If bball has hit GERG-level of defense, where do they find their Mattison?

that Beilein has never coached a defense in the top 30 in the country.  I'm ok with where the program is at the current time, but it will be very difficult to compete for a NC without playing above average defense.

I honestly just think that Stauskas and Robinson haven't really had to play defense much in their careers. Just look at how Nik is always showboating in front of the other teams bench. Does that look like someone who is used to hustling back on defense? And Robinson is just atrocious at boxing out. This is something that I learned in little middle school basketball. They've been able to outscore everyone in their life, and for the first half of this season they did it too. They need to learn how to win with defense.

In his career had to have taught defense at some point. However, for some reason, defense has not been a priority for this team. You would hope that over the offseason (because at this point, the light isn't going to be turrned on now), those who are defensive culprits will take the time to learn how to defend their positions more effectively.

But most importantly, they have to want to play defense. Maybe because they were scoring stars in high school, they didn't need to play defense because it was high school competition and they could get by with just scoring. But one year into their B10 career, hopefully it will hit them that defense is just as crucial. I can't contemplate why they don't think that now and at least put forth a modicum of effort.

But maybe they need defensive anuerysms. Stauskas and Robinson won't turn into Novak and Stu overnight. But at some point, the light better come on or we'll be stagnant.

Good Lord, give it a rest! 

Tell me what you've read about any of the kids who've come into the program the past year.  "Great ballhandler", "phenominal shooter", any other offensive term. 

Ever remember hearing we signed a "lock down defender"?  There's a reason for it.  Kid's are recruited on their size/ability on offense (usually WITH the ball) or inside presence. They LEARN defense, in a system, it takes time.

This year we're lucky to be where we are defensively.  We've hit the wall physically (as freshmen do if they play a lot early) at this point, because the length of season and physical demands are mor ethan they've EVER encountered before.

Morgan's injury hasn't let him return to form (like McGary's earlier).  Stauskas and Robinson's recent struggles are due to the wear down that occurs by this point.  The "freshest" guys out there are Levert and McGary b/c they've played tons less.

We will be fine next year, just on experience and conditioning alone.  The ONLY "fix" that could help right now is moving GRIII to the 3, which requires not only 2 of our bigs to take the 4 and 5, but finding a suitable swap for THJ and Stauskas at the 2.  It's not something Belien's seemed to want to do.  Maybe next year with healthy bigs and Donnal adding to the mix... 

Relax and enjoy the ride... if anything, losing gave us time to rest and heal (Morgan/THJ).

Making some free throws, tip backs and layups would help.

Michigan doesn't have a skilled big. Sadly, we're relying on players that no one else wanted (Horford, Morgan) or a true freshman.  Michigan is generally doomed once the ball goes into Zeller, Payne, Berggren etc; They can either help out and leave Hulls, Harris or Brust open for three, or sit back and watch those big dudes repeatedly make bunnies.  Needless to say, when M throws the ball in to Morgan, Horford or McGary, Stauskas won't be left open for the kick out.

Obviously, there are other problems, but this one seems like the most glaring. 

Honest question:

Why don't we start (C) Morgan/Horford, (PF) McGary, (SF) Robinson, (SG) Hardaway, and (PG) Burke, with Stauskas as the 6th man? Before the season, almost everybody who made basketball projections assumed that would be the starting lineup. McGary got off to a slow start because of injury, so that lineup became moot. I always thought Robinson was just a stop-gap at PF until McGary and Horford were in game shape. Everyone's healthy now, so why not put people in their natural positions? It's not like we're so desperately lacking big bodies that Robinson has to play out of position.

That bigger lineup would help with our biggest problems: rebounding and defense. . Some people think Robinson's not athletic enough to defend quicker SFs? Give me a break--the guy is an NBA SF who I'm sure can keep up the Mike Bruesewitzes of the Big Ten. Christ, Burke is an NBA PG, Hardaway will be an NBA SG, Robinson will be an NBA SF, McGary will be an NBA PF, Morgan and Horford are natual centers. Throw that lineup out there and make the other team adjust. How often do you get a lineup like that, with near-certain NBA players spanned across four of the five position groups? Stop being cute, and just put guys at their natural positions. We're all going to look back and cry at the lost possibilities when Burke, Hardaway, Robinson, and McGary are serviceable-to-good NBA players at the positions they should have been playing this year at Michigan.

Just remember there was a time not long ago where basketball would almost have to be labeled OT on this board and basketball would NEVER have a post on the front page. I don't agree when people criticize the players, but am totally fine if people get after the coaches. Some idiots will call for firings and smarter people will analyze the games and point out stats and adjustments. Big time, elite programs get this kind of attention, and negative or positive, if people are talking I think it's good. John Beilein has had one elite recruiting class, and the talent level of the roster is rising. Three of those players are Big Ten starting players on ANY team. Wait till he has a couple of those classes a few years into their development, and then judge or claim he has peaked or reached his ceiling.

A better football analogy for this year's defense would be 2000, when the defense was young and breaking in 8 new starters IIRC, and understandably was inconsistent and generally not that good. What we're seeing now isn't the equivalent of the RR era when he was jerking his coordinators around and there was no coherent philosophy.

I don't question our teams heart,I think it's more a matter of us being a finesse,smallish team in a physical league.Also most of the guys seem to be more laid back with the exception of McGary.                                                                                                                                       Our defensive short comings are obvious.The 'teams just get hot against us' meme is crazy and statistically improbable.

I'll try one last time.  Here are the average national rankings of Beilein's teams since 1997:

Defensive Efficiency:  150th (only been in the top 100 twice)

Opponent Effective FG %:  158th (only been in the top 100 twice)

Opponent Floor %: 117th

Opponent Offensive Rebounding %:  228th

Steals: 195th

Blocks: 147th

Turnovers Forced: 202nd

1st half points allowed: 78th.  2nd half points allowed: 101st (suggesting that his defenses get comparitively worse after halftime).

I don't know how people can look at a near 20-year history of Beilein putting out poor defenses and somehow conclude that this year is just an anomaly or that youth is to blame. John Beilein is just not a good defensive coach.  

I'm not saying he's a bad coach overall or that he should be fired or anything like that, but anyone expecting the defense to get much better over the coming years is in for a major disappointment.  

Maybe some of the panic is of the chicken little variety????

So here is the experience for Wisc starting 5.  Senior, Senior, Senior, Junior, Sophmore, verse our starting 5 a Junior, Junior, Sophmore, Freshmen, Freshmen.  There is your answer.  Defense is something you learn after getting your butt kicked a few times.  This may be a misprint but according to ESPN GRIII and Evans are the same height and weight.  Yet one owned the other in the post.  Watching GRIII's response to Evan's moves it was not that he was muscled down but clueless on how to play defense.  We forget he was a late bloomer, not this finished basketball product.

There was suggestion that 2 bigs would work better.  In college, runnning with two post players without one being a perimeter threat is really tough.  Recall Izzo's difficulties getting Payne and Nix on the floor at the same time.  It only really clicked when Payne became a perimeter threat.  If we still had Smotrycz I think you have something to work with.  But our bigs are currently not talented enough for that to work.  What is ironic is that Nix hit is career high today.  All that work for a Big10 career high of 17 points.

Now there is critisim that Beilein cannot coach defense.  I would say that is by design.  Unless you can recruit superior atheletes ala Kentucky you have to pick & choose the character of your team.  It is sort of like critisizing Bo Ryan for Wisconsin never having a great offense.  You pick what you want to be strong at and hope that is good enough.  I think if Beilein was given last year roster for UK he would have done just as well as anyone else.  If Beilein can recruit good players including a few who will stay around for a few years, I think he can coach up the defense to be more then adequate.  Indiana improved significantly with a year of experience.