lacked any semblance of rhythm but they got open looks and failed to hit them, especially in the clutch. One additional made shot on those possessions up one in the closing moments would've won the game most likely. CMU didn't shoot the lights out, but were allowed to rebound 45% of their misses on the offensive glass, allowing themselves to shoot seven more FGs than the Wolverines. At different points it seemed as if the Chips wanted it more, best summed up by an OREB putback by Carrington McCaskill in the second half, which was snatched and converted over three different Wolverines. It was difficult basketball to watch.
Michigan is now 7-5 on its season and begins the bulk of B1G play. With a loss to a wretched Central Michigan squad and a non-conference resume bereft of a single quality win, Michigan likely would need to finish with a top notch B1G record to have a shot at the NCAA Tournament, which seems like a longshot at this juncture. This is the ugliest loss of Juwan Howard's tenure and one that demands that difficult questions be asked about Howard and his regime. Last year's season was redeemed by a surprising tournament run, but it fell far short of expectations. Expectations were more modest this season, yet the current squad seems on pace to come in far below them. The program is in a demonstrably worse place than it was when Howard was hired and that is the big predicament at hand right now. Howard still has two months to figure it out with this team, but improvement will be needed. And fast.
[Click the JUMP for the box score]
December 29th, 2022 at 10:53 PM ^
Nate Oats.
December 31st, 2022 at 7:02 AM ^
Howard is not going anywhere. No way Warde fires him unless Howard has another “sportsmanship” incident.
December 29th, 2022 at 10:55 PM ^
Let's recap the consistent themes 12 games in.
Still getting beat on backdoor cuts.
Still not finding bodies & boxing out / poor rebounding effort.
Still not committed to playing inside-out ball with former All-American big man.
Still don't have the former All-American big man demanding the ball on the block.
Still seeing former All-American big man play uninspired for long stretches.
Still putting players on the floor without a clue what their role is.
Still no discernible cohesion on offense or defense.
Still getting beat off the dribble... by everybody.
Still terrible in pick-n-roll defense.
Still lackluster defensive effort.
Still no apparent collective fire/energy/purpose on either end of the floor.
Now, this doesn't mean coaches aren't coaching corrections in practice because we just don't know. But, to see no noticeable improvement in any of these areas 12 games in either means the coaches aren't getting thru; the players aren't being held accountable for not following thru; or something worse.
X's and O's are one thing... we all remember players needing time to adjust to Beilein's offensive schemes. But effort & heart don't require a high basketball IQ - they just require a "want to". Right now, this team doesn't seem to "want to". With a coach who has such love & passion for the game of basketball, how is that possible?
December 29th, 2022 at 11:24 PM ^
This team is in desperate need of guys like Zavier Simpson and Zack Novak.
December 29th, 2022 at 11:28 PM ^
& a Coach Yaklich on staff.
December 30th, 2022 at 7:22 AM ^
Well done.
December 30th, 2022 at 7:03 PM ^
Really astute analysis!
December 30th, 2022 at 8:03 PM ^
i was watching hunter in warm-ups. he seemed 'off' just kind of walking around, stretching a little, not shooting much. his body language (and then the game) seemed so unmotivated, no pump, no emotion, unfocused, no intensity. something is not right with him.
December 31st, 2022 at 6:44 AM ^
Agreed. Dickinson is soft. Looks like he really doesn’t even care to play basketball right now.
December 29th, 2022 at 10:58 PM ^
I keep waiting for effort.
Between what the announcers said and this report, I'm still waiting.
December 29th, 2022 at 11:06 PM ^
Will T gives effort. I think Kobe has gotten a lot better at effort plays. There ends my list of effort guys on this team.
December 29th, 2022 at 11:31 PM ^
Will Tschetter plays hard every play. Put him on your list.
December 30th, 2022 at 2:05 AM ^
Will T gives effort.
He started the post with Tschetter.
December 30th, 2022 at 12:23 PM ^
I confused that with T Will and thought that's who he meant.
December 29th, 2022 at 11:11 PM ^
There did not seem to be a clearly better team
December 29th, 2022 at 11:12 PM ^
Hate to say that I'm glad I missed listening or viewing this disaster. Box score says it all and the calm but concerning report underscores it. What's going on behind the scenes?
December 29th, 2022 at 11:16 PM ^
The fish rots from the head.
December 29th, 2022 at 11:22 PM ^
Good writeup.
They just seem off. There's no cohesion on offense or defense, they don't have a guy who'll get a bucket to break a cold streak, and with basically one PG on the roster they don't have much flexibility with the lineup.
They do seem to play up or down to the quality of their opponent so maybe they'll tick up a bit during conference play because everyone seems okay, but it's going to be a slog this year. I don't think they make the tournament and it'll be an eventful off-season to see how Howard reacts and shakes up his staff.
December 29th, 2022 at 11:36 PM ^
Actually, I thought Bufkin did a pretty good job at getting key baskets tonight to break cold streaks. The problem wasn't that CMS went on long runs. It's that we couldn't ever seem to put together two buckets in a row.
In fact, I think Bufkin is playing really well, considering that we don't have a true point guard or a functioning 7'1" ball-distributor to get him the ball in good scoring positions.
But otherwise, right now ... yeah. Oof.
December 29th, 2022 at 11:41 PM ^
Agree, Bufkin is the one bright spot right now. Maybe some PNR with him and Dickinson would help.
December 30th, 2022 at 7:39 AM ^
Yeah, I agree Bufkin has really emerged recently. It does show the benefits of a guy sticking around for more than a year and that development curve. Maybe UM will get lucky next year and actually get multiple guys to do that.
December 30th, 2022 at 10:59 AM ^
Well put. This team isn't the most talented team around but they definitely have a lot of ability. It seems to me that the real problem is that they consistently play beneath themselves. And that's on the coaching staff and to a lesser extent the players. There are basically no seniors on this team; they have two graduates who were essentially captains at Princeton and Duke but one is hurt and neither has been around for previous seasons. So, it's disappointing those guys don't have more of a presence but you can't really blame them.
The lack of fire and mental toughness is what bothers me most about Michigan teams across multiple sports (football seems to have gotten it back). But, the fact that a lack of focus appears to have been a deciding factor in this game and the ASU, UVA, UK and UNC games is really disconcerting. I didn't see this game but from what little I know about basketball I know that 90% of rebounding and defense is effort.
December 31st, 2022 at 6:50 AM ^
There are basically no seniors on this team
This can be said about almost any talented team in college basketball. Dickinson is in his 3rd year and there are plenty of guys with enough experience. You don’t need seniors to have leadership. Seniors don’t win championships anymore.
December 29th, 2022 at 11:25 PM ^
Hunter may be the softest 7’1” in Div 1, a total disappointment!
December 29th, 2022 at 11:39 PM ^
I don't want to absolve Hunter of responsibility for this, but ... I don't get the coaching. Why not find a way to get him down low and get him the ball, either to pass back out or shoot, consistently? Why does the offense not go through him on every single play?
I don't see any sign that the coaches are even trying that. Yes, he's not playing well. But it also seems as if we don't have a good game-plan, honestly. Are they trying to set picks to get him into the post? How can he not be getting the ball in the post?!?
December 29th, 2022 at 11:39 PM ^
Jett, 2 boards in 39 minutes in a game where CMU rebounded almost half of its misses.
Barnes, 2 boards in 4 minutes.
Juwan, I couldn't find minutes for Barnes.
Me, I have an idea.
December 30th, 2022 at 12:07 AM ^
There was a moment tonight where Jett stood and stared at the ball on the rim besides boxing out that cost us two points when CMU got the board and put pack. When Juwan didn’t sit him like any other coach would, I turned to my buddy and said, this team has some major problems. Just completely unfocused without any ramifications.
December 30th, 2022 at 12:04 AM ^
This game felt exactly like the Amaker days. Not running offensive sets. Not boxing out. Not doing basic things on defense. The team plays to the level of the competition and you have to hope your guys make the difficult shots, regardless of whether you’re playing the number 1 team in the country or CMU.
The team is consistently undisciplined, similar to last year. The three games against MAC teams feel like canaries in the coal mine. NBA style only works if the motivation is there and you have the talent.
December 30th, 2022 at 12:57 AM ^
Sorry. But this is a dog shit team right now. We are better at every position and this is on Howard to figure out.
December 30th, 2022 at 1:15 AM ^
I’m glad I didn’t watch this game. Just reading the recap makes me want to puke.
December 30th, 2022 at 2:09 AM ^
I feel bad for those who spent $10 to watch that bullshit.
December 30th, 2022 at 2:42 AM ^
Goes to show how much better Brooks was than evident to most. I wondered who would fill his play and apparently it's not happening.
December 30th, 2022 at 2:50 AM ^
Not making the tournament... got it.
December 30th, 2022 at 3:18 AM ^
I coached basketball at the highschool level for a handful of years. One of the main points I would stress to my players is maximize what you can control. Most players can improve skills or athleticism to a small degree (there are exceptions) but every single player can execute and hustle on every single play. Even if you cannot shoot or dribble all that well, you can still play solid defense and box out. This team does not maximize its middling talent. This team seems to have average Big 10 talent - the team culture (maximizing talent), coaching (strategy and tactics), and execution/focus are pushing towards the bottom half of the conference rather than the top half. Not having a leader on the team who will hold other players accountable is hurting this team and our coaches not holding the players accountable is hurting this team (Juwan needs to bench those who do not embody winning culture - this season is all but lost, he needs to set the stage for next season and beyond by playing those who maximize their talent rather than those who are now talented).
December 30th, 2022 at 4:29 AM ^
In 50 years of witnessing both, I don't think I've seen a larger chasm of talented Michigan football vs basketball teams.
One is hungry, nasty, and play as brothers, the other is just lethargic entitlement.
This isn't just about today, we've seen it coming from the start of the season. We have a lot of talent, but no leaders.
December 30th, 2022 at 9:14 AM ^
Late Hoke vs. Peak Beilein was a pretty big gap.
December 30th, 2022 at 5:34 AM ^
Nate Oats
December 30th, 2022 at 6:09 AM ^
At least we’re in good company with CSN (Crosby, Stills and Nash), as having lost to CMU. On the other hand those guys are in their 70s, there are only 3 of them, and one of them is on his second liver.
December 30th, 2022 at 8:32 AM ^
As a former college basketball player who has also coached a fair amount of basketball this team is frustrating to watch as on so many levels. But the two biggest areas of frustration are the team doesn't play smart situational basketball and they don't play with much passion or energy. These two items fall directly on the coach. The head coach needs to demand every player gives maximum effort and also play smart basketball. Juwan is coaching this team like an AAU team which is a recipe for disaster. The fact the team hasn't improved at all since the start of the season is also very concerning.
December 30th, 2022 at 10:45 AM ^
I think certain players have improved (Bufkin has gotten immensely better on both ends) and it is difficult to discern how much some of the offensive and defensive issues are due to Llewellyn getting hurt. Not that he was any great shakes but he was really the only PG they had on the roster with an ounce of experience and now they're cobbling together lineups with Dug, Bufkin, and Howard trying to initiate offense and it's just not working. And while Dug is a fast guy he simply doesn't have the save or body development to defend a lot of guys he's running into all night.
Juwan does need to get these guys playing more focused basketball, and the rebounding has been a season-long issue. But this was a team that really needed guys to stay healthy to keep it all moving smoothly and once they were down to basically a 6-man rotation that went out the window.
December 30th, 2022 at 9:00 AM ^
I’m not a fan of Dickinson, he’s too stiff. That’s why he’s not in the NBA, probably won’t be. He has some good post moves but he doesn’t handle the ball well and beyond the post can’t create, doesn’t defend well either especially against more athletic players.
December 30th, 2022 at 7:06 PM ^
Beilein ran stiffs out there year in and year out, but they fed off the wing play and did some fair amount of banging down low.
Beilein's teams would live and die by the 3, many times as well...
December 30th, 2022 at 9:22 AM ^
this group is broken. i love juwan, and i have no interest in finding someone else, but that falls on the coach.
December 30th, 2022 at 9:24 AM ^
Since he's not on Michigan's roster anymore, I'll say it: Frankie Collins is an idiot. He could have been team MVP this year, the way things have gone, but no, he didn't want to have to earn his spot.
December 30th, 2022 at 9:40 AM ^
I did not see or listen to this game, but we played close with VA, KY and NC, all three ranked teams. I think VA was #3 in the country at that time.
This makes it sound like there's no hope, frankly reminds me of the Nov, Dec, drabble back in the days of Coach B.... then after January the team would continue to improve and be playing their best ball by the end of the regular season.
Its hard to imagine that there's so little hope for a turn around, when we were able to play possession for possession with some of the blue blood programs in the country, early in the season, with a VERY young roster. Have a little faith, we've seen Michigan teams play below expectations in the early season for decades..... only to hit their stride as the season runs on.
besides that, basketball season doesn't start until the football team is done.
GO BLUE
December 30th, 2022 at 2:10 PM ^
I can assure you basketball starts before the football team is done. They have NOT ONE quality win. That won't get you in the tournament unless you win the league. And that isn't happening. A team that doesn't rebound, shoot well, have any semblance of point guard play, etc. is not winning shit later in the season. A young roster is not an excuse for lack of effort. This falls on the coaches, period.
December 30th, 2022 at 10:37 AM ^
I think it’s time to send a message. Not sure what is going on in Hunters life but he’s not focused on playing basketball. I’d bench the starters, except for Dug, to start the Maryland game. Don’t want to punish Kobe but at this point he’s guilty by association. Roll out Tarris, Tschetter, Dug, Baker and Barnes against Maryland and have Khayat first off the bench. If we are going to struggle offensively at least we can do so hustling and playing with some motivation. That, to me, would be a better product to watch on the floor than what we are currently given.
December 30th, 2022 at 10:42 AM ^
I love Juwan, but the last 1.5 years have shown some severe lapses. Would Beilein be willing to come back?
December 30th, 2022 at 11:43 AM ^
Arby’s, I see we have entered your lobby….
December 30th, 2022 at 11:46 AM ^
I heard there's still a national-level tournament that we could get invited to, because this team ain't dancing
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