Michigan vs. Maryland Snowflakes
Whatcha got? Here are mine.
- As a former high school center I am very impressed with how Dickinson stays in control so well on his block attempts. I know it’s easier with you’re 7’1”. But the discipline it takes to not want to jump out of the gym to throw someone’s shot is very impressive. I was a foul factory.
- Smith has been fantastic thus far. But he still can’t help but to revert back to his Columbia high-usage ways a few times each game. He takes it too deep to the basket for an easy block way too often.
- I cannot overstate how much the players must love playing for Juwan. His chest bump/shit talk with Livers after those back to back 3s was just awesome. These guys would run through a brick wall for him. I can’t imagine that a lot of coaches at top programs have that same relationship with their players.
- Morsell is a little bitch. What an absurd and-1 on that foul on Davis who was straight up at the basket. Worst call of the night.
- With about 12 minutes to go Maryland decided to double team Davis in the post. He kicked it back out to Smith then quickly to Livers for a splash 3. That just had to put a smile on Juwan and his staff. The fact that Davis has become such a good threat down low to require a double says as much about Juwan’s coaching as anything I’ve seen thus far.
- This Maryland team has now made their games with us personal. They fucking hate Dickinson and are the chippiest 20 point loss team I’ve ever seen. And the announcing crew could not stop talking about it. That just has to be such a frustrating trip home.
- I don’t ever recall the hook & hold being a thing when I played.
- Austin Davis would start for more than half the big ten teams over the last few years. He’s an absolute B+ center right now.
- Brown is deadly from the short corner, just like in the video game Double Dribble. So easy to hide there to get open. I predict he’ll hit a game winner from there at some point this season.
- The team SOOOO badly wants to see Zeb break through. And Juwan clearly knows how huge it would be if he did because that guard depth is the most glaring hole on our roster.
- Franz looks taller every time I see him play. He’s a gazelle at times, just so long, skilled, and athletic.
- “Here’s Scott trying to back down Brown”. Good luck with that.
January 19th, 2021 at 9:34 PM ^
It was nice seeing them get out to a big lead early and then play consistently well to slowly build on it throughout the game.
January 19th, 2021 at 9:34 PM ^
Luke Wilson is an X-Factor for the Kenpom Kids.
January 19th, 2021 at 9:36 PM ^
Twitter casuals have been rough on Zeb, but I really like what the staff is doing with him. He has everything necessary to be a REALLY good player and I think he is one or two makes away from it clicking. The minutes this year are going to really pay off when it clicks and I can't wait to see his growth. That jab step is deadly and is working on some quality defenders.
Also again, what a fun team to watch
January 19th, 2021 at 9:58 PM ^
Simpson looked like a disaster in limited minutes his freshmen year as well. Not overly worried about Zeb at this point. Would be great for guard depth if it clicks this year, but even if it doesn't I don't think it's time to write him off yet.
January 19th, 2021 at 10:08 PM ^
TOTALLY. You can't really write anyone off in college basketball, all it takes is a few games to click and be productive.
January 19th, 2021 at 10:00 PM ^
Twitter morons flip out every time Austin comes in too.
January 19th, 2021 at 10:44 PM ^
Twitter casuals can f off. Some of them are truly awful. (It helps to follow good accounts on twitter for even-keeled analysis.)
Heck, I remember when some on this board thought Simpson would never be a starting PG for us and should transfer. There were definitely a few rooting for it.
I'm sure someone very motivated (not me) could dig up those threads if they really wanted to and put some regulars here on blast. (And I'm not talking game threads where people are very emotional and say rash things.)
I also remember when people thought Eli Brooks would never be a quality player for us based on his 2018 freshman season. (Look at him now!)
Experience matters in sports - even more so in college. People are too quick to judge players after their freshman season and write youngsters off. But what's odd to me is that some of these individuals never learn from their bad takes.
January 20th, 2021 at 7:46 AM ^
I'll never understand why your casual, online (Twitter), 'fan' thinks that if a player isn't gangbusters his freshmen year he will permanently suck. It is especially bonkers considering how well Beilein and Howard have developed players over their tenure.
January 20th, 2021 at 10:14 AM ^
I think a lot of it comes from not playing competitive sports at a high level and only seeing highlights online where it looks like everyone is dominant always. I mean, look at the thread about Moussa Diabate during the game against Montverde where people thought he looked just OK. You could watch that game and see the incredible potential he has, also he was going against who I think is probably the best player in HS basketball right now.
I am a Zeb stan right now and I think Juwan and the staff are too considering they are force-feeding him minutes and I'm here for it.
January 19th, 2021 at 9:36 PM ^
Know Juwan is a great recruiter, and just a good dude. But damn - he seems to really know how to coach on the floor too!!!
What a smart and unselfish team...
Go Blue!!!
January 19th, 2021 at 9:38 PM ^
Nice lead post. Would add I'm really glad Isaiah Livers stayed. He provides excellent senior leadership and is imho a terrific player.
January 19th, 2021 at 9:49 PM ^
Thanks.
And yes, Livers is such a luxury this season. Let's make it pay off!
January 19th, 2021 at 9:38 PM ^
I like how multi dimensional this team is. We milked Hunter for a good chunk of the season. Now that teams have been keying in on him with doubles, it just leaves one of other weapons wide open.
it’s gonna be really hard to prepare for Michigan
January 19th, 2021 at 9:41 PM ^
Maryland does not match up well against us - they're tentative near the hoop, poorly coached, and play hero ball. On defense, they get lazy, and our passing carved them up.
I thought Smith and Davis were both fantastic tonight. Amazing they would be the difference makers.
Solid contributions across the board. Brooks really helps with spacing and defense. Wagner is a defensive menace with those gumby arms. Livers played a strong, controlled game.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about this team is the way they just put teams away when they get ahead. They love destruction!
Really nice win - Go Blue!
January 19th, 2021 at 9:43 PM ^
Watching every one of the top 7-8 guys play makes me smile, individually and especially playing together as a team. It's a beautiful thing.
January 19th, 2021 at 9:44 PM ^
This is like the twelve days of Michigan basketball fandom. And I loved every last morsel (of your post and the game)
January 19th, 2021 at 9:52 PM ^
Thanks.
Next time I'll try to work in a partridge in a pear tree.
January 19th, 2021 at 9:44 PM ^
Great to see such a strong bounce-back game!!!
Terrance, outside of Dickinson, is the only frosh who is ready to play meaningful minutes-at this time. Zeb has a lot of work to do-hopefully ready to contribute next year.
January 19th, 2021 at 9:46 PM ^
I think the Mark Turgeon era needs to be examined by the program.
I was surprised how long he's been a coach already- he's been a head coach since 1998. The furthest run he's made in the NCAA tournament was with Wichita and Maryland to the S16.
He reminds me a LOT of Matt Painter. A guy that gets a lot of love from other coaches and for some reason have an air of invincibility about them, but I do not know why. Turgeon's first three years at Maryland- dude had some SUPER talented teams and they never made it past the Sweet 16 at best.
He does a pretty solid job in the regular season, but cannot figure it out when it matters.
January 19th, 2021 at 9:53 PM ^
He’s nothing like Matt Painter. Matt Painter is a good coach.
January 19th, 2021 at 9:54 PM ^
Eh, Painter is OK. He needs to break through when it matters.
He's a better Turgeon, I can live with that, but I think he's way overvalued. He's also had some uber talented teams that have fallen on their face when it matters.
January 19th, 2021 at 10:46 PM ^
Not sure too many people would call Purdue Uber talented over the MP era. Some good college players, sure but not many NBA lever guys.
seems to me the Maryland guys recruits better but painter is the better game plan and in game coach
January 19th, 2021 at 10:49 PM ^
That team with Hammond Haas Swanigan, Vince Edwards, Matthias was super talented and lost in the first round
January 19th, 2021 at 11:08 PM ^
Well I’m not one to judge a coach on his tourney resume.
painter has a better WP overall and In The tourney than gene keady did. Amount the same rate of conf titles.
Turgeron has not been quite as successful, with better recruiting as I recall
January 20th, 2021 at 11:14 AM ^
First round of the BigTen tourney, yes.
He did however make an Elite 8 and oh so close to a Final Four Carson Edwards leading the way.
There were 3 straight Sweet 16 runs in '17, '18, and '19.
January 19th, 2021 at 9:47 PM ^
1. I think part of that is because he’s not as bouncy as guys like Johns/Wagner /Livers. The other part is that he’s been well coached on discipline as you mentioned.
6. We got smacked by 20 to the gophers last game if we see them again I would expect the same chippy play from us! Some of that is just pride and competitiveness.
10. Mentioned that in the game thread. He clearly is trying to get Zeb up to speed. That way he can properly rest Eli and Mike. Plus Zeb wil be relied upon next season as well. I just hate that his emergence has seemingly pushed T-Will out the rotation.
January 19th, 2021 at 9:47 PM ^
If you don’t win by at least 25, it’s not really a win.
January 19th, 2021 at 9:52 PM ^
Refs were talking thru their whistles tonight. That Davis straight up call was bad, and then the one on Eli too later in the second half. Must’ve been trying to keep the game from getting too chippy.
January 19th, 2021 at 9:54 PM ^
I got the feeling they were being paid by the foul.
January 20th, 2021 at 1:16 AM ^
Just horrible officiating.
January 19th, 2021 at 9:53 PM ^
Nothing to snowflake negatively here. Total domination.
Maryland sure does bitch a lot. Glad they got T'ed up mutliple times.
January 19th, 2021 at 10:00 PM ^
Watching Wagner just swat a guy's attempt to shoot over him down low never fails to crack me up.
I really can't get a read on Maryland - some games they look like they can run with anyone, other times they look absolutely lost. I think Turgeron is a better coach than some people give him credit but this year his team is immensely inconsistent.
Dickinson has hit a bit of a rough patch, likely due to simple exertion and the grind of a compressed college season. He's luckily been able to focus on defense and passing without necessarily forcing the issue offensively and this team has enough other playmakers to compensate.
This team looks so much more comfortable and stable with Brooks out there.
Purdue is coming up Friday and then they get a bit of a break; will be interesting to see how the Boilermakers play coming off a comeback against OSU. They've won 4 straight but UM is a step above the teams they've seen recently.
January 20th, 2021 at 8:13 AM ^
Just glad Maryland knocked off Illinois and Wisconsin on the road.
January 19th, 2021 at 10:02 PM ^
I will say this. I don't remember a Michigan team that didn't have non-Kenpom minutes for a guy of Terrance William's quality. What a luxury.
January 19th, 2021 at 10:08 PM ^
Double Dribble was fun... but not as much as Arch Rivals.
January 19th, 2021 at 11:50 PM ^
Magic rarely missed from the baseline in Dr J vs Larry Bird 1 on 1 (on the Commodore 64 of course)
January 19th, 2021 at 10:21 PM ^
I have to say that Austin Davis has a whole bag of tricks that none of us expected. In the Northwestern game last year, he legitimately embarrassed people with his footwork, and today, he had a few moves he pulled out of that bag. This guy has developed so much.
January 19th, 2021 at 10:25 PM ^
I know I will probably get a lot of shit, but he's a lot more craftier than Dickinson in the post, and I think it is by necessity. He's uber skilled with both hands and is great at using the rim as a defender. Dickinson just straight bull-dogs his way for two, and I don't think Davis can do that as well as Hunter. Not saying Davis isn't strong, but Dickinson is so hard to keep your ground against.
He does need to improve defensively with his footwork, but I'm not sure that'll happen- he's just a touch slower than Dickinson on shot blocking.
January 19th, 2021 at 10:22 PM ^
I think Dickinson being quiet the last few games is natural for a freshman that came storming out of the gates that teams are now keying on. He’ll have to adjust to the doubles and maybe look it off/ hold onto it for a second more. I have confidence he’ll continue to be a force in more games than not.
For the team as a whole, getting off to a hot start makes all the difference. Good to see a number of guys hitting from 3.
January 19th, 2021 at 10:39 PM ^
Great observations UNCWolverine.
Hunter was great in this game. Did everything he needed to do and didn’t force anything. Played great defense, blocked shots, rebounded, passed well for the most part and let his teammates carry the load. Maryland showed him crazy respect by doubling every single time he touched the ball, even when they were getting shredded because of it. Smart big ten coaches were paying attention and tonight they found out that doubling Hunter immediately on the catch is probably not the way to go. Other coaches will have to get more creative with how and when they double.
I agree that the team really wants to see Zeb break through and it’s important that he does. Guard play and ball handling is where we have the least amount of depth. Coach knows what he’s doing by playing him some non-garbage minutes tonight.
The versatility continues to show through and the defensive intensity is back to normal. I’m hoping for some closer games in the near future as sometimes consistent blowouts prevent a team from working through situational basketball that WILL crop up later in the important games.
January 19th, 2021 at 10:41 PM ^
Wasn't able to watch the game, but did we have another....
January 19th, 2021 at 10:47 PM ^
Nah, we didn't have a classic, instantly GIF-able Bench Mob moment tonight.
The closest to something like this was either when Bench Mobster Luke Wilson (headband and all) took a charge in garbage time or when Hunter Dickinson reacted to Austin Davis doing well in the post in backup minutes.
January 19th, 2021 at 11:34 PM ^
Am curious...are others fine with this type of display ? Comes across as disrespectful... I know I wouldn't like the other team doing it, and we shouldn't either.
January 19th, 2021 at 11:39 PM ^
I'm alright with it.
I can totally see the opponent not liking it but my opinion is "let the kids have fun and be entertaining" since it's a game.
January 20th, 2021 at 7:19 AM ^
Especially with no crowds, this is a great way to get the players on the court feeding off of the "crowd". I love it.
January 20th, 2021 at 7:40 PM ^
Perfectly fine with this as unlike at Yost, there is no vulgarity, just light hearted humor. We as "old" fans need to change and evolve with the times as young kids are more engaged and want to be expressive and engaged. Many in the Blue Hairs / Down in Front crowd will disagree, but times are a changing!
Keep in mind, back in the old days, during football routs, are cheerleading squad would go and get the other team's mascot and post them - good natured fun!
January 19th, 2021 at 10:52 PM ^
I feel *great* when Davis comes in TBH. His play warrants 12 mpg IMO, in the dead center of each half - about 6 mins each.
It seems clear also that they want Zeb to get some time so he can develop for next year. I was shocked he got mins with Eli in the floor- I thought he’d sub for Eli due to Eli’s injury.
the Kenpom time is crucial, especially for HD1, bc this schedule is so compressed. 22-26 mpg is way easier than 32-35mpg. Especially for big guys, but it’s true team wide given the level of defense that are focused on playing.
January 19th, 2021 at 11:42 PM ^
I think we might need Zeb at some point (during the NCAAT).
I remember a true freshman Caris LeVert looking lost early in the 2012-13 season. Many (including me) were wondering if it would be best to redshirt him. But Coach Beilein kept playing him limited minutes throughout the season and it paid off in March. By the NCAAT, he was a contributor.
Those that are paying close attention can see Zeb has already improved. His spatial awareness is better and he's starting to make better basketball reads.
You never know if we might need him for 5-10 minutes of a NCAAT game. It's best to bring him along and give him ample time to adjust in case we need him.
That said, I can totally see Zeb being a major player for us in the coming seasons. His combination of size and fluidity with the ball is difficult to guard. He has this incredible ability to go from herky jerky movement to silky smooth moves. Ask anyone that has played against a player who can change speeds like that and they'll tell you how annoying / frustrating / difficult it is to defend someone like that. I can see Zeb becoming an absolute terror out of the PnR / PnP which fits perfectly for the type of offense Coach Howard wants to run.
January 19th, 2021 at 11:31 PM ^
DOUBLE DRIBBLE ! The deep corner was a glitch, shooting behind the basket, it went in every time !!!
January 19th, 2021 at 11:59 PM ^
Thanks for the good insight!