MBB Sweeps IU Snowflakes

Submitted by carlos spicywiener on

D Walton is the alpha dog. He's never looked better in his career, and this team hasn't looked better all season.

Bench Irvin. Go with the Walton + Simpson backcourt, with MAAR subbing in.

I'll eat some crow. Beilein has again pulled these guys off the mat. But we're not in the tourney yet

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pinkfloyd2000

February 12th, 2017 at 3:05 PM ^

It's definitely not a vintage Indiana basketball team, that's for sure… But winning in Bloomington? I will take that any day of the week, no matter how awful they are. In this conference, any win is a good win, especially a road win. Go Blue!

Joined: 01/27/2009

MGoPoints: 18471

BursleyBaitsBus

February 12th, 2017 at 3:12 PM ^

Irvin's shot might be broken, but I'm happy that he's upped his defense and passing to make up for it. 

Walton just being a beast since the white collar comment. Standard. 

Wilson upped his game and Wagner is playing really well too. 

X finally came out of his shell. 

Keep it up for a few more games and we're going to the tourney!

Joined: 01/20/2016

MGoPoints: 12434

The Fan in Fargo

February 12th, 2017 at 3:31 PM ^

I think it's great that Walton has increased his production in games. Exciting to watch. Now if I could find that kind of motivation and output in my 30's, I'd be ready to rock. Just need someone to light my fire and tell me that bud light and cheeseburgers are white collar. Come at me bro!

Joined: 09/04/2016

MGoPoints: 1877

UMfan21

February 12th, 2017 at 3:42 PM ^

we swept IU, dominating them at home. we dominated MSU. the team seems to be clicking. Yet, "fans" still shit on our coach. we just spanked Izzo and Crean, generally two of the best coaches in the league and yet it's our fan base bitching.

Joined: 09/28/2009

MGoPoints: 51224

umchicago

February 12th, 2017 at 5:08 PM ^

now has four 18+ point wins over bubble teams plus four other 20-40 point blowouts.  this team has proven it can play with anyone; even UCLA for most of that game.

now they have a win against a solid team on the road.

those are significant boxes being checked for the selection committee.  the team is peaking right now, despite irvin playing his worst basketball.  go .500 the rest of the way, this team is in the dance.  i expect them to do better than that.

i guarantee that nobody will want to play this team early in the tourny as an 7-11 seed.

Joined: 02/05/2009

MGoPoints: 33628

trueblueintexas

February 12th, 2017 at 6:13 PM ^

I'm not convinced yet on the win three of six and Michigan is for sure in. Currently the NCAA does not think a single B1G team is worthy of being in the top 16. That means the traditional .500 conference record may not be a garauntee. Also, if Michigan wins it's next three and then loses the last three, that is not a good look. If Michigan finishes 3-3, I think they may have to go at least 2-1 in the B1G tourney to get a good shot of getting in.

Joined: 11/10/2008

MGoPoints: 36645

UMfan21

February 12th, 2017 at 5:42 PM ^

my point is, no one is calling for Izzo or Crean's head, yet they lost (actually got blown out) by Beilein. it would seem logical if anyone should be on the hot seat, it's the coaches getting blown out by a mediocre Michigan team. the difference is their fan bases realize things ebb and flow. good coaches have down years. 1-2 good recruits (for example a UK transfer) can do wonders to a roster. the Ohio state loss was the only time I ever started to doubt Beilein, but the team has responded beautifully and cast aside my doubt.

Joined: 09/28/2009

MGoPoints: 51224

trueblueintexas

February 12th, 2017 at 6:22 PM ^

Ummmmm, what's Beilein's record against Crean and Izzo? How's Beilein's tourney record compared to Izzo's? Izzo's bad years still result in being in the tourney without question, even if, yep, Middle Tennessee St. just scored again. Beilein did great things for Michigan's program, but he has no where near the legacy Izzo does. As for Crean, IU did beat Kansas and UNC already this year and then the injuries set in. That's why IU fans are more understanding this year.

Joined: 11/10/2008

MGoPoints: 36645

mgoblueben

February 12th, 2017 at 3:50 PM ^

We just swepted IU and spanked our rival. Beilein is not going anywhere. People all too quickly forget the dark years. We are not a basketball school, sweet 16 every other year and a final 4 once a decade should be the high bar we set.

Joined: 06/23/2011

MGoPoints: 2475

befuggled

February 12th, 2017 at 8:08 PM ^

There was a stretch of 7 years from Johnny Orr's last three years to Bill Frieder's first four years where the team did not make the NCAA tournament. See here.

It's true that the NCAA tournament was much harder to get into then and at least of those teams would have made it in under the current rules. At the same time, look at the conference record of most of those teams; only two finished above .500 in the Big Ten.

It wasn't until Frieder's fifth year that Michigan started going to the tournament on a regular basis.

Joined: 07/01/2008

MGoPoints: 9955

OC_Blue

February 12th, 2017 at 10:07 PM ^

Let's remember that college basketball was completely different then and that both Frieder and Fisher were dirty. I'm amazed and appreciative of the success that Beilein has had while running a clean program. In the dirty, dirty world of college basketball, being competitive and not embarrassing the school is the best we can hope for.

Joined: 02/15/2010

MGoPoints: -55

trueblueintexas

February 12th, 2017 at 11:21 PM ^

I appreciate what Beilein has done to get the program out of the crap hole it was in. What I don't get is people pretending Michigan was never better than mediocre in basketball (other than the Fab 5 era) and somehow we should worship Beilein for bringing unheralded glory days to the program. Michigan has a good basketball history to live up to. So far Beilein has met the standard with regards to win percentage and tourney performance. Doing it the clean way has been an added bonus. The angst with Beilein, at least for some, is that there seems to be some fundamental issues with the team the past couple years. It looks more like the beginning of a trend instead of an anomaly. When you see that, you would prefer not to watch the trend play out longer than necessary.

Joined: 11/10/2008

MGoPoints: 36645

uncle leo

February 12th, 2017 at 3:24 PM ^

Won't leave until this team does something significant.

I'm very pleased with the last two games, but I said it after the Indiana game and was validated a few days later... You HAVE to keep following up these big wins with another. They beat a couple of pretty average teams with MSU and Indiana.

Beating Wisconsin will earn a lot of praise for John B if he can get it done. 

I always pull for the best with this team and I'm definitely pleased with the recent stretch, but they still need a signature moment.

Joined: 07/29/2012

MGoPoints: 34636

LSAClassOf2000

February 12th, 2017 at 7:36 PM ^

It won't silence them, but the one question I guess have for the vehement members of that crowd is this - what would this team need to do next year to change their mind? I say "next year" because nothing will likely happen this year, so any chants of "Fire Beilein" are realistically a non-starter. There has been a lot of .....not great moments..... this year, and for the record, I am definitely in the "not entirely satisfied" crowd on this one, but I do wonder what the acceptable bar is. 

Joined: 01/07/2011

MGoPoints: 130623

pescadero

February 13th, 2017 at 10:10 AM ^

what would this team need to do next year to change their mind? Recruit at a top 15 level. Be a top 5 seed. Make at least the Sweet Sixteen. ...and repeat 1/2 the years you coach while making the tournament (and not as a play in) 90% of the time in the other years.

Joined: 03/28/2013

MGoPoints: 12018

FatGuyTouchdown

February 12th, 2017 at 5:44 PM ^

who was a projected late first/early 2nd round pick when he started his insane stretch of games?

I didn't say he was Kemba or that we were going to win the title, but Walton has played so well, that this team is going as far as he takes him. I said it's a similar vibe when you have an experienced point guard playing out of his mind. He's the ultimate alpha dog with the attitude to prove it. 

 

Joined: 09/07/2014

MGoPoints: 14126