MBB snowflakes
Great effort but that early ridiculous run by Maryland is what won them the game.
Maryland is very overrated. Almost lost to us without LeVert again. The least surprising thing ever would them being dumped in the first or second round.
I think we go 2-1 in these final 3 regular season games. I'm more confident in beating Iowa because like Maryland, they're playing like crap lately and it's gonna be a jacked senior day crowd.
February 21st, 2016 at 3:41 PM ^
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February 21st, 2016 at 3:45 PM ^
3 more wins counting the BTT, no matter how we get them. What we do is not in a vacuum though, it depends upon what the other contenders for spots do as well.
February 21st, 2016 at 3:44 PM ^
We also need Wiscy to start squandering a little IMO
February 21st, 2016 at 3:45 PM ^
If we play the way we did today in the last 3 games we could certainly win out. Hopefully D Rob can get going, he's hurting more than helping.
February 21st, 2016 at 4:07 PM ^
Opponents have clearly figured out how to neutralize DRob, but he doesn't bring enough at the other end of the court to offset his lack of production. I wonder, though - do the adjustments that teams make for DRob open up other facets of the game that most of us in the peanut gallery fail to recognize? If there is one thing that Beilein has proven over the years, is capitalizing on those little nuances.
February 21st, 2016 at 4:38 PM ^
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February 21st, 2016 at 5:35 PM ^
he just doesn't mover around enough. i wish JB, at a minimum, would have DRob and irvin criss-cross along the baseline every now and then; just to add another look. that movement would create open looks every now and then.
early in the game he cut to the hoop a few times and it worked. then he pretty much stopped doing that.
February 21st, 2016 at 3:47 PM ^
I know this is the narrattive cause that's what it always is when a team goes down 15-20+ and makes it a game. However, I didn't really see it that way. The team didn't get gritty defensive stops, or lock down the opposing team, or dominate the boards. Bottom line we moved the ball well, made shots, and Donnal got white hot.
I will give the team credit for not giving up and still playing with effort. The other angle to take is we scored 82 points, shot 48% from 3, Donnal had a career game.....and we still lost to a vastly overrated Maryland team.
This is probably our current teams ceiling with Levert and Spike out. We have no bench, can't play D, but can have stretches offensively that mirror all those issues. You can't contend with top teams with those injuries and issues. I think we are one of the last teams in, and probably lose 1st round, at best round of 32.
February 21st, 2016 at 3:48 PM ^
February 21st, 2016 at 3:49 PM ^
February 21st, 2016 at 3:55 PM ^
February 21st, 2016 at 4:03 PM ^
February 21st, 2016 at 4:14 PM ^
LSU is a joke. The ultimate definition of a team being centered around one guy. It's not even a team. If they were, they'd be a lot better than they are.
They're losing a bunch of games in the SEC, the weakest of the major conferences.
February 21st, 2016 at 4:15 PM ^
February 21st, 2016 at 3:54 PM ^
We scored over 80 and lost! I thought that was impossible!
In all seriousness though, they played about as well as you could expect. At this point the defense is not going to get any better, so we're going to have to try to outscore everyone. Which makes it that much more depressing that we lost while scoring 82.
February 21st, 2016 at 3:54 PM ^
February 21st, 2016 at 5:39 PM ^
that was a game we shot like crap and won with D. it's about consistent decent (not even good) D. but young teams play inconsistently.
dawkins is just a headscratcher to me. all of the ability in the world but zero basketball sense. it shocks me given how good his father was. there is no reason why that kid shouldn't be a dominant defender.
February 21st, 2016 at 3:57 PM ^
Do you guys think this game might help our tournament chances? Yes, a win would have helped by so much more, but we were suposed to lose this game. Is there a chance that the commitee looks at this game and talks about how we hung in on the road agaainst the #6 team, and they were hungry. (Granted Maryland was overrated)
February 21st, 2016 at 3:59 PM ^
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February 21st, 2016 at 4:01 PM ^
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February 21st, 2016 at 4:08 PM ^
0% chance.
February 21st, 2016 at 4:32 PM ^
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February 21st, 2016 at 5:53 PM ^
One knock on M if it comes down to the last four in or so (Gottlieb mentioned it at the half) is that MICH got its doors blown off in almost all of its games against solid teams.
If they beat NW, lose competitively to Wisky and Iowa, and then win one in the BTT, at least the narrative is changed from "team that beats lesser teams but gets shredded by good teams" to "team that beats lesser teams and lately has been able to hang with good teams."
I don't think the committee would give MICH a half-win or anything for this game, but I think there is some small value there if the committee is making hard decisions about them on Sunday.
February 21st, 2016 at 4:01 PM ^
Maryland is not overrated. They can go play with anyone. We for whatever reason play them well, "matchup" wise, somehow. But really, they're a pretty damned good squad. Number 6?! Maybe not, but top-10, absolutely.
February 21st, 2016 at 4:09 PM ^
They play lazy defense if not zero defense. Melo Trimble might be the most overrated player in America.
They don't run crisp offensive sets or really have much of an offense, it's basically 1v1s, iso post ups, and offensive rebounding.
They lost to Minnesota. They have one semi good non-conference win (UCONN). Their best conference road victory is by 3 over Wisconsin, teams that can't beat good opponents on the road are notorious for early tourney flame outs. I believe Maryland is a prime candidate for a first or second round upset.
February 21st, 2016 at 4:28 PM ^
February 21st, 2016 at 5:41 PM ^
the announcers said they have the best overall D in the big ten; statswise.
February 21st, 2016 at 4:07 PM ^
but we had too big a hole early due to poor focus in the middle of the first half.
And we played well enough to win. I still think that's a crap offensive foul call on Walton at the end - the defensive player was reaching in. But when it's close like that on the road, you usually don't get those calls.
If we played like that at OSU, we would have won decisively. If we play like that in the next 3 games, we go at least 2-1.
This is a tourney team, if we win one more regular season game and one in the BTT - if that doesn't get us in, it's a travesty.
Proud of the team, proud of our integrity, proud of coach Beilein who does things the right way.
February 21st, 2016 at 4:12 PM ^
of you, remdog, for getting it right! Couldn't agree more.
February 21st, 2016 at 4:23 PM ^
I know this isn't going to be popular, but Walton used his off arm and extended it right in the chest of the defender. That's a foul.
The no-call on MAAR was the foul everyone should be up in arms about. He got bodied hard on the take. If you're going to call Walton's an offensive foul, you have to give MAAR that call for the strong take.
February 21st, 2016 at 5:04 PM ^
It was a tough call but Walton made it easy by really pushing off, even if he was fouled before.
The lack of calls on the Melo reach arounds are what killed me. Couldn't be more obvious that he reached around and grabbed his defender by the waist so he could turn the corner on his drives. That plus the lack of illegal screen calls which I guess the officials decided to stop calling after focusing on it earlier in the season.
February 22nd, 2016 at 11:26 AM ^
I think it's a judgement call. It could easily have been called a defensive foul due to the reach in by the defender. The initial contact is by the defender and Walton is pushing ithe defender's arm off him. Even the announcer (who initially thought it was clearly an offensive foul) pointed that out (saying the defender "was a little early" before Walton raised his left arm) when he saw the replay.
I would prefer either a no call or a defensive foul call on that type of play. But it's a close call and I wouldn't blame the loss on the officiating. Even if the call was different, the game was still in doubt. And sometimes you get those calls, somtimes you don't. The refs have a tough job making that call in real time.
February 21st, 2016 at 6:18 PM ^
I don't think getting left out of the tournament under your scenario (1 more regular season win, 1 BTT win) would be a travesty.
Before today's loss, Jerry Palm had Michigan as one of the last 4 in. I'm guessing Michigan probably moves into the first 4 out group in his next projection. A win over Northwestern does Michigan no good. Based on today's standings, Michigan would play Nebraska in the first round of the BTT. A victory over Nebraska would not help either.
Michigan needs 3 wins: Northwestern, first round BTT opponenent, and then one of Wisconsin, Iowa or second round BTT opponent (based on today's standings, Indiana).
February 22nd, 2016 at 11:17 AM ^
travesty is probably too strong a word. I think they're deserving with two more wins but 3 should eliminate any uncertainty.
I'm biased but I think the Big Ten is the best conference in the country this year (Iowa, Maryland, MSU, Indiana and Purdue all look like Final Four caliber teams) and typically a winning record in the best conference is a sure ticket to the tourney.
February 21st, 2016 at 4:08 PM ^
I really do not understand why Robinson effectively played 20 minutes in the second half. He wasn't just a non-factor he was a negative, and while I know the normal substitution is Kam for Irvin and not Robinson, I'm pretty certain Kam could have been more effective vs. Layman defensively and had played well offensively in the first half too. He got zero minutes in the second half after literally his best stretch of play for us to date.
February 21st, 2016 at 4:08 PM ^
February 21st, 2016 at 7:23 PM ^
If UM only wins 2 more games, one of them needs to be against a pretty solid opponent if UM wants to go dancing. If the two victories are NU and another non NCAA tourney team in the Big Ten tournament, I don't think UM makes the NCAA's.
February 21st, 2016 at 4:09 PM ^
Just two more wins, any combo, and we're a lock for the tourney.
February 21st, 2016 at 4:24 PM ^
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February 21st, 2016 at 4:10 PM ^
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February 21st, 2016 at 4:10 PM ^
I really think we probably need 3 more wins (including the Big Ten Tournament) to make it into the dance.
Northwestern at home should be a win, as should whoever we draw in the very first round of the BTT.
However, Wisconsin on the road, Iowa, or a Quarterfinals Big Ten Tournament opponent all seem more likely than not to be losses...
2 wins MIGHT get us in if our losses are all reasonably close, but the chances would be far from certain.
Interesting few weeks ahead.
February 21st, 2016 at 4:13 PM ^
February 21st, 2016 at 4:22 PM ^
Perhaps this team's greatest strength is closing out games (final minute(s)) with a small lead. That's how we've gotten our biggest wins. We also came from behind against Purdue while LeVert did negative work, so I'm not really sure what games you're watching.
February 21st, 2016 at 4:21 PM ^
Maryland was +5 in that department and won by 4. That put back slam in the closing minutes for Maryland was huge from a momentum standpoint.
BTW, I think that was a BS foul on Irvin when him and Trimble were going for that loose ball late.
February 21st, 2016 at 4:25 PM ^
We are a 6ft 10inch high level athlete away from being a real good team. Unfortunately, JB isn't recruiting one anytime soon.
More of the same next year. Brace yourself.
February 21st, 2016 at 5:28 PM ^
I think Wagner might be just that guy.
February 21st, 2016 at 5:31 PM ^
So 6-11 Jon Teske and 6-10 Austin Davis decommitted?
February 21st, 2016 at 5:39 PM ^
Are rated by anyone to be more than rotation players at very best.
February 21st, 2016 at 5:42 PM ^
February 21st, 2016 at 6:48 PM ^