Moral Victory for MBB
I know there isn't any points for Moral Victories but I'm proud of the young Men's Basketball team fighting to get to OT against Kansas today. Let's hope they can use this experience for some tough games in the Big 10. Go Blue!
January 9th, 2011 at 7:06 PM ^
I wanted a real victory
January 9th, 2011 at 7:07 PM ^
Yes...they tried to give us the game and we blew it. Maybe we should have tried a few more 3's.
January 9th, 2011 at 7:09 PM ^
Something like 15 turnovers in regulation? Hardaway really irritates me sometimes too...
January 9th, 2011 at 7:29 PM ^
I think you need to relax if he irritates you that much. Freshmen tend to make mistakes, give him and the other young guys some time to mature.
January 9th, 2011 at 8:13 PM ^
Plus, he seems to be drawing some of the toughest defensive assignments, including the top of the 1-3=1...
January 9th, 2011 at 7:31 PM ^
He is a freshman who led all with 19 pts. He had some clutch shots and steals late in the game. He also hit his FTs late in the game. He is going to make his freshman mistakes, but he is one of the most exciting players to watch.
January 9th, 2011 at 7:50 PM ^
most athletic players on the team. He has a good shooting stroke. Just needs to learn what is a good shot and what is not. The sky is the limit for him.
January 9th, 2011 at 7:51 PM ^
he makes a few bad decisions but he is a true freshmen. give him credit for being aggressive on the offensive end. he and morris were the only two guys showing any confidence. our 2 juniors need to show more leadership and consistency on the offensive end.
January 9th, 2011 at 8:01 PM ^
Everyone, I realize Hardaway is a freshman and that he's going to make freshman mistakes, but freshman mistakes still irritate me. He has phenominal upside and he's going to be great here, but some of the shots he takes are ridiculous.
January 9th, 2011 at 8:10 PM ^
he's only a freshmen. he should be redshirting. he shouldn't even be seeing the floor let alone starting...
wait. wrong sport.
January 9th, 2011 at 9:29 PM ^
kaminski 16 this is the kind of fan that complained about our football team that had a record that everyone expected and then cried about towards the end of the season. go fill any of these kids shoes and then come back and let me know if you still fill the same way.....oh just like me your not talented enough along with the rest of my fellow fans who complain about our youngsters who play on our great UM teams.
January 9th, 2011 at 9:39 PM ^
Sorry, I forgot I can't watch college basketball and not totally approve off every player's performance because I'm not a division one level basketball player. This is our team and our school / alma mater for many on here, so we are all entitled to an opinion.
And don't put words in my mouth.
January 9th, 2011 at 8:19 PM ^
This game, particularly the first half, was a disgrace to basketball. How Michigan escaped the first half down by only 7 points can only be explained by Kansas also not showing up to play. Shooting was attrocious in the first half, and a big part of that was because of horrid shot selection and inability to run the offense against the pressure of Kansas's defense.
That being said, I'll give the good guys credit for coming back and making a game of it.They certainly had to make some big plays to tie up the game, but there's no question in my mind that if they had played like they did in the last 5 minutes of regulation during even just the second half, we'd be talking about the upset that was, rather than the one that "almost was."
January 9th, 2011 at 8:26 PM ^
Kansas wasn't doing well offensively. Their doing (not showing up) or M's doing by playing D.
January 9th, 2011 at 7:06 PM ^
Why oh why did we stay in man so long in OT?
January 9th, 2011 at 7:12 PM ^
I thought the same thing. We made our run in a zone defense but went back to man?
January 9th, 2011 at 7:50 PM ^
at the end of both halves when we went to zone.
January 9th, 2011 at 7:07 PM ^
moral victories don't get you to the big dance
January 9th, 2011 at 7:13 PM ^
this team to make the NCAA tourney anyways. This year is more about building for the next couple of years, it isn't NCAA tournament or bust. Playing Syracuse and Kansas close indicates that the program is going in the right direction.
January 9th, 2011 at 7:20 PM ^
Yeah but the ultimate goal for any team is to get to the tournament. The players don't start the season just hoping to do okay
January 9th, 2011 at 7:25 PM ^
An extra win in the Big 10 does us more good than an upset here I would think. To me 8-10 with a win over KU looks less impressive than 9-9 with the close loss when it comes to Selection Sunday.
January 9th, 2011 at 7:30 PM ^
Agreed. Instead of saying, "ouch, losing record in the B1G" they say, ".500 in the B1G, and remember that OT game against Kansas?"
January 9th, 2011 at 7:52 PM ^
but need those big signature wins at some point. I hope Kansas doesn't beat us twice. Big game on Wednesday.
January 9th, 2011 at 9:20 PM ^
Actually, one really big win against an elite non-conference team and a sub .500 conference record is more likely to get you into the tournament than a .500 conference record which is built up on the bottom half of the conference with blowouts and ekked out wins against the middle to top,
January 9th, 2011 at 8:12 PM ^
Exactly. The worst cliche in sports is a "moral victory." Michigan played well, and probably should have won. End of story. A moral victory still means you lost, so there is no victory.
January 9th, 2011 at 10:46 PM ^
January 9th, 2011 at 7:07 PM ^
sweet for experience. Sour loss. We need a big man in the middle for thos easy baskets. Overall, very young team with great upside. Love Tim Jr. I'm very proud of the national TV performance.
January 9th, 2011 at 7:08 PM ^
Getting frustrated with this falling behind early then coming back only to lose in the final 5 mins.
January 9th, 2011 at 7:08 PM ^
This is the most mentally tough team i have seen in a very long time. This team doesnt give up and fights to the end. If they can some how start hitting the 3 ball...watch out. I think this team paves the way for next years team which will be the best team in a long time.
Go Blue!
January 9th, 2011 at 7:09 PM ^
that's why.
January 9th, 2011 at 7:09 PM ^
Todays game should show those who think we don't play "real basketball" to rethink what they are saying. JB is turning this young squad into a team that can compete with the best.
January 9th, 2011 at 7:17 PM ^
I agree, but it's key we stop playing down to opponents. We should have blown out Penn State, but we won by 7 at home in a squeaker, then we take Kansas to OT? This team needs more consistancy, and that will just have to come with time, I guess...
January 9th, 2011 at 7:19 PM ^
that same penn state team that knocked off MSU?
January 9th, 2011 at 7:23 PM ^
True, but who knows State is even going to be this year. I haven't been impressed so far, considering they were preseason #2.
January 9th, 2011 at 7:28 PM ^
Considering this Michigan team was supposed to be very average at best, you should be impressed with how they've played and look forward to a very good '11/'12 season.
January 9th, 2011 at 7:55 PM ^
but we have been down this road before. It's one thing when expectations are low, it's another when they are high.
January 9th, 2011 at 9:56 PM ^
Don't blame the son for the sins of the father.
January 9th, 2011 at 8:06 PM ^
I never said I wasn't impressed, we just need to play every game as if we were playing Syracuse or Kansas.
January 9th, 2011 at 8:21 PM ^
anyone speaking out against the regime. You must speak with great optimism or be silent.
January 9th, 2011 at 7:34 PM ^
that from this game? We shot the ball 63 times and 28 of them were threes while only made 4 of them. We play great defense, as we have most of the year, but run a gimmicky offense. If we don't hit our threes we won't win the game. We finally started taking some easier shots the last five minutes and clawed our way for the tie. Then five of our eight shots in OT were three pointers.
January 9th, 2011 at 7:37 PM ^
EXACTLY! 4-28 from 3...I said at the beginning of the season...LIVE AND DIE BY THE 3...and i got the "have you even watched this team play?"
January 9th, 2011 at 7:41 PM ^
nobody likes to hear that we may not be a good shooting team. If we were hitting them I wouldn't have a big beef with JB. Unfortuantely we can't buy a three and he seems to not want or not be able to change things up. That is my issue with him.
January 9th, 2011 at 7:57 PM ^
is that JB has recruited 2 big ten caliber post players to this point and they are both freshman.
January 9th, 2011 at 7:58 PM ^
who is going to provide all this low-post offense you want?
January 9th, 2011 at 8:00 PM ^
just keep shooting 25-30 threes a game rather than try huh? What about last year when Sims was here? Or the year before that? I don't think it matters who JB has in the post he wants them to shoot threes. Ask Joe Alexander and his senior season once JB left.
January 9th, 2011 at 8:14 PM ^
sims got the ball plenty. he was one of the conf leaders in scoring. i would much rather him kick it out for an open 3 than force up a shot in a double team.
January 9th, 2011 at 8:16 PM ^
He blew up that year under Huggy bear. Is he in the NBA?
January 9th, 2011 at 7:44 PM ^
So do you think Kansas is questioning their scheme because they went to overtime against such a crappy team?
January 9th, 2011 at 7:58 PM ^
team is crappy? The offense is crappy not the team.
January 9th, 2011 at 9:38 PM ^
So you think our freshmen and sophomores are as talented as Kansas? And if your answer is no, then you should probably give Beilein some credit for getting them to play above their potential and getting to overtime against the 3rd best team in the country. If your answer is yes, then you haven't really been paying attention.
Also, please explain why you think the offense is crappy. Is it because that offense has us competing with the top teams in the nation? The results are all that matters. Why do you care if we shoot and miss a lot of threes if it gives us a chance to beat 2 out of the top 4 teams in the nation?