This thread is a joke.  Every time a bunch of kids have an off game we demand instant accountability when a bunch of 1st and 2nd year players do not play well.  College basketball is even worse now because any individual who thinks he is remotely ready for the NBA is gone.  So the pressure to cycle in replacements without selling your soul is almost impossible.  We have seen this for a decade.  Michigan struggles in the 1st half of the year while Beilein and his staff figure out what they have.  Most of the time it seems to work out.  We have had pretty darn good success with our share of Big10 league wins, championships, and deep NCAA playoff runs.  Beilein is stuck every year with what Harbaugh experienced this year, young players who are inconsistant.  

This is the reality of teenagers with the burden of living the lives of fame for armchair atheletes.  They are going to fail us despite the best attempts of coaches.  We have a bunch of new folks trying to figure out how to be a point guard, our wings failed us, and our best player stunk in the 2nd half.  I'm having flashbacks to 2010 when everyone was out to fire Beilein until the team figured things out and almost beat Duke in the 2011 tournament. 

The reality is outside of a couple programs if you want the best players you have to cheat.  Or hope that your reaches pan out every year because every time you succeed you have to start over because of losses to the NBA draft.

 

DISAPPOINTING.

John B. is soft.

I also think Poole needs to see more time. Michigan is down a creator this year, and it also is probably worth giving livers more run. He also needs to play Teske more in games where moe is really struggling. Lastly, coach b needs to get Simmons playing aggressive. He needs to be a scorer or this team is going 9-9 in league tops. Anyway, they have enough talent to be a 9 seed, but they need to make sure guys who can get better are getting more run.

Alright, NIT it is.

would could purchase victories against OSU

I think it is official, folks. The Ohio State football and basketball programs have sold their souls to the devil. In return, they get to continue torturing Michigan and their fans for eternity.

5-29 in the second half from the field. Terrible. It’s like the team just mailed it in at half.

I think this is going to be a very up and down season. A lot of youth in some very important roles. I’m still not sure what to make of the point guard position with this team. I almost wonder if adding Simmons was a detriment to the team. I think Brooks is a decent little PG. Has some good handles, a pretty good stroke, and you can tell he’s a coaches son. He just needs to get stronger. He looks like he’s about in 5th grade. Another 10-15 lbs on his frame would do him good. Simpson I feel is somewhat limited athletically. He’s quick and has pretty good handles don’t get me wrong, but more so offensively it’s like he’s very robotic. There’s nothing smooth about his game. Even his shot is unorthodox. Kind of wonder what scouts saw in him to give him a 4th star. Seems like a good kid and competitor but think maybe a little overrated.
I like Beilein and think he’s a solid coach. Usually does more with less. However there are a few things about him that do frustrate me. He’s a great tactician of the x’s and o’s. But in terms of an in game motivator he falls short imo. I don’t think he demands enough toughness and physicality with his teams. He’s an offensive minded coach and I do feel like the teams defense, rebounding, and probably to a lesser extent but still a characteristic of his teams, toughness.
Recruiting is on an upswing with next years class, but I think the big miss in the last two years was with Davis. Now he might end up being a decent role player, I’m not saying there isn’t hope. But my gripe is if you’re going to take a recruit for what his role is supposed to be why not look for a guy with some athletic upside. Someone with some bounce. Someone who could come in and play along side Teske or Wagner and bring some toughness. I think we almost would have been better off looking for a PF GT rather than PG. Now no one knew that Brooks would be able to come in and play like he has so maybe that’s a little unfair.
My starting 5 would go like this;

1- Brooks/Simpson
2- MAAR/Poole
3- Matthews/Watson/Poole
4- Livers/Robinson
5- Wagner/Teske

Imo, like a lot of others here, think that Teske, Livers, and especially Poole need to be on the floor a lot more than they’ve been. Robinson is a severe liability and has no quick twitch muscle fibers. Even Teske, when Wagner is fumbling over himself, hoisting ill- advised threes, and turning it over, Teske should get the nod. Sometimes I feel like there are no repercussions with JB when a guy does something dumb. And with Wagner, while I think he has a great offensive skill set, i think he could stand to stay yet another year. I feel like there’s still a lot for him to get better at.

Start Livers at the 4 or Poole at the 3 and go small with Mathews at the 4.

Play Brooks 33-35 minutes, he will only get better.  MAAR can handle the others to get him a quick breather Poole would slide in at the two or three with Watson at two when you have to go real deep in the rotation.

Teske spells Mo and 3-5 minutes each game with Mo and Teske.

Poole gets the backup minutes at 1-2-3 with MAAR sliding to the 1 when Brooks needs the breather.

There is no reason to play Z or Simmons.  Robinson sparingly if Livers and Teske both need a breather at same time but even then you'd be better off with Poole at the 3 and Mathews at the 4. 

Z and Robinson offer nothing at this point. 

By the end of January this will be a much better team. Rinse repeat. Nobody teaches from a loss better than Beilein. One thing this team needs to get better at quickly is setting screens. Half hearted efforts by everyone. Lastly, the hate towards Robinson is ridiculous.

I don't know what it is. I don't know what Michigan did to piss off the sporting gods, but we can't buy a win against OSU in ANYTHING to save our own lives. 

I have no doubt the team will get better as the season progresses, but my god....OSU just seems to have some kind of massive psychological advantage anytime they step onto the court, or the gridiron, whenever they play Michigan. Got to hope this team doesn't lay an egg against them again in January otherwise it's going to make an already long offseason even longer. 

Seems like there’s a game or two each season that pose major questions about this team's grit. The rout at SMU two years ago; the 25-0 IU run that season; the Illinois white-collar thing; the OSU home loss last season; now this OSU game.

Michigan always responds, but man—this issue always crops back up with this program.