Michigan Basketball vs. MSU Open Thread

Some of you people are bipolar...

will allow us to fix what needs fixed at the half without thinking about being down 10 or more, which could easily have been the case.

Nice transition basket to go into halftime. Have to get points from somewhere else in the second half. Burke can't do it all. Hope Stauskas is okay to play.

Good finish to the half.

We hit a couple threes and we have a lead. Not terrible. Anybody's ball game.

Need to hit some damn 3's, but we're right in this game. Not a bad first half.

interesting 1st half.

I'm a little annoyed by too much whining here.  I think UM has looked pretty good (better than most of us expected, yes?).

We are down three, while MSU is shooting 5-11 from 3 point, and we are 0-6.

If it wasn't for Payne, we'd be running a slam dunk contest on MSU. Gotta love the points in the paint today.

I thought Levert played well in his extended minutes.

we don't get home refs. nix and payne are back climbers. we drive and get contact but no call. nix travels badly and nothing. 

yet, we're shooting 0% from 3 and are down 3.  half-time adjustment + regression to the mean = don't give up hope yet.

Physicality needs to be a point of emphasis moving forward if we are to take the next step.  I want a couple more bruisers infused into this team.  We have a lot of non-contributors on our bench that I wouldn't neccessarily want to take to a fistfight.  Good kids I'm sure but the lack of physicality comes out against teams like MSU and OSU and Indiana...heck even Wisconsin.  It's not a coincidence that we lose to those teams.  It can't be all about jump shots and alley-oops.  I see McGary as the only physical force we have.  Thats a problem. 

3 ball seems to be the difference. Need averages to even out. Not at their best, but only down 3 at the half. Can easily turn this around in the final 20.

The question is...do we love Stauskas now that we can't hit a 3, and he is gone? Or do we still hate him?

If your only way of following this game was via this thread, you would assume we were losing by 20.

Zone.  Why don't we do this more?

"Of the top 5 teams in the Big Ten, Michigan is clearly the worst on defense".  I know it's true, but it hurts to hear.  LIE TO ME DAMN IT.

We're getting beat in almost every aspect of the game and we're only down by 3. I'll take it, but something better change in the second half if we're going to have a chance to win this one.

We're screwed if we never develop our big men more. MSU and other teams with physical big men will eat us alive. 

A. Effort on the defensive end that is extraordinary.
B. winning in the glass.
C. THJ please!
D. Frontline contributions that are a 180 from what just happened.

they need to find robinson some more.  it worked in the first 6 minutes then they went away from it.  Refs got to let us play physical if they letting sparty play.

We've been out rebounded, not made any threes and are only down by 3 - I'll take it.

Not sure many around here know that much about basketball, by reading the comments.

Pretty good half.  The rebounds and "loose balls" given up were frustrating, for sure, but overall the defensive side of the ball is playing like they never have; I don't know where it's been but I like it.  They have good energy and good movement/rotations.  They need to give another 20 mintues of that effort.  Offensively isn't dire but it wasn't good.  Need to hit some shots which I think will open the interior/paint back up a bit.  And back to the Oreb and loose balls given up, those are cutting down on some transition opportunities, which when we get them we do well and score the ball...More of those please. 

Also, how the F**K do these teams hit these long full/hafl court shots on us.  That thing almost went in at the end of the half, which, how!??

Edit: Trolling? Grow up.

As ugly as that first half went we are still only down 3. A big blow losing Nick early in the game. THJ really looks like he is pressing to me forcing a lot and maybe playing with the ball a bit to much. Also would like to see GRIII take the game into his own hands a bit more, really think he could create just as Burke does.

Need a strong 2nd half! Go Blue!

Hopefully we get one of those nice second half spurts to put us ahead. Also, Burke is one of the most consistently great college basketball players I've seen in a while.

Lots of complaining about the offense here. We have about 10 dunks. That's good offense. The problem so far is simply shooting. UM has had plenty of open looks and can't hit them. MSU is hitting theirs.