Michigan basketball game versus NC State postponed
https://twitter.com/JoshHenschke/status/1336024305608617988
NC State has some cases of Covid and Michigan is now looking to play a more local opponent on Wednesday
December 7th, 2020 at 2:19 PM ^
Not to thread jack, but there are reports on Twitter that the football team is practicing today (helmets only) and they are optimistic about playing saturday.
Reports also suggest that nothing is final and they would be down numerous guys if the game were to be played.
December 7th, 2020 at 2:27 PM ^
There is absolutely nothing to be "optimistic" about with the prospect of Michigan actually taking the field against OSU this Saturday.
December 7th, 2020 at 2:36 PM ^
On the contrary, another OSU thumping of us may push Warde / Regents to get rid of Harbaugh sooner!
December 7th, 2020 at 2:41 PM ^
People keeping saying this but if UM loses by a bajillion with OSU down, I don't know, 8 starters on top of the 7-8 they are already down throughout the year I would be shocked if that had any effect on Warde's thinking. And honestly, it shouldn't. If you think this year was an aberration and significant staff shakeup + reversion to the mean is likely, then you give Harbaugh another year. If you don't and want to move on, then the team getting blasted again shouldn't matter anyway.
December 7th, 2020 at 3:15 PM ^
Bronx you're bringing way too much sound logic and reasoning. The Judge has his gatling gun filled with emotional hot takes and he's ready to let loose.
December 7th, 2020 at 2:39 PM ^
I'd rather we play and get stomped on by osu than to not play at all. Best case scenario is that we win, worst case we lose horribly...
Whatever the case, if they embarrass us, do we have the spine to return the favor when next we meet.
December 7th, 2020 at 3:15 PM ^
How many years in a row have you (or someone in this fan base) been saying that? “Next year we’ll win”.. next year comes and we lose.. by 30.
December 7th, 2020 at 2:28 PM ^
Saw that as well
December 7th, 2020 at 2:45 PM ^
It's going to be a slaughter
December 7th, 2020 at 3:00 PM ^
Seems this is worthy of its own thread. I want to play the Game, I realize we may get killed, but the Game is still a big part of the Fall.
December 7th, 2020 at 2:22 PM ^
Lets see if we can get Izzo to bring his boys down for a game .
December 7th, 2020 at 2:23 PM ^
EMU, come on down!
December 7th, 2020 at 3:03 PM ^
Well, it wouldn't be coming down so much as just going a few miles west.
Congrats to you and your family on your son's future!
December 7th, 2020 at 3:33 PM ^
it was more of a figurative, like a 'price is right', kind of 'come on down!'
and thank you on the well-wishes. very happy for the son.
December 7th, 2020 at 7:26 PM ^
I was just messin' with ya.
December 7th, 2020 at 2:24 PM ^
? ? ?
December 7th, 2020 at 2:30 PM ^
This sucks butt. I was really looking forward to that game
December 7th, 2020 at 3:17 PM ^
Same. I went to both schools (though I give zero fucks about NCSU).
December 7th, 2020 at 2:31 PM ^
The basketball season is going to be a real shit show schedule wise this year. Why don't we push the season to the spring when there's a vaccine out to the most vulnerable populations?
December 7th, 2020 at 2:36 PM ^
May Madness has a nice ring to it.
December 7th, 2020 at 2:37 PM ^
Do you think the teams would be able to get doses? As you said, I think spring would really only see vulnerable & frontline folks getting the vaccine. It's not enough time to really change anything, so I'm not sure what the difference will be. Get as many safe games in as you can - maybe it will add up to enough by March or April to put together a tourney field.
December 7th, 2020 at 2:41 PM ^
I am not sure what you would really gain by having a vaccine out to the most vulnerable? There are no fans in the stands anyway, so I don't get that part of what you are saying. If you are asking them to wait until teams have access to the vaccine, how do you address players and parents that don't want the athletes to get the vaccine for whatever reason that may be?
December 7th, 2020 at 2:42 PM ^
If you're concerned about getting the season in, it doesn't make sense to just postpone the season. Extend it to May, sure. But we have no idea how much better everything will be in May. But cancelling all games now, when clearly most games have still been played, doesn't make sense. If teams can play now, let them, and then if the schedule needs to be extended to May as well do that. It doesn't have to be one or the other.
December 7th, 2020 at 2:33 PM ^
I like looking for a new opponent, I hope we find someone, maybe U-D Mercy?
Good looking team and they're looking for games too.
December 7th, 2020 at 2:36 PM ^
Well, this sucks. Can't blame NC St for wanting to postpone, but I was looking forward to a game against an opponent with more than just a pulse...
December 7th, 2020 at 2:39 PM ^
Go to greenville University in Illinois for a 170-120 shootout!
December 7th, 2020 at 2:40 PM ^
Matt Norlander said on Twitter that Michigan was trying to schedule UConn as a replacement since UConn also had a game against NCSU cancelled, but UConn also has paused program activities.
It makes sense we'd go to UConn with Warde's connections there. I'm hoping that we try to schedule another legit P5 team and not a cupcake MAC type local team again.
Brendan Quinn has said we're looking to fill that game either Wednesday or Thursday, more likely Thursday, and it could be a local team like Toledo. He also noted that the game's postponed, not cancelled, so we have a chance at playing it later on.
If we do play a school like Toledo this week however, we'd hit our non-con max of 5 games. We could get around it by trying to create a rapid fire NTE tournament with Toledo and one other school in AA, which would let us play 7 non con games (NCSU plus the 2 NTE games would get us there).
Regardless of what happens, all I know is I'd be super disappointed if we ended the non-con with no games against legit P5 teams. Really want to see that happen, whether it's UConn, NCSU or someone else.
December 7th, 2020 at 2:52 PM ^
Under normal circumstances, it's certainly important to play a tough non conference schedule, but under these circumstances - and considering the Big Ten will be a bruising gauntlet - it should work out ok.
December 7th, 2020 at 2:54 PM ^
Why don't we just try to actually postpone the game, and not rush to play anyone else this week? We've got like a 2-week gap in the schedule between the first and second Big Ten games. Either try to reschedule NCSt then, or if they still aren't able to play, then you find a local cupcake.
December 7th, 2020 at 3:00 PM ^
Someone posted about it below but it may not work for NC State schedule wise. NC State currently has games on the 12th, 16th, 19th and 22nd. The 16th and 22nd games are ones against Louisville and UNC (both conference games and the 2nd is their biggest rival). And we have a game on the 13th so the 12th doesn't work.
So basically for us to play NC State they'd have to be willing to cancel a cupcake game to come to AA 3 days before they play their biggest rival. Not sure they want to do that.
December 7th, 2020 at 3:07 PM ^
I'd be super disappointed if we ended the non-con with no games against legit P5 teams.
While playing NC St would've been nice, Toledo wouldn't be a bad replacement. They're just outside the KenPom 100 and that would be 4 of 5 non-con opponents in the KenPom Top 150 which isn't bad by any means
December 7th, 2020 at 2:42 PM ^
Sucks but not surprising. Hopefully the NC State guys recover and Michigan finds someone else to battle. But honestly, if an NCAA tournament happens this year it's going to be based on incomplete data across the board and I doubt a win or loss to a mid-level ACC team would change that calculus much.
December 7th, 2020 at 2:44 PM ^
This will be interesting to monitor because Michigan is only allowed to play 5 non conference games. If they 'postpone' the NCSt. game then they can't really schedule an alternative this week. Additionally, over at UMHoops a poster said that the schedules don't align very well for a make-up date.
I'd like to see us play someone this week, but it won't be the top-40 opponent we hoped for and I'm not sure we'll get to actually play them.
December 7th, 2020 at 3:04 PM ^
Michigan is only allowed five non-con games? Is that a university policy or something? MSU has already played five and have two more scheduled this week (@VA and Oakland at home).
December 7th, 2020 at 4:02 PM ^
MSU has 7 non-con games since they participated in a regular season tournament. We pulled out of the tournament we were slated to play in and thus are only allowed to play the 5 non-con games.
December 7th, 2020 at 2:49 PM ^
UD-Mercy is free I believe. Would be cool to see those two programs on the court again.
December 7th, 2020 at 2:50 PM ^
The notice I got says the game has been canceled. Are you sure that it’s been postponed and not actually canceled?
December 7th, 2020 at 2:56 PM ^
Bummer.
I wouldn't say NC State is a world beater but they were probably the best non-conference opponent we had before Big Ten season started.
December 7th, 2020 at 3:02 PM ^
This may be a stupid question: why is Michigan only allowed to play 5 non conference games? Is it a state law or a self imposed thing
December 7th, 2020 at 3:29 PM ^
I think it was a NCAA mandated of a maximum of 25 regular season games and the conferences had to decide how to divide those up between in league and non-conference games.
Could be wrong though.
December 7th, 2020 at 4:21 PM ^
I don't think this is it. Since other teams in the B1G have had more than 5 nonconference games, unless they were making a bet that some would be canceled.
December 7th, 2020 at 4:30 PM ^
Sorry , I have no idea then, but I thought at one point they all had to cut the games down to a certain number. Guess not.
December 7th, 2020 at 3:11 PM ^
Ugh. Wrong game dammit.
December 7th, 2020 at 4:30 PM ^
lets play the ohio state penitentiary football team instead.... that way we don't have to play them on saturday
December 8th, 2020 at 1:56 AM ^
The NC State Women went to #1 South Carolina and stopped their 29 game win streak....
Schedule them?