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 16th, 2011 at 12:09 AM ^
We legitimately aren't going to finish better than 6-9th in the conference. The B1G is really good this year, and we are young. Why we're young is another question, but it is what it is.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:59 PM ^
Its not like 4 of their 7 losses have come against top 10 teams or anything.
January 15th, 2011 at 10:56 PM ^
I haven't watched a Michigan basketball game after Jan.15 in 10-15 years.Why bother, this program will never be any good.
January 16th, 2011 at 1:03 AM ^
You. Watching the mich games is for fans
January 15th, 2011 at 9:55 PM ^
January 15th, 2011 at 9:57 PM ^
Did you just compare our current team to the Fab 5?
January 15th, 2011 at 9:59 PM ^
Our current talent is definitely on par with the Fab Five.
January 16th, 2011 at 11:46 AM ^
Ok. That's because Belein hasn't exactly locked down top talent. I'm obviously not saying he should be capable of brining in talent like the fab five, but he's missed out on some talented players, which is huge in basketball.
January 15th, 2011 at 10:00 PM ^
Fab Five = 4 of the 5 played in the NBA
This Five = one may play professionally if he develops a consistent jumper
Steve Fisher's main job was to make sure their shorts weren't too baggy.
January 15th, 2011 at 10:12 PM ^
Steve Fisher is a very good coach. (One would think that his having SDSU ranked in the top 10 would have made that obvious.) His teams were always very strong defensively, especially in the post.
January 15th, 2011 at 10:23 PM ^
Can I take his record of 11-18 in 04-05 and say it's obvious he's not a good coach?
I didn't say he wasn't a good coach. I said his main job was to keep their shorts up.
One would think that, wouldn't they?
January 15th, 2011 at 10:58 PM ^
The Fab Five couldn't win at Assembly Hall either:
- January 21, 1992: Indiana 89, U-M 74
- February 14, 1993: Indiana 93, U-M 92
The team's performance tonight was disappointing, but Michigan almost never wins at Indiana. I think they have two wins there in the last 20 years.
January 16th, 2011 at 11:51 PM ^
but this IU team ain't anything like those IU teams. And Assembly Hall--with the refs in IU's, er Bobby's back pockets--isn't Assembly Hall anymore--that place would now be called the Kohl Center--where UW gets the exaggerated home court advantage.
We are who we are--we'll compete in a few games we probably shouldn't--and we'll look dreadful at times against teams we should beat. And we won't really have any true idea of where we are as a program when the season ends. But it looks like Beilein has a pretty long leash.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:57 PM ^
January 15th, 2011 at 10:04 PM ^
It's tough to know what the answer is when there's been no question asked.
January 15th, 2011 at 10:06 PM ^
Was deep.
January 15th, 2011 at 10:09 PM ^
Strangely enough, Saturday nights channel my inner Plato.
January 15th, 2011 at 10:10 PM ^
you just fathomed the interconnectedness of everything
January 15th, 2011 at 10:50 PM ^
as RR. What has he done to think this is ever going to be a good program?Or even average? How 'bout the coach from San Diego State? I hear he's pretty good.
January 16th, 2011 at 10:08 AM ^
Normally I would neg you for this but it's tough to overreact in the immediate aftermath of that level of suck. I expect you to take it back some time this week.
January 15th, 2011 at 9:58 PM ^
Is anyone else concerned with the attitude that Morris is showing? I feel like he never looks at Beilein when he is coaching him and is playing pretty chippy tonight. I can't tell if he is just an emotional guy or what but I definitely do not want another situation where our best player has an attitude problem and is always at ends with the coach.
January 16th, 2011 at 2:07 AM ^
January 16th, 2011 at 11:41 PM ^
I appreciate that Morris' play in Big Ten play has been more forced and that he may be trying to establish his bona fides with the elite guards. But why focus on him and let the other players skate? Douglas can't hit anything including free throws. And some of what Morris is doing and overdoing can probably be attributed to the inability of the others to do what they were doing against lesser competition.
I'm starting to feel as if the Morris is Manny all over again--hustling on the court but often in the doghouse. Could it be that Beilein has trouble coaching his city players or at least his "stars"? I hope it's just a coincidence. Don't see Smotrycz sitting when he isn't being aggressive--which is most of the time. I just don't see Izzo having similar problems with players like Manny and Morris.
January 15th, 2011 at 10:05 PM ^
January 15th, 2011 at 10:10 PM ^
We scored 12 within the first couple minutes of the game against OSU.
January 15th, 2011 at 10:11 PM ^
January 15th, 2011 at 10:12 PM ^
1st half: 15 points
2nd half: 46 points
Think of how many times we have tripled our first half scoring in the 2nd.
January 15th, 2011 at 10:33 PM ^
suck.
January 15th, 2011 at 10:41 PM ^
Big Ten basketball is absolutely awful.
January 15th, 2011 at 11:03 PM ^
Losing two close games in a row to highly ranked teams and then have a let down in the next game, especially when you have a young team on the road, is not unheard of.
But to lose to a bad Indiana team the way we did is very disconcerting.
IU made it look easy and dominated us in every phase of the game.
Our lack of o&d rebounding is troubling. Add to that, this offense of dribble around until there's 10 seconds left on the shot clock and then force a bad three (that usually misses and generally doesn't get rebounded) is eerily reminiscent of our bad Amaker teams.
Here's the remaining schedule:
| Tue, Jan 18 | at Northwestern |
| Sat, Jan 22 | Minnesota |
| Thu, Jan 27 | at (24) Michigan State |
| Sun, Jan 30 | Iowa |
| Thu, Feb 3 | at (2) Ohio State |
| Sun, Feb 6 | at Penn State |
| Wed, Feb 9 | Northwestern |
| Sat, Feb 12 | Indiana |
| Wed, Feb 16 | at (16) Illinois |
| Sat, Feb 19 | at Iowa |
| Wed, Feb 23 | (20) Wisconsin |
| Sat, Feb 26 | at Minnesota |
| Sat, Mar 5 | (24) Michigan State |
Things are not looking good with seven more road games plus Wisconsin and MSU at home.
I'll admit things could change but the uninspired way we played tonight and the strength of our remaining opponents does not have me feeling very confident at the moment.
I would just like to see improvement in o/d rebounding and some semblence of an offense that doesn't have to force bad shots at the end of the shot clock.
January 16th, 2011 at 12:20 AM ^
But, I think that might be just wishful thinking. Finishing anywhere from 6-9 in the big ten is possible. We really needed to get a win on the road here.
January 16th, 2011 at 12:29 AM ^
we'll be on the lower end of that 6-9 place finish.
January 16th, 2011 at 8:55 AM ^
...has played two lousy games in a row so far this year. Next game is NU...will be tough, but winnable with the kind of effort shown against Kansas and OSU.
January 16th, 2011 at 10:18 AM ^
After two performances against Kansas and OSU that made me think something could be with this team they go out and do this......A loss is one thing, but to lose like this is unacceptable.