UCLA 102, Michigan 84
fair enough, Lonzo Ball
Michigan made 12 first-half three-pointers, only five short of the school record for an entire game. The Wolverines rebounded four of their ten missed shots in the half. They held a turbo-charged UCLA squad to two fast-break points.
Lonzo Ball pulled up from just inside the midcourt logo and tied the game at 50 as the half expired. Michigan had played a best-case scenario half and the Bruins matched them shot for shot. UCLA made ten threes themselves in the opening stanza. Only one team was equipped to sustain such a pace.
TJ Leaf, the former Michigan recruit, gave the Bruins the lead on the first possession of the second half, and they never lost it. This spectacular sequence from Ball and center Ike Onigbonu, who filled in more than capably for injured starter Thomas Welsh, stretched the lead to eight:
Alford and Leaf would push it to double digits with back-to-back buckets. Michigan made a couple mini-runs to get as close as five but they never had a shot to tie the game over the last 17:58. As the Wolverines offense sputtered, UCLA's continued to roar; the Bruins connected on 20-for-29 from the field in the second half while Michigan only went 10-for-29.
An impressive performance by Zak Irvin—who had 18 points, five rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and only one turnover—went for naught. Derrick Walton had another quiet performance, going 2-for-7 from the field for nine points with two assists and two turnovers, and if Michigan hoped to keep pace, they needed both their senior leaders to be lights-out tonight. One was, one wasn't. That isn't exactly a surprise to anyone who's followed their careers.
Michigan wasn't good enough to beat UCLA at Pauley Pavilion. That they hung with them for a half was impressive in and of itself, even if the second half left a feeling of demoralization. The Wolverines aren't an elite team this year; we knew that. The Bruins may be one; they've certainly looked the part. If Beilein's squad can keep up their early-season defense—judging that based on tonight is harsh, to say the least—and sprinkle in a little more of tonight's first-half shooting, they just might be a pretty good team themselves. Getting good performances from both their seniors at once would help; thus far, those games have been few and far between.
December 10th, 2016 at 11:00 PM ^
This is what 1 seeds do to 8 or 9 seeds at home. Michigan hung tough with them for 30-32 minutes and they blew us out of the building after that. We simply do not have the talent that UCLA does right now. Michigan will not play a team better than that in the B1G, so that's a positive. The B1G is way down so this is a great opportunity to win a lot of basketball games.
Mo Wagner is gonna be something special by the end of the year. But one thing that will continue to hurt going forward this year is that the freshman are providing nothing. He's only a freshman and he'll get better, but Xavier Simpson just looks lost out there.
At the end of the day, this is a team that will very likely make the tournament (Bracket Matrix and Lunardi have us on the 7-seed line) and could probably win a game, but I cannot see us faring well against elite athletes, like the team we just faced, after that.
December 11th, 2016 at 1:49 AM ^
December 11th, 2016 at 2:32 AM ^
how Beilein was the "guard whisperer" for a couple years. The talk was that he could magically turn three stars into NBA players after two years: Morris, Burke, Stauskas, Levert. Nevermind that the former three were 4 star top-100 guys. We have a very mediocre senior PG and literally have not recruited a playable guard since MAAR came in as a 20 (!!) year old freshman in 2014 and he's mediocre too.
Two full recruiting classes without a playable guard for the former guard whisperer. We're fine on the wing and in the post this year, but our guards aren't good and they don't have backups. Did not think that was possible three years ago.
December 11th, 2016 at 5:33 AM ^
Beilein got snookered by a guy who was a surprise, out-of-nowhere commit instead of focusing on the guy who had wanted to go to UM all along. Losing Winston on top of it compounded the problem.
December 11th, 2016 at 1:04 PM ^
December 11th, 2016 at 11:12 AM ^
December 11th, 2016 at 12:55 PM ^
It's December of their freshman season. Let's hold off a bit before we write them off.
December 12th, 2016 at 10:19 AM ^
you find this "unacceptable?" and you feel the need to inform the internet of this?
well, i guess we're all on notice, then. thanks for being on the case.
|
You "won't ignore it any longer?' And you feel the need to inform the internet of this? I guess we're all on notice, then. Thanks for being on the case. |
December 10th, 2016 at 10:47 PM ^
If we play like that the rest of the year we will breeze through the Big Ten. Obviously that won't happen but at least we showed our potential. Mo is something else, he will be a star next year! No team in the Big Ten is anywhere close to UCLA but if we play similar to what we did tonight, we should be able to hit the 11-7, 12-6 mark. Go team, if you can be ranked for losing then maybe this is one of those times where we should jump to 25 from having a bad loss.
December 10th, 2016 at 10:57 PM ^
December 10th, 2016 at 11:03 PM ^
Honestly, I'm not sure what more Michigan could have done. UCLA was hitting everything. Didn't matter if shots were contested or open, twos or threes, they could not miss.
The fact that Michigan had that many threes at the half and were only tied...yeesh. Most cases against a superior team like that, they'd be up double digits and then hopefully hang on for a win in the second.
December 10th, 2016 at 11:06 PM ^
December 10th, 2016 at 11:12 PM ^
Right, but sometimes you just get unlucky. We happened to get UCLA at peak performance on a night where we played a great game.
They put up 97 against Kentucky on the road. We hung with them for what, 32-33 minutes on the road? Nothing to be ashamed of in my opinion.
December 10th, 2016 at 11:15 PM ^
At the end of the day, we lost by 18. Basketball is a 40 minute game, you don't get morality points for hanging with a team for 3/4 of it. That's MSU football talk.
December 10th, 2016 at 11:21 PM ^
There's a difference between playing a close game that gets out of hand late (this game) and being blown out and making it close late (MSU football).
It sucks that we lost, but we won't play a better team (on the road no less) all season.
December 10th, 2016 at 11:33 PM ^
The end result is the same. The inferior team got beat handily while the fanbases take solace in the fact that they kept it close for a while. Yes, UCLA is probably the best team we'll face all year. I'm guessing we also won't shoot 12-16 from 3 in a half all year either.
December 11th, 2016 at 1:17 AM ^
The difference being that in the MSU football example, they actually didn't keep it close for a while, they just made it look better.
I just don't understand the over the top pessimism about losing a game that Michigan was projected to lose that only got away from the team in the last few minutes, namely because UCLA shot the lights out the entire game, something we won't face all year. And yeah, Michigan probably won't shoot 12-16 from three, but the team likely won't have to just to be tied the rest of the year.
December 11th, 2016 at 12:02 AM ^
December 11th, 2016 at 12:27 AM ^
In the first half after a made Wilson 3 pointer, we got beat down the floor on a fast break. After a made 3! Wilson just did a little celebratory arm up instead of running the floor. The Wagner brain fart in which he just let his guy streak down the floor for the easy dunk. Wasn't surprised to see that Beilein said there is a language barrier still for him. He is clueless sometimes and it seems like he just might not hear what to do. He's gaurding a guy that is going to do nothing away from the basket against a super fast team, just sprint as fast as you can to the paint and then find your guy. That's where he'll be. There were certainly other defensive breakdowns that weren't complicated.
UCLA is a very good offensive team and hit some insane shots. I don't know that we could have won that game as well as they played, but could have certainly done some easy mental things to have made it closer. So there was more to do.
December 10th, 2016 at 11:05 PM ^
Kind of funny how people say that Beilein changed the expectations for this program. Well, apparently for many he put them right back to where they used to be.
December 10th, 2016 at 11:15 PM ^
Uh....what? We've made the tournament 6 out of 9 years. Prior to his arrival in 2008, we hadn't made it since 1998.
At the very least, I expect us to get a bid, whereas in the past, I would have felt lucky to get in (or even close).
December 11th, 2016 at 12:40 AM ^
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December 11th, 2016 at 11:15 AM ^
December 10th, 2016 at 10:48 PM ^
December 11th, 2016 at 11:07 AM ^
December 11th, 2016 at 11:57 AM ^
And that's after taking a few great seasons off their total because of the scandal. They are top ~20 in Final Four appearances and are one of five programs who have won 65% of their tournament games. Michigan basketball was very much a prominent program until the AD abandoned because the Fab 5 scandal made donors feel uncomfortable.
Do you think Jordan went with Michigan merely because of football?
December 10th, 2016 at 10:51 PM ^
Wouldn't read much into this game. This UCLA team is INSANE, best team in the country.
I thought Michigan played its best game of the season and we lost by fucking 20. If we play like that regularly this squad will have a real nice year, but UCLA is on another planet.
December 10th, 2016 at 11:00 PM ^
December 10th, 2016 at 11:03 PM ^
That's probably right where we are this year. Maybe we should have higher expectations, but I'm comfortable making the tournament and winning a game most years. But I agree, Beilein just has to hit on some recruits if we ever get back to an elite level. The talent is just not there at all to compete for championships.
December 11th, 2016 at 1:05 AM ^
December 10th, 2016 at 10:52 PM ^
December 10th, 2016 at 11:17 PM ^
This is pretty much spot on. Coming in UCLA was 1st in Effective FG, 2pt and 3pt FG and they OUTSHOUT all three percentages. They were unconsicous. Yet, that said, Michigan had it at 77-72, the ball took a bounce off a 2nd missed UCLA FT and the Bruins never looked back. M played very wll tonight but tired down the stretch, taking some bad shots. UCLA beats every other team in the country tonight.
December 11th, 2016 at 12:03 AM ^
And Michigan's best player (Wagner) had to sit because of 180 degree wrong calls.
Michigan might have won this at home, in spite of UCLA's fantastic shooting. The officiating was bad.
Great game by Michigan! Every single player of ours looked good.
Clearly the officials called it incorrectly for UCLA many times and that was the difference. The Bruins were fantastic, but no better than Michigan.
December 11th, 2016 at 12:33 AM ^
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December 11th, 2016 at 12:30 AM ^
that was an absolute killer sequence. Missed FT, bounces to them for the easy layup, we miss on our end, and they hit a three to go to double digits and it's over. That team is really good at offense.
December 11th, 2016 at 8:37 AM ^
They hit everything! The Cleveland Browns would have lost to UCLA .
December 11th, 2016 at 11:10 AM ^
December 10th, 2016 at 11:01 PM ^
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December 10th, 2016 at 11:02 PM ^
December 10th, 2016 at 11:08 PM ^
December 10th, 2016 at 11:09 PM ^
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December 11th, 2016 at 12:38 AM ^
MAAR is a two star, all of other starters are composite four stars. And two of the three bench guys that play are four stars, too. Yes, we don't have five stars. We don't have elite talent, but we absolutely have good talent. Probably higher average star rated starters than all but 10-15 teams in the country.
December 11th, 2016 at 5:21 AM ^
December 11th, 2016 at 6:50 PM ^
Walton and Irvin looked every bit the four stars that they were in their freshman years. Yes, they had lots of talent around them and struggled the first part of their sophomore years, but Irvin then took over as the alpha dog with a very good finish to his second season. He has not improved since then, and has only been more inconsistent. He is stil taking way too many tough two point shots, and somehow still doesn't use his left hand on layups from that side. He has very good talent - it hasn't developed in the last two years.
Wilson and Wagner have incredible talent, length and athleticism. It's taken Wilson three years to finally figure out what to do so he can stay on the floor long enough to use it. Wagner still doesn't even understand what the coaches are saying half the time. That's all developmental. The talent is coming along too slowly the past few years. Same with Dawkins. That guy had tremendous talent and shooting ability. Didn't have a clue on defense and didn't play hard.
December 11th, 2016 at 5:21 AM ^
December 11th, 2016 at 5:21 AM ^
December 11th, 2016 at 10:42 AM ^
was not a four star recruit!
December 11th, 2016 at 6:38 PM ^
so not sure what your point is.
Walton, Irvin, Wilson and Wagner were composite four star recruits per 247. They all start along with Abdur-Rahkman who was a two star, like I said.
Donnal and Simpson were four stars and they're in the rotation along with Robinson, who is the only other non-four-star rotation player. Like I said.
December 10th, 2016 at 11:06 PM ^
One hundred and two points.
That's too many.
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