There is a surprise selection for best big 10 defender, according to the "stops" metric utilized...Jordan Morgan!
McGary also scores very well, with only his tendency to foul holding him back.
At the very least...it's an interesting read and underscores jordan morgan's importance to the team's rotation.
http://btn.com/2013/01/28/big-ten-geeks-oladoeverything/
Jordan Morgan has been wildly under-
Eloquently put. Maybe it's
Eloquently put. Maybe it's because his dad didn't play in the NBA. Even Ace and Brian on the podcast last week were calling him "not very athletic" which I roundly reject. Through hard work he has become a physical specimen who can dunk with ease at 6'8 (maybe) and run the court tirelessly. Yesterday showed just how difficult it is for our backup bigs to run, especially in a fast paced game.
Except for the other thing. That hurts the most. But the lack of respect hurts the second most.
Completely agree that he is a
Completely agree that he is a great player, and very underrated. I've come to appreciate him more and more, but to answer your question I think the thing that frustrated me in the past is just all the wide open bunnies he seemed to miss right at the rim. He had a high field goal % because defenses are preoccupied with Michigan's other talented players and gets easy backdoors or pick & rolls. Easy dunks increase field goal % even if they weren't too hard to come by.
That said, his defense has been very impressive. Once I started paying careful attention to what he does on that end of the floor I have grown to appreciate him more and more. He's not an offensive juggernaut but with Burke, Hardaway, Stauskas, GR3, this team doesn't need another offensive threat, they need a defensive glue guy like Morgan.
Regarding the missed bunnies-
Regarding the missed bunnies- I know exactly what you felt with all of those, and to be honest I have already felt that numerous times with McGary this year. Even with fewer occurrences this year I find it more frustrating because it seems like he could be dunking those chances realitively easily. That said, the improvement has been tremendous and the defensice effort from both is extremely important in order for our team to be successful this year.
I think...
I think it's the lack of flash to his game. I am a Morgan supporter and think he should be in the starting 5, but he certainly isn't a very flashy player (NTTAWWT). I do< however, long for the days of a Chris Webber type big man who blocks shots and dunks everything within 10 feet of the basket.
Anyway, you asked why he doesn't get as much love as he should and that is just why I think people don't always rave about him. He's a solid player, but he does lack that flash that gets people out of their seats.
I, too, long for a center who
I, too, long for a center who is the best recruit in a decade. Tis a cruel world.
Except for the other thing. That hurts the most. But the lack of respect hurts the second most.
Honest answer
For me, the thing that drives me nuts about Morgan is his hesitancy on offense. He could be soo much more if when he gets the ball in the post he would immediately make a move to the rim. He always (ok, not always, but a lot) seems to either pump fake, allowing the defense to close in on him, or puts it on the floor which forces him to kick it back out or take a contested shot.
He's great on defense, and is an overall efficient player, but he has a lot more potential that remains untapped. IME.
not just "douchey" MGoBlog user, but now TRUSTED MGoBlog user
Not here
Count me as someone who has never failed to appreciate what Jordan Morgan has done for the team. He might not have stats, but he has great presence. Michigan used to be weak up the middle, and it hurt them against better teams.
Jordan Morgan has helped shore up one of the team's biggest weaknesses. Teams playing Michigan used to have the luxury of ignoring the 5 on defense; now, they have to play honest. It makes a difference.
Love this kid!! (a littl
Love this kid!! (a little biased since he went to my high school)
Morgan gets overlooked because a lot of stuff he does will never show up in the stat sheet. In additional to the rebounding he gives us, his post defense is excellent (if The Illini had a good post on offense, that could have been trouble) and even on offense, I really think Hardaway/Burke/Stauskas, etc come off Morgan's screens more open than when any other big sets that screen...So many contributors, I cannot wait for the Tourney this year!!!!
"Slappin' the Bass" - Matt Vogrich (maybe)
Good for him
He's come a long way since that kid went off on him in the Concordia game.
Good for Him
I remember last year when he basically shut down Sullinger.
"Relax you panic monger" -Megatron
It's amazing to me how far
It's amazing to me how far Morgan has come since his freshman year. The only thing that frustrates me about him is his penchant for missing bunnies when he is being guarded, but I think that is going to be a pretty common problem for college centers. Hope he gets healthy soon.
Jake Ryan
Jake Ryan
"I think Hoke has changed the tide on the rivalry. Hell people in Ohio are starting to believe him. Never in a million years I would have thought that. Selling Michigan jerseys is a good start."
One thing I noticed is
One thing I noticed is Oladipo was the one that left Harris open on a lot of those 3s especially when they were in zone. He is a good on ball defender but he gets out of position quite a bit.
Morgan has always had a good
Morgan has always had a good motor and he is more than athletic enough for college. I don't think he's the physical athlete you need to be successful in the pros, but for college his body and abilities are more than enough to be a good player. I'm happy that people are recognizing him.
I love Morgan..
...but how is "stops" calculated? The lack of Aaron Craft on those lists makes me question it heavily.
It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future. -- Yogi Berra
I says in the article that
I says in the article that rebounds are a big plus and fouls are a big minus -- both areas that hurt Craft. That said, I agree with you, the fact that Craft isn't topping this list makes me question the formula heavily.
Stops = steals + blocks x
Stops = steals + blocks x FMwt x (1-1.07 x opp OR%) + DR + (1-FMwt)
"FMwt factors in the relative value of a missed shot compared to a defensive rebound based on the team’s ability to do both."
It's not intended to measure a talent for defense. The formula clearly feels that defense inside is more important that defense on the perimeter. That's not Craft's fault.
wolverineliberationarmy.com/blog
FMwt (Forced Miss Weight)
To expand on this, the "FMwt" itself results from the following formula:
FMwt = DFG% x (1 - DOR%) / (DFG% - (1-DOR%)+(1-DFG%)xDOR%) where DFG% is effective FG% of a given opponent and DOR is defensive rebounds.
"Funny isn't it, how naughty dentists always make that one fatal mistake."
Follow the random tweets of a Michigan alum - http://twitter.com/#!/LorneEC3
Love McGary but Morgan does
Love McGary but Morgan does work. I always talk to a friend about the games and they bitch and moan about Morgan starting even though I send them box scores showing the distribution of minutes and how it's about split between the two. I just sent them this link. Speaking of Morgan does anyone know how his ankle is doing?
Omnia mutantur nos et mutamur in illis.
Every Michigan fan should
Every Michigan fan should enjoy the time they get to watch Morgan and McGary on this team. They are very different players. Where as McGary's game may be more fun to watch for the average fan, watching the team play D and operate on O with Morgan on the floor is a real treat if you really understand the game. Hopefully we get two years of this, not many college teams have complimenting players like this.
"Anyone who isn't confused, really doesn't understand the situation." - Edward R. Murrow
I agree that Morgan seems to
I agree that Morgan seems to be underappreciated (by myself as well) as the last line of defense. While the list merely addresses defense stats, when watching games I feel that McGary collects a large amount of rebounds Morgan does not. Compund that with the amount of times J-mo seems to get stuck on the block without making a post move, bringing the offense to a crawl, and you can see why the debate is at least logical.
Morgan has far surpassed the
Morgan has far surpassed the expectations that services and fans had for him. I don't really buy that he is an elite defender b/c 1) he is not a shot blocker or alterer due to his height 2) not alot of skilled bigs in college these days (only has to matchup w/ Zeller, Mbakwe, and Nix/Payne in conference play; NC State bigs tore us up).
I think Morgan does about as good as you can ask considering his physical limitations. And I'm damn thankful he's on our team. Great team player and pretty consistent.
appreciated by UM fans, as this helps to confirm. He's also--for the third year in a row--among the top two players in field goal percentage in the B1G at the moment. Something about the guy doesn't translate for people, and I'm stumped as to just what it is. Incredible overachiever, valiant like hell under fire, and getting his freaking engineering degree in four years--what's not to admire about this kid? Is it just that he's not some classic NBA-style dominant center?