Well, That Actually Could Have Gone Much Worse

I don't know if anyone else noticed but during the second half when TV was going to a commercial they had an up close shot of Novak being talked to by Beilein. During this shot I noticed Novak had a bandage above his right eye that blended in really well and once I saw it I kept rewinding my dvr to look at it closer and it was a bandage. I am wondering if he was on the other end of a Manny punch or intentional elbow during the practice.

Tim, when can we hope to see improvement in the team's performance based on Beilein's players? Do any of our recruits for next year have the potential to come in and make major contributions to help fill the void with our top two players leaving for the NBA (assuming Manny leaves)? After watching the game yesterday, I'm afraid that it was a preview of what's to come. Is there hope in the near term, and who is bringing it? Please whip up a batch of kool-aid and start distributing ASAP!

Is what I noticed. The team did not give up and played tough throughout the game. Since the incident happened on Friday, the team had to adjust to the no Manny game on the fly...and finally seemed to. It is encouraging.

Does anybody know what Manny Harris did exactly to get suspended.

No doubt Novak is quite an important piece of the team, emotionally and when he hits 3s and overachieves defensively. But for a team that wants to be part of the NCAA, Novak being the 3rd most important player on the team is not good. I want Novak to be what he is, an important role player. He's just too streaky (right now) to be considered the 3rd most important player. I want consistent points from someone, damn it.

not to be contrary here, but this was not a close game, despite the final score...i'm very proud of our guys for sticking with it and actually making a run, but let's be serious here - this game was pretty much under control.

totally agree with the headline, though. it could have been much, much worse, and beilein will be able to use this game as an example of what they can accomplish even when they're shorthanded.

A double digit loss w/o Manny required Sims to play out of his mind. Purdue was dominant this game on both ends. They led by 22 with under 10 minutes to play before letting M make the final score respectable. Besides Sims and some unexpectedly strong 3 point shooting, this was an awful, even embarrassing performance.

How does this team react when Sims/Harris are gone next year? Will 10 point losses still be moral victories? Will the lack of athleticism still be an excuse for lopsided defeats? (Really, a 6-3 D1 basketball player has no business getting rebounds!?)

Maybe people's expectations have been driven down by a lackluster season but the basketball I watched yesterday was atrocious.

My memory of Jamal is a bit foggy. However, from what I recall, Jamal Crawford was better as a freshman than Manny is now. Seriously, Jamal has the same frame and a similar game, except he had better handles and a much smoother looking shot. Agree/Disagree?

If Jamal is any comparison, Manny needs some work before splitting for the NBA.

I had to mute the TV in the second half when the extended Bobby Knight jerk-off began. Sweet creamery Jesus, but that was agonizing.

Sims played at a level I've not seen from him. He was clearly the best player on the floor the first 6-8 minutes and looked like a viable player in the NBA next year.

Other than that, yes, a ton of scratching with heart and grit. But it never felt close.

EDIT: By 'good comments', I'm not referring to myself, rather the ones I read before posting...er, er.

from anybody on Harris' prospects for playing Tuesday? This team is a mindf#%k. Already very slim tourney chances now a near impossibility.

And I did not think they played well or kept it close. Purdue got to the rim at will, had a ton of open looks and dominated the game from start to finish.

Manny is a very good player, but there is some degree of experience on this team. Needed a better showing.

I think it is at least 50/50 that Manny returns at this point. If he doesn't, then next year will most likely be a rebuilding year. I like Hardaway and Smotrcyz because they are tall and athletic guys who can attack off the bounce. That's the biggest problem this team has right now. Manny is about the only guy that can attack off the bounce. When he gets the ball, helpside defenders collapse and clog the lane. If we could shoot it at a better clip than 30% we would be better suited to adjust to that, but at this point the team is in a season long shooting slump and outside of Manny nobody can attack off the dribble. Here is hoping Manny comes back!

Manny,

It is "the team, the team, the team."

Lest you not forget in the future, whether back for a snior year (highly doubtful) or the NBA.

Watching this years team is painful because they are good players being asked to do too much. The team currently lacks height and athleticism. Assuming Manny goes pro, depending on player readiness and development, every position could be equal or better next year in these two areas. Center: Simms changes to Morgan, PF: Novak changes to Smotrycz, SF: Manny changes to Novak, Hardaway, and Vogrich, SG: LLP changes to LLP, Stu, and Vogrich PG: Stu changes to Morris. Overall an upgrade in height and athleticism at almost every position. This does not include potentially adding Zeigler. In addition, the bench will become more diverse as freshman continue to develop and new freshman come in.