Unverified Voracity Holds It Comment Count

Brian

1986 again. WH continues his flash back to 1986 with a copy of Michigan Replay from M's win over OSU that year. You should at least watch the first 1:35:

Yes, that's the podcast's theme music, kids. Forever will it be so. Also WH posted Bo's first game.

Senior. Spring practice fluffy video contains "senior" underneath Denard's name:

Sinking in slowly that this is the last opportunity to see the guy in a Winged Helmet.

What are you doing? Man, was that Purdue game last night frustrating to watch. The Boilers had it, but then started running clock with two minutes left and a three-point lead. TOC summarizes:

With 1:44 left to go in the Purdue-Kansas game last night, Robbie Hummel secured a defensive rebound with Purdue up by 3.

Of the 104 seconds that remained in the game, Purdue controlled the ball for 90 of them.

Kansas controlled the ball for the remaining 14 seconds.

Kansas scored 6 points in those 14 seconds.

Purdue scored zero points in its 90 seconds.

The risk of giving your opponent an extra 10 seconds to work with is perhaps being overestimated.

I'm beginning to think the best way to win a close college basketball game is to make sure your opponent has the ball with a one-possession lead with between 60 and 120 seconds left in the game.

Purdue held the ball until there were well under ten seconds on the shot clock in their 90 seconds and got horrible shots and turnovers for their trouble. If you had flashbacks to Rocky Harvey and various other late-game indignities foisted upon us by Lloyd Carr's tendency to clam up too early, you were not alone.

Rule: until you get into a range where the opponent is going to have to foul even if they get twos on all their remaining possessions, play as if there's 20 minutes left. With 1:44 you should only start stalling if you're up seven or more.

Side note: man, does Purdue have an unusual number of guards who can't shoot. Their dual Johnsons are both below 50% on free throws this year, and with 108 and 69 attempts that can't be explained away as a Douglass-like tiny sample size. Without Hummel and Ryne Smith the Boilers are going to be relying on DJ Byrd for a huge percentage of their outside shooting unless they've got some sniper freshmen coming in.

Let my people twitter. Brady Hoke thinks Michigan's silly secondary violation for congratulating Mike McCray on his commitment is silly:

When the linebacker picked Michigan earlier this month, Roundtree reached out to congratulate him. No big deal.

Except, he did it on Twitter. And that, according to NCAA rules, is a no-no. In fact, it's considered a secondary violation.

Brady Hoke sees something wrong with that.

"That one’s really silly," he said.

Hoke's in favor of loosening some of these restrictions put in place when media was media instead of everything being media. Despite his Fred Flintstone-like relationship with technology, he'd also like to let the Zooks run free with unlimited text messaging.  The NCAA should deregulate a bunch of this stuff so people can focus on important things instead.

Restatement of previous suggestion: if a kid wants to opt out let them sign a non-binding intent to commit letter that lifts contact restrictions for the school he's committed to, prohibits them from taking official visits or being contacted by other coaches, and can be rescinded at any time by the player.

Hobey Hunwick. The CCHA's second-team goalie is one of two netminders nominated for the Hobey Baker award:

Michigan senior goalie Shawn Hunwick has been named one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the nation's top collegiate hockey player. Hunwick, named to the CCHA second team earlier this season, is 23-10-3 this season with a goals against average of 1.96 and a .934 save percentage.

Ferris State's goalie was not nominated for obvious reasons.

Profile season. The Daily covered Chris Brown. Texas? Texas:

Around Ann Arbor, he drives a massive black pick-up truck with Texas license plates slapped on it, a not-so-subtle reminder of the Division-I hockey player’s transplanted background.

And there is the music he listens to before games, so different than the hip-hop and electronic beats that usually flow in the locker rooms of Yost Ice Arena. Chris prefers country artists like Kenny Chesney and The Casey Donahue Band, whose most popular song is called “White Trash Story.”

Do you know how short Kenny Chesney is, though? He's really short.

The article goes in depth about the cross-country odysseys high level prospects have to undergo just to get to a place like Michigan. It's a nomadic existence. The only other athletes with comparable journeys are high-level soccer prospects.

Pro day stuff. Hemingway and Van Bergen showed well; so did Martin but that's no surprise. Gil Thorpe Brandt highlighted those two plus Molk and Woolfolk as risers throughout the draft process. Hemingway:

Junior Hemingway, WR (6-0 7/8, 221) — Hemingway looked very good catching the ball from Bruce Gradkowski, the Bengals QB who was brought in to throw. He’s a sleeper who should surprise on draft day when he’s selected earlier than expected.

It is tough to judge receivers in an offense piloted by Denard Robinson.

Quick exit. Holdin' the Rope on Michigan's exit:

Trying to make sense of the NCAA Tournament is like trying to count the grains of sand on a beach. Once you've made what you believe to be a certain amount of progress--you've counted each and every singular grain in your hand--the tide comes in, obliterating everything, weakening your assertion by introducing something entirely new to your worldview. Upsets happen all the time; it is the ordered disorder of this entire thing, a relatively brief spectacle that can either build upon or utterly destroy the five-month slog that precedes it. How upset you should be after this is a product of your pre-conceived notions of Michigan's abilities relative to college basketball as a whole, the somewhat distorting effect of a shared conference title, and most importantly, to what extent you think Michigan "overachieved."

Etc.: Meyers Leonard is probably gone to the NBA; Shaka Smart is going to have to get a lot more out of Nnanna Egwu if he hopes to make Illinois competitive in year one. Red Line is not a fan of Boo Nieves for unspecific reasons. UMHoops has a state of the blog. Michigan is second on MaxPreps' early 2013 class rankings. OSU is #6, Penn State #7. #tenyearwarII #andintroducingPennState

It's time for death hockey.

Comments

Erik_in_Dayton

March 19th, 2012 at 4:22 PM ^

That guy represents the best of Big Ten basketball - hard nosed but skilled too.  I don't know what his knee injuries did to his pro prospects, but I hope he's able to continue playing somewhere. 

StateStreetApostle

March 19th, 2012 at 5:14 PM ^

Obviously I'm biased, so it's good to hear from a less biased source.

Was perusing his four-year stats (spread out over five years), but what a way to show improvement...especially considering his freshman year he was First Team All B1G.

Two other points on Hummel:

  • how many other people have made 3 First Teams?  Not many.  How many others made it three times, but without any of those years consecutive, i.e. every other year?  Probably none, for obvious reasons.
  • yes, he's done, but his high school running mate, Scott Martin, still may have a year of eligibility, due to a transfer (Purdue to ND) and similar knee problems.  Good Lord, something there is that doesn't like a 6'8" white dude's knee.  Also, the vengeful god of Perry the ACL-ephant strikes basketball players too, even ones that transfer out of the 765.
  • both those guys started playing college ball before novak.  one of them might still be playing after he is done, too.  I wish there were some kind of way we could bring Novak back too, but even if we gave him a haircut, new number & name, etc., it would be obvious within 30 sec of game play who that player really was.  Sadness.

M-Wolverine

March 19th, 2012 at 4:25 PM ^

When there actually was a Michigan Replay, with Lloyd, before this Inside Michigan Football nonsense. That was only 4 years ago. Don't make me feel old by acting like the it's ancient history for the youngsters.

And funny dual mention - if you thought Purdue was bad, you should check out the end of the VCU game vs. Indiana coached by...Shaka Smart. I think they were running clock with about 10 minutes left.  To similar disaster.  The end of a future Purdue-Illinois game could be painfully entertaining.

I Heart Huckleby

March 19th, 2012 at 4:27 PM ^

If they're not going to use it on the reg for old-timey highlights packages on the big board, then there really needs to be a push to have the old Michigan Replay theme arranged for the M Marching Band and work it into the regular gameday repertoire.

MGoCombs

March 19th, 2012 at 4:37 PM ^

Regarding Purdue, I remember screaming the same thing about clock control. If you're only up one possession with enough time to give the defending team another full possession, run your offense per usual. Killing the shot clock to 10 seconds and hoping you make a bad shot is not a way to win the game. The Purdue game is an extreme example of how playing the clock instead of through your offense can go up in flames.

umchicago

March 19th, 2012 at 7:33 PM ^

i think you have to milk the clock somewhat to minimize possessions; just not necessarily to under 10 sec..

my biggest beef was in the 2nd to last possession; up by 1 with the ball.  purdue had two timeouts.  the game clock i think had 15-20 more secs than the shot clock.  jackson dribbled the ball until the shot clock was under 10, dribbled into traffic, then lost the ball.  the rest is history.

why in hell didn't painter call timeout with about 15 sec on the clock (or about 30-35 on game clock) to set up a play.  at least call timeout when you start to see jackson dribble into trouble.

painter could have easily drawn up a play.  use hummel as a decoy for an open 3 for smith or byrd.  they sink an open 3 and it's game over.  at a minimum, purdue would be up 1 for one final shot by kansas.  imo, painter blew it.  every other coach in the country calls a timeout there.

champswest

March 19th, 2012 at 8:30 PM ^

hold the ball and then get a really good shot.  They usually don't.  They end up throwing up a prayer.  Plus, you are letting the defense stand there and rest and then only have to play 10 seconds of defense.  Run your offense and if you get a really good shot early take it.  If you don't get one, then keep running the offense.  It is more likely that something will open up if you make the other team play offense for 35 seconds instead of only 10 seconds.

LB

March 19th, 2012 at 4:38 PM ^

Wasn't it just a few months ago that we were watching Donald Duck impersonations and hearing (and hearing, and hearing) "he doesn't tie his shoelaces"?

stephenrjking

March 19th, 2012 at 4:52 PM ^

I think it will be a mild, story-driven upset if Hunwick winds up in the Hobey Hat Trick, and I'll be quite happy with it. Unfortunately I don't think there's any way he wins the Hobey; his stats are good, but it takes mind-blowing stats for a goalie to win a Hobey. Miller was the last one, and that's because he set the shutout record in his sophomore year for the top-ranked team in the country.

93Grad

March 19th, 2012 at 5:20 PM ^

they were painful to watch on the offensive end.  Lewis Jackson is the worst finisher since Lindsey Hunter.  His only offensive play is to drive out of control to the hoop and brick the layup. 

Dave

March 19th, 2012 at 5:27 PM ^

...but was that a failed 2-point conversion attempt? When the extra point would have put us up 3?  I know I'm not supposed to critique Bo, but that seems ... questionable.

Section 1

March 19th, 2012 at 6:25 PM ^

It must be a freak statistic -- how many of the 1986 Michigan Wolverines football team became football coaches themselves:

  • Jim Harbaugh
  • Doug Mallory
  • Erik Campbell
  • Andy Moeller
  • Thomas Wilcher
  • Bob Perryman
  • Ivan Hicks
  • How many more?  Tony Gant? (Did he coach kids other than his own?)

zlionsfan

March 19th, 2012 at 6:53 PM ^

although this recent one was actually a far closer game than it had any right to be: if it hadn't been against Bill Self, Purdue probably would have been down double digits most of the game. Painter played Inanimate Carbon Rods #1 and #2 for 29 minutes total and got not-bad performances out of them, particularly Marcius. It took Kansas 20 minutes to figure out that that #4 guy is pretty good and perhaps they should make other Boilers carry the scoring load, and to figure out that a team that shoots well from beyond the arc and attempts a fair number of 3s is perhaps a team you should defend beyond the arc.

But after 1986 and 1988 and 1990 and 1994 and 1995 and 2000, what's one more nail in the coffin? Plus it's hard to avoid thinking about what could have happened the last couple of years if only the parts for that bionic knee had arrived in time. It would have been nice to have made a serious run with a loaded lineup, not just to perhaps snag an elusive title, but also to have something to hold up when obnoxious Indiana fans do their obnoxious thing. (Great, you have five old titles, that's awesome, no one cares, and P.S., we still lead the series.)

It was a nut punch, though. Not as bad as Everette Stephens (IIRC) dribbling off his foot in Pontiac in '88, but with Michigan's loss just two days prior, it did pretty much poop all over the weekend. (But IU and MSU and OSU won. And Wisconsin. woo big ten. woo. At least Duke lost.)

NoMoPincherBug

March 19th, 2012 at 9:45 PM ^

Across 110th Street, pushers wont let a junky go free...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96WE2Nj-k-U

Just like a Michigan defense with an opposing ball carrier.  Bo and Blaxploitation.  

The movie is on Netflix, its a little dated but Yaphete Koto is good in it.

Thanks for posting the post-86 game clip.   I was at that game down what used to be an open horseshoe.  It was actually a very nice day for football that day.  We were on the sidelines for the whole game.  I was young them, but Im old now.

rob f

March 19th, 2012 at 10:24 PM ^

posted by NoMo? 

Watch at about the 1:10 mark, and you'll see the list of co-stars, one of whom you're sure to recognize as being related to a former U of M Football Player who later went on to the NFL.

It's kinda funny to know that song so well, from hearing it played as the theme song for Michigan Replay for so many years, then to see that name pop up in the credits.

 

NoMoPincherBug

March 19th, 2012 at 10:53 PM ^

would that be Paul Benjamin?.... just kiddin... Huggy plays a brief, yet pivotal role in this violent motion picture.  His portrayal of a fast-livin, gangsta pimp is quintessential Huggy and set the tone for the bulk of his appearances in 70s film and TV. 

Seriously this film is definitely NSFW... tons of F and N bombs and generally archaic racial stereotypes are woven in to the flimsy plot which is based on a heist-gone-bad....and in spite of this, it is a total classic of a film...and worth a watch.

gomaize11

March 19th, 2012 at 10:14 PM ^

Is it just me or does Denard sound a lot better in his interviews? I wonder if it's something that he's been working on. The past few seasons, while his smile was infectious, he sounded shaky at times and not quite sure what to say next. 

His increasing mastery of coachspeak will do him well in next years draft interviews. 

Eskabeaner

March 19th, 2012 at 11:53 PM ^

So did I miss a memo somewhere?  Are the numbers on the helmets a permanent add on now?  I thought I had read they were for last year only, but everybody's rockin the #'s in the Spring Practice video.  I'm personaly all for the numbers (as long as they aren't 36 shades of neon brighter than the Wings, but let's not get into that discussion here as It's late, I'm tired, and I have many sharp objects within arms reach) so I'm just curious if this is just for Spring Ball, or not.  Insights all?