Michigan Basketball
I have to give Beilein a lot of credit, our basketball team actually looks like a basketball team. I know it's only Michigan Tech and Northeastern, but they have looked good. I haven't been this excited for a Michigan basketball season since I was a little kid with Fisher leading them.
November 12th, 2008 at 10:07 PM ^
Yeah I just hope Manny Harris keeps up this play all season, we need him to step up and be a leader
November 12th, 2008 at 10:11 PM ^
Michigan was over 90% from the line! Day-um! Manny missed one. That's it!
I say we're undefeated going into the Maryland game, when it will get interesting.
November 12th, 2008 at 10:27 PM ^
Except we have to play UCLA and, if we win that game, probably Duke. I don't think we'd win either, let alone both.
November 12th, 2008 at 10:38 PM ^
didn't hear the announcers mention him at all...
November 12th, 2008 at 10:51 PM ^
two things
1) cronin is likely redshirting. he looks to be a good prospect, but is still hobbled by his hip. also, a big like that normally redshirts...the only reason he might play is because we are so thin at the 5.
2) man. manny is so fresh, man. 2 assists short of the 2nd triple double in the HISTORY of UMhoops. (only gary grant, i think they said)
November 12th, 2008 at 10:53 PM ^
That we beat Radcliff and Brown just as bad last year to start, maybe worse. This team is definitely better, and those two freshmen will really help (despite not being from the PSL).
Michigan will struggle when the teams they play have guards that will push them away from the hoop to run the offense, they will be better but UCLA is a horrid match up for them.
November 12th, 2008 at 11:03 PM ^
Cronin got some garbage time against MTech.
We could sure use him too, because that first half, we got DESTROYED on the glass. Just a piss-poor rebounding effort for 20 minutes. It got better in the second half, and an obvious corresponding improvement in the score.
Manny Harris is a fricking hoss. I'm not gonna get too much M basketball here in RI, but I'll be sure to watch what I can. It's worth it to watch Harris play.
November 13th, 2008 at 12:02 AM ^
Team looked great tonight. I'm really excited! The free throw shooting was amazing!
Northeastern is considered by many of the gurus to be a bracket buster type team in March (see Katz and Gottlieb). They are a solid experienced team. They are not the same as Radcliff and Brown from last year. This is a legit win.
November 13th, 2008 at 3:06 AM ^
You are correct. They returned (almost) everyone from a team that finished 6th in the same conference that George Mason is in. They actually blew them out.
The rebounding has to be a concern though, because there's no way we can give up 20 rebounds to UCLA (or Duke, which we play later on in the year if we don't face them in the championship) and come away with the win. The 1-3-1 is a good change of pace that we seem to be running better than last year and gave our first two foes fits, but the players seem to have a very hard time rebounding out of it. 2nd chance points will kill us against UCLA unless we get it worked out.
November 13th, 2008 at 9:51 AM ^
We get Laval Lucas-Perry starting in January. He should be at least another solid contributor. Won't help us for UCLA or Duke, though (who is also on our schedule already so we could end up playing them twice in like three weeks--we'd have to get past UCLA first, though).
November 13th, 2008 at 10:27 AM ^
Yeah, Northeastern is in a 2 or 3 bid league, so they're more legit than Brown for sure. The CAA is no joke. But they're still the sort of team that a good Big Ten team shouldn't have any trouble with. The first half of the game would tell me we'll struggle in the Big Ten. The second half was much more encouraging.
November 13th, 2008 at 10:45 AM ^
Tech and NE. We lost to Harvard last year. Wait, we lost to Harvard coached by Tommy Amaker last year.
These are wins we would not have had last year, or at least in this fashion.
Good job so far - and with the B10 network we will actually be able to see some games.
November 13th, 2008 at 10:57 AM ^
OT J.L, but I LOVE the Bruce Coslet quote! It describes our High School FB team to a "T"!!!
Just had to tell ya, sorry for the interrupt!
November 13th, 2008 at 11:16 AM ^
Just pointing out we looked good last year to start.
This team is much farther along because they now have some guys who can shoot, and Manny has improved shooting as well.
I tell you what the best thing is though, remember the days with Amaker and we would dribble for 30 seconds and then chuck up a three point shot, how many times does that happen with Beilein, its so rare its hard to remember.
14 turnovers with Beilein and thats a bad night, with Amaker a great night.
The man can flat out coach offense, hears to hoping that RR shows the same improvement.
November 15th, 2008 at 12:09 AM ^
We look good so far but man, how much better would we be if Udoh hadn't left? Arrgh, it's frustrating to think about it.
November 15th, 2008 at 8:34 AM ^
So, what's going to happen when Harris goes to the NBA after this year?
November 15th, 2008 at 9:57 AM ^
But still, unless he puts on a few pounds of muscles without losing a step and keeps performing the way he has once they play better competition, jumping to the NBA would be suicide. Let's not jump the gun, he still has plenty to work on.
His jump shot is inconsistent, especially under pressure. He turns the ball over too much. Though he did better the second game, he more often than not drives wildly to the basket with his head down. His finishing needs more work (he will miss a driving layup once a game at least). He's very active (which is good), but often gets wild and out of position, which either leads to defensive breakdowns or stupid fouls (which is not so good). He needs to get stronger, especially if he's going to play small forward this year (taking a pounding against the UCLAs and MSUs of this world should give us an idea).
In short, he's too turnover prone to be a 1 in the NBA, doesn't shoot from the outside consistently enough to be a 2, and while his athleticism is NBA-like he doesn't have the strength to be a 3. I'm no basketball expert, but we'll see by the end of the year if he's improved in those areas, because scouts will definitely get on his case.
I did predict last year on this very site that he'd be a star and NBA-bound. I didn't see it happening this year....
November 15th, 2008 at 7:56 PM ^
He's not being sarcastic. And if Manny stays it will be a either a miracle or it's because he got hurt.
Look at how skinny Kevin Durant is. That doesn't stop him from being successful. If Manny has the opportunity to make $20 million guaranteed do you really think he'll pass that up?
November 15th, 2008 at 9:00 PM ^
He's actually allegedly a decent student. And he's so very skinny. He might stay.
November 15th, 2008 at 10:45 PM ^
If Harris is as dominant as Durant was, and is worthy of being discussed as the first overall pick in the draft, then of course he shouldn't pass it up. But I don't see it happening this year, people are jumping the gun way too early on him. Don't forget, Durant was a an absolute freak, a truly special player. A 6'10" forward with great athleticism and a 7"3-4 wingspan is pretty special. If Harris even approaches this type of highlight video this year, then yeah he should jump, but I really don't see it this year...
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=1kLSIZiql5o
November 15th, 2008 at 10:49 PM ^
true, the Durant comparison was a stretch (get it?), but I was just saying that skinny guys can get drafted and make millions.....deserved or not (Shawn Bradley anyone?).
November 15th, 2008 at 11:03 PM ^
Comparing him to a 7'6" guy sure a bigger stretch...
November 15th, 2008 at 11:15 PM ^
he is a bigger stretch....no doubt.
I just think his weight isn't going to hold him back on draft day, provided he performs as consistently this year as he has in the first two games. Didn't Jamal Crawford leave after only 2 years? He was 6-6 and 190. Manny is 6-5 and 185. Pretty close. So really, is weight an issue? Not really.
November 15th, 2008 at 11:52 PM ^
From memory, Crawford had a diferent game. He was more of a backcourt player, he could run the point and generate shots. Harris drives to the basket a whole lot and is a lot more active on defense and inside. Harris is a much better player than Crawford was, but I think they're different styles. Crawford's size was an actual strength since he played guard.
Again, I'm not putting him down. I said here last year that he'd be a star. But after seeing how banged up he was at the end of last year, I stand by my comment. Unless he gets more consistent with his jump shot and convinces pros that he can be a 2, I don't see him going up high in the draft as a small forward.
November 16th, 2008 at 12:00 AM ^
Crawford actually only played half a season before the NCAA ruled him ineligible on a technicality, and he then went pro. Despite his youth and inexperience, he was good enough to be a lottery pick. I don't think Manny's quite at that level, though he is very good.
November 15th, 2008 at 8:15 PM ^
We've got a nice class coming in for 2010. Down the road, I don't think we'll have to be as dependent on one player as we currently are on Manny.