MBB: If someone had told you...
- shoot .510
- have more than double our FT attempts
- outrebound us 33-22
- oh and lead by 15 partly through the 2nd half
What would you have said?
Part of me would have said "We got blown out." But considering the way we've been playing we shouldn't be surprised by this. Our team can hang with the big guys. I think we are so gun-shy that we keep feeling "lucky." We shouldn't anymore.
Remember two years ago when after Manny and Co. went 2 rounds and was given a top 25 ranking going into the following year. That turned out to be a cruel joke. With this team I thinks it real and we should believe it this time.
So, what would you have said?
That returning team a couple years ago (for 2009-10) didn't play together as well as this crew does. Sims and Harris *might* have been more talented than this year's two most talented players (Morris and Hardaway), but the depth and experience around them is much greater. Aside from a sophomore Hardaway and a junior Morris, Michigan should have a senior PF in Novak, a senior SG in Douglass, and a redshirt sophomore center who led the league in field goal percentage.
If Smotrycz and Horford can get a little more physical and continue to develop, and if we can get some consistent play from our guards coming off the bench, then we'll have a pretty deep team.
I think Hardaway is already on par with Harris in terms of talent. I also think Hardaway has a higher ceiling then Harris did. He's taller, more explosive and has a much better shot. The future is bright!
March 21st, 2011 at 11:41 AM ^
Just sayin'...
other than random feeling of what I saw, but it also could be a case of me remembering isolated events and thinking of it as fact. But is it just me, or does Tim Hardaway Jr. have that "assasian" mode late in games where he just goes into a "I'm taking over" state-of-mind?
There was one shot where he pulled up on a 2 pt jumper late in the game and I said, boy that looked just like Jordan. It was quick and had Jordan's form. That was the first time I saw that, and I do think he has the assassin confidence...and he was gaining it throughout the tournament.
When he didn't get to shoot at the end of the game, just seeing him distraught on tv, I think he was wondering, what if I had gotten the ball? Darius likes being in the position to take the last shot but so does Hardaway. Who's the go-to guy next year?
One of the main differences I saw between the tournament team two years ago and last year's team was consistent point guard play. CJ Lee and David Merritt graduating had a far greater impact than anyone could have predicted. Morris was a true freshmen thrust into the role of starting Big Ten point guard.
The improvement I have seen in Morris from last year to this one is incredible. Between Morris, Vogrich, and Morgan, there has been vast improvement and growth. It has been a resounding theme of this board, but this team has a very bright future. It's scary to think what they could do if Hardaway makes the strides that some of the other players have made from year 1 to 2.
March 21st, 2011 at 10:42 AM ^
especially CJ, was lost with their graduation as well; Sims and Harris simply weren't the vocal active leaders the team needed and I think the group floundered because of it. This year's team seems full of go-getters, I don't think leadership will be an issue with the '11-'12 team.
March 21st, 2011 at 10:42 AM ^
I remember people saying he can't defend and was too slow, too weak, etc to play in the big ten. This kid has worked hard and it shows. He was killer on those backdoor cuts against Tenn, has an impressive 3 point shot, and has developed into a solid defender. Sure, he looks like he's about 11 years old, but he's a competent Big Ten bench player now. He's one of the less-heralded stories of this team, I think.
How we were shooting the 3-ball and how many 7-point thunder dunks Jordan Morgan had.
March 21st, 2011 at 10:03 AM ^
I would have asked, "what was the final score?"
<br>
<br>I'm not trying to be a wise guy here. Our expectations now have been set not to just be competitive against top teams, but win some of these games.
<br>
<br>The vibe after yesterday's game is that this was a moral victory. I was happy with the game, so put me in that camp. I think there are many reasons to be positive after one bucket short from going into OT vs the #1 seed. However, I look forward to and expect to win these games in the future. I presume most of you are also in this camp.
March 21st, 2011 at 10:17 AM ^
Yikes would have been my answer. Or "Zoinks" in deference to Kyle Singler.
March 21st, 2011 at 10:31 AM ^
The future indeed looks bright. This year, in spite of the bad stretch, we were so close in so many games against the top teams. Lost to 3rd ranked Syracue by 3, lost to 3rd ranked KS in OT, lost to Wiscy by 1 and lost to Duke by 1 yesterday.
This team plays tough and smart. It is a good combination.
On another front, spring practice has begun and I feel encouraged that sooner than later we will again have a defense.
March 21st, 2011 at 10:46 AM ^
Sully and Magnus hit the Nail on the head here.
This team has both the scoring and heart, character and leadership coming back next year. Last years team had the scoring (Sims and Harris) but lost their heart, character and leadership (CJ, David and also Kelvin) all were gone. We had "no scorer" when we needed a hoop. This year was nice. Morris started strong, Hardaway developed into a scorer, and how about Smotryz taking the ball to the hole? I loved his drives vs. Clemson and vs. Duke. If he mixes that up with his shooting - he'll be a tough guard next year.
March 21st, 2011 at 11:56 AM ^
I don't know, but I'm going to bring up another point.
One thing that happened last year that almost no one was expecting was that we really missed the steady leadership of our departed seniors. They were less talented but somehow they helped glue the team together and occasionally did the little things that help teams win.
I think about this with Stu and Novak, but particularly Novak. In two years, when he's gone, this team will really miss his leadership and everything he does. UM has young players and I believe they are learning from Novak - good programs carry the tradition of leadership, teamwork and hardwork. I hope/believe that Novak is laying this foundation. But right now, I think he will be missed *far more* than many people expect.
With that said, I love this team and am so excited for next year. It'll be fun.
March 21st, 2011 at 12:17 PM ^
and was in it to the end.....it's great to see that they didn't give up when they were down by 15.....Michigan plays this well against Duke and then we've got other Big 10 teams like Purdue that just fell flat on their face....horrible............I expect to see Michigan as one of the better teams in the Big 10 next year.
March 21st, 2011 at 12:21 PM ^
One of the main reasons 2009-10 was so disappointing was because Novak and Douglass regressed from their freshman seasons (Novak bounced back this year, Douglass is what he is and should be supplanted by Burke/Brundidge next season) and Beilein didn't stop trying to get them open looks for three no matter who many bricks they tossed up. It's a credit to JB that he re-invented himself and made his offense more diverse after last year's failure.
Also, I don't think Manny and Sims really stepped up in the leadership department like people thought they would. There were no new wrinkles in their games and neither seemed to be able to stop the snowball effect and take charge on the court.
March 21st, 2011 at 12:28 PM ^
I think as it stands now, this team is good enough to return to the tournament as anywhere from a 6-8 seed with some cinderella potential.
I expect Hardaway and Morris to continue to develop, especially since both can see the draft lottery as motivation (not to mention this heartbreaking loss).
But Smotrycz reminds me a lot of Gordon Hayward. I thought he looked really good against Duke. He was aggressive going to the hole and we all know he is a very good shooter. If he can get to the weight room and be a solid third option, it will help in so many ways.
1. We can move Douglass to the sixth man spot. A starting lineup of Morris (6'4"), Hardaway (6'5"), Novak (6'5"), Smotrycz (6'9"), and Morgan (6'9") would give us great length on defense while pairing a solid post guy and a quick, big point guard with three shooters on offense. Beilein's system would really be kicking.
2. We would no longer have the droughts we often experience when Morris or Hardaway has to leave, since we'd pretty much always have two solid options.
If Smotrycz develops into a consistent double-digit scorer, this team will really look good. He needs to get into the weight room. I don't think 14 points/7 rebounds is out of the question for him, especially if he plays the 4 next to Morgan.
I would have asked what the final score was. After hearing our 73-71 fate was sealed, I would thank the higher powers for such an amazing season and for letting us slap Sparty around like a pinata all day.
No more "expected" losses or cruel jokes on the hardwood around here any longer. This team is for real, will lose nothing from this year, and get an infusion of Belien-scouted, near top 100 talent. That's a presciption for a high ceiling next year.
Go Blue!