Men BB: Playing for TOP TEN Tonight
With a WIN tonight Michigan is probably playing for a top 10 ranking. Based upon the teams in front of them and many losses for them the past week a WIN tongiht will porbably propel them to a top 10 ranking. I also KNOW (So dont remind me) Polls are just nice things and mean little but still for future and recruiting and Program prestige its ALWAYS good to be a top 10 program... what say you?
January 3rd, 2021 at 6:42 AM ^
This team is incredibly fun to watch and is well coached. Nice change of pace.
January 3rd, 2021 at 8:49 AM ^
Lotsa fun.
January 3rd, 2021 at 10:18 AM ^
I am hoping you are referring to Harbaugh here. Beilein teams were definitely both well coached and fun to watch
January 3rd, 2021 at 11:46 AM ^
Sure, but I feel this team is better coached all-around the floor, save for defense. I also think this team is a bit more fun to watch than JB teams; I feel less stress from watching them than I did watching a JB team go inevitably cold for minutes at a time and miss FTs down the stretch.
January 3rd, 2021 at 2:47 PM ^
You should've watched a game with Nik Stauskas or Trey Burke. We were pretty good during those years. Also Dwalts senior year. But then also Wagners last year. Matter of fact that's a lot of good years. But also werent our free throw fears honestly centered around Teske and SImpson?
January 3rd, 2021 at 5:22 PM ^
Righto- remember Walton sinking dozens of down the stretch FTs?
January 3rd, 2021 at 2:24 PM ^
The basketball team has fit this fun to watch and well coached scenario for many years. Unfortunately, the football team did not have a Beilein before JH like the basketball team.
January 3rd, 2021 at 6:46 AM ^
A team that is ranked in the top 10 is not the same as a top-10 program.
Do we have a top-10 MBB program? We are certainly part of that conversation....which is awesome.
January 3rd, 2021 at 2:56 PM ^
Honestly I think you can recruit your way into a top ten program even if the kids coached themselves. I would honestly take the worst coach in the big ten with consistent top 5 classes then the best with mediocre talent. Coach B was our Dantonio (but in a decent human being kinda way) but beside him just send us the Mcdonalds AAs and let them figure it out. Now saying this I think we have the best of all worlds with Coach Howard.
Also anyone seeing how differently things play out without a crowd to intimidate or make the refs impartial. Very strange how different the outcomes are this season. Coach Fisher to the Fab Five all the way to Coach Bs last days we always were amazing on neutral courts away from Big Ten refs. Very interesting.
January 3rd, 2021 at 6:55 AM ^
Nope. Yup, Sorta. I mean--yeah. But.
January 3rd, 2021 at 6:56 AM ^
You are porbably right.
January 3rd, 2021 at 7:35 AM ^
I should really Get my shift key Fixed tongiht.
January 3rd, 2021 at 8:44 AM ^
No shift, Sherlock.
January 3rd, 2021 at 8:47 AM ^
We might want to make "porbably" a thing. Saying it has a good mouth feel.
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:40 AM ^
It's a perfectly cromulent word.
January 3rd, 2021 at 10:46 AM ^
I have a protuberance
January 3rd, 2021 at 11:47 AM ^
Agree. Occipital and others
January 3rd, 2021 at 12:09 PM ^
Double Dutch
January 3rd, 2021 at 7:35 AM ^
these are the rankings from last week, so games this week aren't in there. for instance yesterday kansas, rutgers, tennessee and creighton lost. if we beat northwestern we should be well into the top 10. i can't see how all these 2-loss teams are ranked above us, it's not like any of them have been playing some early season 'murderer's row' of a schedule.
also, remember our ranked WBB team tips off tonight on TV, i think at 5.
1 Gonzaga 7-0
2 Baylor 6-0
3 Kansas 8-1
4 Villanova 8-1
5 Houston 7-0
6 Wisconsin 8-1
7 Tennessee 6-0
8 Texas 7-1
9 West Virginia 7-2
10 Iowa 7-2
11 Creighton 7-2
12 Missouri 6-0
13 Texas Tech 7-2
14 Rutgers 6-1
15 Illinois 7-3
16 Michigan 7-0
January 3rd, 2021 at 12:11 PM ^
Still kind of surprising that Michigan is ranked behind a lot of these teams, regardless of SOS.
January 3rd, 2021 at 12:40 PM ^
I believe with this week’s games, now it is:
1. Gonz 10-0
2. Bay 9-0
3. KU 8-2 (Crushed by Texas on Saturday)
4. Vill 8-1
5. Hou 7-1 (L 65-64 vs un-ranked Tulsa)
6. Wisc 9-2 (L 70-64 to Maryland)
7. Tenn 7-1 (L 71-63 to Alabama)
8. Tex 8-1
9. WVU 8-3 (2 Ls vs Kansas and unranked Oklahoma)
10. Iowa 9-2
11. Creigh 8-2
12. Mizz 7-1 (L 73-53 to Tennessee)
13. Tex Tech 8-3 (L 82-77 to unranked Okla St)
14. Rutg 7-2 (L 77-75 to Iowa)
15. ILL 8-3
16. Mich 8-0 (with a win in the NW game tonight would be 9-0)
So looking at everything above, I think Michigan would for sure pass WVU, Missouri, Tx Tech, Rutgers, and Illinois. That would move us up to 11 at the worst, with a chance to pass Creighton, Iowa, and Tennessee...so I think 8-11 would be the range.
January 3rd, 2021 at 1:51 PM ^
Agreed, I would also guess that 9 games in the voters are looking more at record and your conference strength and a little less at your own SOS. Could bump us up a spot or two.
January 3rd, 2021 at 7:35 AM ^
I was watching the Big Ten Channel and it showed the basketball standings and it was neat - and different - to see Michigan atop the Big Ten, undefeated, with the rest of the league 'x' amount of games behind. We all want it to continue to the very end, regardless of national rankings, especially this year when it seems we're all so insulated and regulated to our conference.
One thing that isn't pointed out too much; Northwestern will be the first ranked team we play. Oh dear, 2021 is starting out weird too.
January 3rd, 2021 at 8:09 AM ^
I hope they keep having fun regardless of their ranking all year. Ignore that noise and just enjoy playing the best ball they can.
January 3rd, 2021 at 8:37 AM ^
#WinTheGame
January 3rd, 2021 at 8:46 AM ^
This is what I thought the football team was going to be when Harbaugh came here. Howard is doing a great job
January 3rd, 2021 at 8:46 AM ^
This is what I thought the football team was going to be when Harbaugh came here. Howard is doing a great job
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:38 AM ^
User name checks out
January 3rd, 2021 at 8:37 AM ^
Very much looking forward to watching the game tonight and I expect Livers and Brown to have much better games. OSU @ Minny will provide a nice little appetizer at 5:30
January 3rd, 2021 at 8:48 AM ^
Countin' chickens? Let's play the game first.
January 3rd, 2021 at 8:54 AM ^
Bench energy has been critical for many of these empty-stands games. Keep the guys motivated, excited and make sure it's still "fun" out there.
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:03 AM ^
Has there been any upadtes of when Davis may return?
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:27 AM ^
I don't think anyone has said anything on that subject. And we all know that plantar faciitis can take months to heel. (Get it? Heel, instead of heal? HAA!!) Anyway, I'm also dealing with a current case of plantar faciitis related, although non-bball induced, issues. I can confirm that walking sucks, and running is impossible. Putting weight on your heel feels like someone hit it with a hammer. Trying to run - quickly dropping all your weight - feels like someone is driving a railroad spike through your heel. You change your gait to avoid putting weight on the heel, and that rebalancing screws up the balls of your feet. It fucking sucks.
Six weeks in, I'm at the point where I can walk mostly normal, but it tightens up if sitting for 5 minutes. Then you limp for 10 minutes until it loosens up again. Granted, I am certainly not a gifted, world class athlete with constant access to world class trainers, facilities, and workout/diets - but I don't expect such an early return for him.
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:45 AM ^
From what I understand, and it was also mentioned in the MGOPODCAST, he has a tear in the fascia, which is not the same as plantar fasciitis. This is actually a better scenario. They are going to need him.
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:46 AM ^
Thank you. Interesting note. I am impatiently battling the same spike in the heel symptoms while waiting for it to heal. You give me cause to suck it up and be more patient.
January 3rd, 2021 at 10:20 AM ^
Google 'night splint' - it sucks to sleep with, but what a HUGE difference! Good luck...
January 3rd, 2021 at 10:47 AM ^
THIS!! The splint and stretch (usually a wall push up) as many times a day until it's gone. It sucks how stubborn you have to be with it for it to go away, but once its gone, if you keep stretching, it shouldn't come back.
January 3rd, 2021 at 12:31 PM ^
Had tons of issues with this growing up. Rehab was great and it was nice not to feel that cramp in my foot all day every day. Stretches and splinting and stuff really REALLY help
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:07 AM ^
Polls mean nothing, but I do think rankings come into play when the NCAA field is seeded.
January 3rd, 2021 at 12:52 PM ^
Polls do mean something. They’re a fan favorite.
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:19 AM ^
top 10
top 10
top 10
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:29 AM ^
::looks around nervously::
Dude, why??? No good can come from calling in Toptenjuice! Knock it off!!
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:19 AM ^
Having the team move up the rankings is great and all but the B1G is a super duper tough conference and anyone and everyone is vulnerable to upset and getting hit with the Rona.
What I am more focused on is that the team not only stays healthy but continues to gel into a lean mean basketball dominating machine to the point that announcers start commenting on how Juwan has transformed a college team into a looking like a pro team.
I'm still trying to get over the fact that the team now has a dominating big man in Hunter Dickinson. We haven't seen anyone do what he is doing in a LONG LONG time. I do not recall Mitch being this dominant early in his one year at Michigan. I recall him coming on strong towards the end and in the tourny but no where as dominant in the paint as we are seeing HD right now. Let's hope that continues and Michigan shocks the world in '21.
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:33 AM ^
"...that announcers start commenting on how Juwan has transformed a college team into a looking like a pro team."
So you didn't watch the game Christmas Day? Dakich said that about 100 times!
And you're right - McGary didn't start getting starters minutes, and making a name for himself, until that 6 game tourney run. And then the NCAA banned him for a full year for something a player at Duke would have had swept under the table. Fuck you, NCAA.
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:39 AM ^
Northwestern is probably the toughest game Michigan will play so far this season. A weird year indeed.
January 3rd, 2021 at 11:38 AM ^
Definitely the toughest game so far this year.
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:43 AM ^
This team has great potential. Would like to get Davis back for 8-12 minutes a game.
January 3rd, 2021 at 10:01 AM ^
As we head into tonight's game, cant overstate just how happy I am to have Juwan as the HC of Michigan.
I think we wall knew the size/athleticism of the roster would improve drastically (the standard wasn't all that high), but to think we may possibly be upgrading in terms of scheme is nuts.
Absolute home-run hire that understands the strengths of his personnel rather than prioritizing a system. That's the NBA roots manifesting.
As for this year's team - are we a top 10 quality team in a traditional sense (meaning across all years)? No. But are we top 10 THIS year........perhaps.
Our offense is very good, at minimum (need bigger sample and better competition to get true measure). Our defense has some holes, particularly at the guard spot. I think those will start to be exploited against teams with bigger guards that can create off the bounce or post-up (Rutgers, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin).
January 3rd, 2021 at 10:06 AM ^
Hopefully - UM wins and we can start the new year with.... nice things.
One thing that strikes me is the level of effort and mental fortitude that Coach Howard has seemingly been able to keep consistent from the Beilein era.
When the coaching changed happened, I kept thinking -- I hope we still see a Zack Novak bloodied eyebrow & scream-fit or two during the Howard era.
Win the Game.
Go Blue.
January 3rd, 2021 at 10:46 AM ^
Wonder why academics are not holding back the basketball program like it holds back the football program.