Go.Blue.Hail

November 30th, 2015 at 3:43 PM ^

It's kind of funny how everyone is giving up on this team already. Beilein's got 10 players that could reasonably see the court this year and he's figuring out how to use them. The players are getting used to their roles and playing with each other in a real game setting, so I think it's safe to say that under Beilein this team will perform a lot better throughout the season.

goblue16

November 30th, 2015 at 3:47 PM ^

Hell no! Loses to UCONN and Xavier. xavier is 6-0 ranked #12 in AP. UCONN is 26. Team is playing better in these past 2 games bu for ow it doenst really mea much. Once big ten play starts will see how good we are. Still got NC ST and SMU on the road. if we split those and strat 10-3 on the season that would be great. FYI in 2013-2014 we started 6-4 and we ended up winning the big ten adn making the elite eight so lets all relax a bit

Wolvermarine

November 30th, 2015 at 3:47 PM ^

Uh, no. Way too early to make a claim like that. We lost two games to tournament teams with a lot of experience.  We have Spike and Irvin coming off injuries.  Integrating Wagner, Wilson and Robinson into the rotation.  There are a lot of pieces in play who haven't played a lot of basketball together.  They are going to get a lot better as the season goes on.  Wagner has been a relevation, his upside is as good as any big we have had here save McGary.  Robinson is lights out from 3 and has displayed a solid all around game as well.  

I'm not sure we will be good enough to challenge MSU or Maryland for the Big Ten title, but we will be an upper tier team in the Big Ten and get a solid seed in the NCAA's.  

 

samdrussBLUE

November 30th, 2015 at 3:57 PM ^

If NC State and SMU both work us over pretty good and we don't finish the "easy" remaining non-conf games off accordingly, then yes. Absolutely. Anything more than 1 loss the rest of the non-conference would send me searching for answers.

Lanknows

November 30th, 2015 at 4:17 PM ^

Yes, it is.  The center position has been an outright disaster and that's disappointing after Bielfeldt wasn't welcomed back.

BAD STUFF:

  • I think any reasonable fan wasn't expecting great things from Donnal, but there was some room to think he could be a serviceable guy giving you 10-15 minutes.  I don't really care about the foul rate, it's the total lack of improvement relative to last year.
  • Doyle's the biggest disappointment (so far!).  OK for a freshman to have issues with fitness and maybe give up too many rebounds but Doyle looks worse, not better, in year 2.
  • Wilson - haven't seen the shot-blocking we need to see for him to help at 5. Needs to play faster on defense and embrace physicality - it's not happening so far.
  • Chatman - if he could just focus on rebounding and defending we might have something, but he's too much of a liability when he's taking this many shots. I still think they should try him with the starters and have him focus on simply rebounding and playing hard for 5 minutes to start each game.
  • Spike's health.
  • Dawkins' D.  As with Doyle and Donnal, you'd expect some improvement but none is evident.

GOOD STUFF:

  • Might have something here in Wagner.  This is a huge silver lining and he's now THE great hope at Center.
  • LeVert looks absolutely amazing. If he keeps playing like this it's NBA Lottery time.
  • Need a little more consistency from Walton and Irvin, but you can see what they offer when they're on.

IS WHAT IT IS:

  • Robinson can shoot but can't defend.
  • MAAR's going to struggle to find minutes unless he can take another step up defensively.
  • These two are fine as role players an offer an alternative to Dawkins and Spike but their games are limited as all around players.
  • Still some sorting out to do for who is going to get shots and when.

OUTLOOK:

  • Long way to go and lots of creampuffs to munch through before conference play.  Lets right the ship.  Figure out this center situation and we have a chance to go places.
  • Who wants that matchup against Denzel Valentine? Somebody, anybody, on the wing needs to dedicate themselves defensively and embraces a stopper-role. 
  • Reasonable hopes:  Dawkins and Doyle just flat out start playing harder and better.  Wagner keeps improving and can give you 20 minutes against anybody.  Spike gets healthy and adds some bench firepower.  Defense and rebounding are going to be problems but maybe we can mitigate the damage...

MLaw06

November 30th, 2015 at 5:01 PM ^

I think it's ridiculous that someone who hasn't even seen a game is writing off the team.  They only lost to a very good Xavier and UConn team so far.  They beat every team they were supposed to beat and they overcame the big men of Texas.  They have a few guys recovering from injuries/surgeries and they are building up the team chemistry.  Defense is still a project, but they are putting together the pieces.

UMichStudent2019

November 30th, 2015 at 3:52 PM ^

Having attended the all the home games and watched the away games on TV, I think we've already developed since the first few games. The devlopments haven't been dramatic, but I thik we are clearly moving in the right direction. Assuming we can stay healthy, I think we have a really talented team on our hands, that could absolutely beat Xavier or Uconn in a rematch, along with many other top 25 teams.

Hemlock Philosopher

November 30th, 2015 at 3:53 PM ^

Having watched the Xavier and Texas games, I am quite worried about interior play and rebounding. Shaka Smart is not very smart for abandoning Ridley for large parts of that game. We need to stay hot from the perimeter for the whole season.




Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

ypsituckyboy

November 30th, 2015 at 4:01 PM ^

The offense is already getting better with the shorter rotation and I expect that to improve. Guys will develop more chemistry and settle into roles as the season goes on.

However, their defense leaves a lot to be desired, particularly defensive rebounding. I was hoping that with the sheer size of this team compared to years past that they'd be better, but this just seems to be an area of weakness for Beilein coached teams. I'm not sure if it's effort, strategy, or something else. In the past, it was easily attributable to their size disadvantage, opting for a shorter, better offensive lineup. But now, that's not an excuse and they still struggle.

jmblue

November 30th, 2015 at 4:39 PM ^

The team's still a work in progress, with the rotation still getting settled and a lot of guys not fully back after their various injuries, but don't be surprised if by season's end we're once again ranked really highly on the offensive charts.  Defense may be more of an adventure, but  we've got enough firepower to outscore most teams.

Wagner is the biggest revelation.  He's a bit lanky and needs a lot of work defensively, but his offensive skills are fantastic.  There aren't many 6'10" guys who can put the ball on the floor like he can.  He looks like yet another Beilein find who may end up blowing up so quickly that we only get a couple years out of him.