MBB vs. Indiana Open Thread
Go Blue, beat IU!
Storylines:
- Michigan attempts to end its three game losing streak
- Novak and Douglass return to their home state
• Radio: Michigan Sports Marketing (IMG)
• Detroit: WWJ (950 AM) | Ann Arbor: WWWW (102.9 FM) | WOMC 104.3 FM
• Internet: MGoBlue.com | Sirius: 90 (U-M broadcast) | XM: 143 (IU broadcast)
• U-M Radio: Matt Shepard (p-by-p) & David Merritt (analyst)
• Television Broadcast: Big Ten Network | Eric Collins (p-by-p) & Quinn Buckner (analyst)
After beginning the season 9-2, Tom Crean’s Indiana squad has since hit a slide, dropping its last six contests. After two tough losses at the Las Vegas Classic to Northern Iowa (67-61) and Colorado (78-69), the Hoosiers have lost each of their fi rst four Big Ten contests to Penn State (69-60), Ohio State (85-67), Minnesota (67-63) and Northwestern (93-81). Indiana holds a 9-8 overall record (0-4 Big Ten).
Under John Beilein, the Wolverines are 2-2 against the Hoosiers, with the teams splitting their matchups last season. In 2009-10, Michigan fell at Assembly Hall in their Big Ten opener, 71-65 (Dec. 31), but came away victorious in Ann Arbor, 69-45 (Jan. 14). This season, the Hoosiers are led by sophomore Christian Watford, who leads Indiana with 16.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
- Michigan will play three of its next four games, and expanding further fi ve of its next seven, on the road, starting with a game at Indiana (Jan. 15). Michigan had played 10 of its last 11 games in Crisler Arena, going 7-3 at home in that stretch.
- Three of Michigan's six losses this season have come against three of top-fi ve ranked programs in the nation. U-M lost by just three to No. 4 Syracuse (53-50), lost by seven in overtime to No. 3 Kansas (67-60) and by just four to No. 2 Ohio State (68-64).
- In conference play, Michigan is shooting a league-best 89.2 percent (33-of-37) from the free throw line in Big Ten games and is 47-of-54 (87 percent) over the last five games.
- Overall, Michigan is second in the Big Ten in free-throw percentage (73.1 percent) and has two players in the top-10 in the conference in free-throw percentage. Tim Hardaway Jr. is eighth in the conference (81.5 percent) while Darius Morris ranks 10th in the league (76.8 percent).
- U-M coach John Beilein needs to coach 15 more games to reach 1,000 total contests in his 33-year career. At the current pace, the 1,000th game will be the Wolverines' opening game at the 2011 Big Ten Tournament.
- With 131 three-point fi eld goals, Stu Douglass is eighth all-time at U-M. Douglass needs four to move into seventh (Glen Rice, 135).
January 15th, 2011 at 8:54 PM ^
That might have been the worst half of basketball I have ever watched. Ever.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:03 PM ^
The Duke game under Ellerbe where we fell behind 34-2 was worse. But this is not much better.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:06 PM ^
Duke scored on 16 of their first 18 possessions, it was like a clinic.
January 16th, 2011 at 8:50 AM ^
Duke was good. Indiana is 9-8 overall and 0-4 the Big Ten. Good thing we loaded up on cupcakes early or this team would have a hard time getting to the teens in wins. This is JBs fourth year isn't it? Please recruit Detroit. One player in four years just doesn't cut it with all the talent there.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:07 PM ^
Pretty sure my daughter's 1st grade game at 7:00 AM this morning was better than this.
January 15th, 2011 at 8:56 PM ^
We did not weather that intensity. For god's sake that was awful. I need whiskey. Beilein needs whiskey. Shit, our players probably need whiskey but they're not old enough.
January 15th, 2011 at 8:59 PM ^
whiskey but I will head to the beer fridge.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:08 PM ^
Yes, I'm on the whiskey all you want bandwagon for the rest of the night.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:00 PM ^
Wow we are getting dominated. The first 10 minutes though EVERY shot that Indiana missed took a huge bounce and bounced right out back to them. But still ...we shouldn't be down this much at half to this team.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:02 PM ^
watching another half of this might cause me to throw a cat or something.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:05 PM ^
know what is worse our plat or quinn buckner.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:06 PM ^
meant play.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:07 PM ^
always choose hightower
January 15th, 2011 at 9:26 PM ^
I would definitely take Perry the Platypus over Buckner.
January 16th, 2011 at 11:17 PM ^
I had all but forgotten about Buckner. I'm half-listening to the commentary and thinking who is this irritant, then it dawns on me. Still completely in the bag for IU--and I don't think that's true of any of the other BTN analysts and their schools--and much of his critique of Mich was, in reality, a critique of Beilein's system--though I'm not sure he kinows what it is. I think even Bobby has evolved more than Buckner, plus Bobby is a vastly superior analyst--dickishness aside.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:07 PM ^
offense. This is not the first time he has done this. Everyone stands around on offense and watches him dripple the ball for 20 seconds.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:10 PM ^
but some of this is on the other players as well.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:09 PM ^
more pick n rolls with hardaway. I like his ability to pull up and hit a jumper.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:12 PM ^
A2, unfortunately, that is not on B's play calling card. The 2 man game would be tough to defend especially with a shooter setting the screen to either roll or pop out.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:12 PM ^
I didn't know we were playing Duke tonight I though Indiana was scheduled!?
But seriously, we are making them look like a top ten team.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:13 PM ^
been a couple guys inside wide open that we have missed
January 15th, 2011 at 9:15 PM ^
actually rooting for Indiana?
January 15th, 2011 at 9:19 PM ^
caught that when he made the and 1 comment
January 15th, 2011 at 9:25 PM ^
if someone has something against what I am saying then come out and say it, don't just blanket neg every post
January 15th, 2011 at 9:29 PM ^
he's one of the great Hoosiers in IU history. Anyway, Michigan has not given him one thing to talk about.
David Brandon seems to genuinely adore Jim Beilein. I wonder what he's seeing. This is an awful game.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:29 PM ^
to the administrations perception of the role of MBB in the grand scheme of things.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:37 PM ^
off the record.
No surprise, Brandon thinks (as most do) that college basketball recruiting is generally dirty. As Brian Cook would say, as dirty as a dirt sandwich with extra dirt. And I think that Brandon just loves the notion that Beilein is a national paragon of cleanlines. And it sort of ends there.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:45 PM ^
john calipari. We shouldn't be afraid to hire a top notch coach just because of what happened 14 years ago.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:49 PM ^
why are you getting negged?
January 15th, 2011 at 10:02 PM ^
is on a crusade against me.
January 15th, 2011 at 10:22 PM ^
I consider it good company.
January 16th, 2011 at 4:54 PM ^
That wasn't me.
And Section 1, I've got nothing against you, except to say that your Pavlovian response to every article written by the Free Press is a little silly.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:16 PM ^
this is becoming hard to watch
January 15th, 2011 at 9:17 PM ^
.....you're going to keep fouling people on inbound passes. Not only is it difficult to win, but you give Indiana a lot of practice making inbound passes.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:18 PM ^
this game is over.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:24 PM ^
.....that will be right after this commercial break, possibly during the last commercial in this break. Come on, Blue, somebody start nailing some threes......
January 15th, 2011 at 9:18 PM ^
Indiana, when making a cut, looks for the ball and goes hard toward the basket. On cuts off the ball for Blue, they rarely look for the ball or cut to the basket. They just go to spots to maintain floor balance. So, they have that going for them.
Defensive intensity is picking up...
January 15th, 2011 at 9:23 PM ^
No help, pretty sad.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:19 PM ^
in first halves this year? I'm just asking now because it hasn't gotten much better.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:22 PM ^
periods with out scoring are to hard to overcome but and we seem to do this every game.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:20 PM ^
DId Novak really try to trip that guy?
January 15th, 2011 at 9:20 PM ^
I can't even handle watching this right now. This insane homer announcer is pusing me over the edge.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:20 PM ^
This is what year 4 of the Beilein era brings???
January 15th, 2011 at 9:23 PM ^
This is also an IU team that has lost SIX straight games.
Boom.
Roasted.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:32 PM ^
After this game Michigan will be 11-7.
After this game their losses will have come against*:
#2 OSU
#3 Kansas
#4 Syracuse
#8 Purdue
#21 Wisconsin
UTEP
and Indiana.
Looking at this team before the season, did ANYONE expect them to be as good as a ranked team? No. That considered, the only losses anyone should even get a little upset about are UTEP and Indiana.
*rankings as of this week. Duke lost, so these will change.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:50 PM ^
"Looking at this team before the season, did ANYONE expect them to be as good as a ranked team? No."
This sentence is why I am frustrated. I would have thought in year four of any coach at an institution like Michigan, fans would have expected a ranked team.
January 15th, 2011 at 10:27 PM ^
In the 2005-2006 season Michigan was ranked 20th. This was the first time they had been ranked since 8 years before that. Clearly this is an elite program and its totally Beilein's fault that we can't expect to be ranked.
I guess I forgot the sarcasm tag on this one...