Silver lining: THJ and Burke say they'll return
https://twitter.com/#!/nickbaumgardner/status/180838269238525952
...hope this is true.
March 16th, 2012 at 10:18 PM ^
And look how that ended. Besides I don't think they'd project very well in the draft anyways. They both need to get better. Bonus for us.
March 16th, 2012 at 10:20 PM ^
As long as Douglass and Novak aren't returning, I'm cool.
March 16th, 2012 at 10:22 PM ^
March 17th, 2012 at 10:47 AM ^
You forgot the adjective.
March 16th, 2012 at 10:22 PM ^
Not cool, dude. Despite their faults Stu and Zack are probably the two people most responsible for our basketball resurgence and without Zack, there would be no McGary next yr.
March 16th, 2012 at 11:16 PM ^
Right guys at the right time. Great kids couldn't have represented the program better but Belien is person most responsible for the program. If we are limiting to players this team struggles to .500 in the B1G without Burke, ask yourself if you can make that statement without Burke or Morris the last two years?
Damn. Blood was hot 3 hours ago. Look- Stu and Novak did so much better than one could expect, it caused a heated Gavin Groninger debate tonight (that's for another day). Can we all agree that those two kids- who were castoffs, essentially, from major college basketball- a.) guys that vastly outperformed expectations in physical performance/output; b.) vastly outperformed expectations from a leadership standpoint.....'member freshman Zack and freshman Stu? I'll be honest: I detested Novak. I finally convinced myself around mid-February of his freshman year that he was just hung over/drunk and had been pounding beers and questionable women, and that, well, alright, sigh. Because he took so many ill-advised (to me) shots that never went in, and it was really infuriating. That guy became the guy who is a pillar of the foundation of this program-- the new program-- going forward. And Stu, cripes. Similar.
Give them their due. We'll be fine; we're on a great trajectory. But don't diminish what those two guys did for this program.
March 16th, 2012 at 11:24 PM ^
Then Zack is clearly a better recruiter and maybe he should get into a Grad Asst spot on the team, but he and Stu were clearly liabilities everytime they stepped foot on the floor. I don't understand what they did to win a BIG Ten title. Everybody can thank Burke. Plain and simple. They eached Avg. what?...6 pts a game for their career. Stop using terms like 'grit' and 'toughness'. What the hell does that even mean? It certainly doesn't put up points which you need to outscore and beat an opponent.
March 17th, 2012 at 12:09 AM ^
And you clearly don't know what you are talking about. Go look at the tears in Morgan's eyes and listen to him explain what they meant to the team. This team over-achieved and they wouldn't have done it without Stu and Zack's leadership.
March 17th, 2012 at 10:38 AM ^
" he and Stu were clearly liabilities everytime they stepped foot on the floor"
So being the best on ball defender Michigan has had in a decade is a liability? Hitting a pair of clutch step back jumpers to beat Ohio State is a liability? Novak has seemed to struggle lately, but you need to take a step back off the ledge.
March 17th, 2012 at 11:24 AM ^
Ban this idiot.
are a son of a bitch.
March 16th, 2012 at 10:20 PM ^
I mean look at Manny and Darius. We don't need a look at Manny, Darius, Trey as a reason not to go to the NBA.
March 16th, 2012 at 10:59 PM ^
Just step away from the keyboard for the rest of the nite.
March 16th, 2012 at 10:20 PM ^
I don't think they want to go out like this, especially with the talent we have next year
March 16th, 2012 at 10:22 PM ^
They should. They have absolutely no draft stock, and with the talent that will be coming in around them, it's about to get a lot better.
Edit: Did not see the post above me. Making my post completely redundant.
March 16th, 2012 at 10:21 PM ^
March 16th, 2012 at 10:29 PM ^
Novak hasn't been his usual self in about 6 games now. He almost looked like he didn't give a shit in the B10 tourney.
March 16th, 2012 at 11:02 PM ^
Exactly what the heck does that mean?
March 16th, 2012 at 10:22 PM ^
I don't think THJ leaving early is even an option. Burke probably could but we'll see
March 16th, 2012 at 10:22 PM ^
March 16th, 2012 at 10:23 PM ^
March 16th, 2012 at 10:24 PM ^
March 16th, 2012 at 10:24 PM ^
Uh yeah. I think they'd better come back too, for both their sakes as well as the team's. They know who's coming in, and they know they're just going to get better. Tons of upside to staying, not much upside to leaving.
March 16th, 2012 at 10:25 PM ^
It's sad that we lost tonight but my silver lining is how well this team played all year considering preseason expectations. After Morris left and everyone looked at the talent left on the team, hope was very thin.
We earned a share of the B1G Title fergodsakes!
March 16th, 2012 at 10:25 PM ^
I don't know how I'm an asshole for calling it like it is. I don't get why people constantly blow Novak and Douglass. They've done a lot for the program, but they just aren't very good.
March 16th, 2012 at 10:27 PM ^
they are at basketball like you are at posting messages?
March 16th, 2012 at 10:27 PM ^
I think it's a little something called respect for two guys that have "done a lot for the program".
March 16th, 2012 at 10:27 PM ^
The facts are still the facts, Stu and Zack are 2 of the most important people in the Michigan basketball resurgence. Without them, none of this happens
March 16th, 2012 at 11:03 PM ^
and the real hero is Coach B. In otherwords, Beilein > Douglas and Novak because they are on every team.
March 16th, 2012 at 11:14 PM ^
That's not entirely crazy and better than your other posts.
The lady who lives down my street is not entirely ugly and looks better than her bulldogs.
March 16th, 2012 at 10:30 PM ^
March 16th, 2012 at 10:31 PM ^
You're not an asshole, you're just wrong. A team needs what Stu and Zack bring to the table - leadership, tenacity, work ethic, etc.- as much as they need athleticism. Granted, you'd like those elements to be combined in the same player/players, but that isn't always the case.
March 16th, 2012 at 10:43 PM ^
Yeah, I agree a team needs leadership, but a leader who is a defensive liability and continually shoots poorly isn't a leader - he's a motivational speaker.
March 16th, 2012 at 10:50 PM ^
Double post fail. My first.
March 16th, 2012 at 10:49 PM ^
So you'd have said that about THJ for a big part of this season then, yes?
Also, you can't always see what players like Stu and Zack do for the team in their stat line. Maybe Burke ain't quite as much Superman this early in his career without a couple guys like that around, just to pick a name out of the hat.
March 16th, 2012 at 11:55 PM ^
March 16th, 2012 at 11:54 PM ^
March 16th, 2012 at 10:56 PM ^
Stu and Zack are average players, just like on any average D1 team, as their NBA status would indicate. They are just benefactors of Coach B's basketball philpsophy. When Michigan gets real ballers into the system (e.g. McGary) then we will not be a fringe tourney team, and a 1 and out team, but a deep tourney team.
Hell, Manny and Morris left. Was there a reason?
March 16th, 2012 at 10:54 PM ^
March 16th, 2012 at 11:47 PM ^
Calling it like it is... is Novak's line from tonite:
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS |
|---|
| 32 | 1-6 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
2 points, 32 minutes, four fouls. Doh.
March 17th, 2012 at 12:11 AM ^
March 16th, 2012 at 10:25 PM ^
Yes, Stu and Zack's leadership can't be replaced but I think we maybe a better team without them next year. Yes, this may sound crazy but against more athletic teams such as OSU both were non-existent add GR3, Stauskas and McGary we seem to becoming a much more athletic team
March 16th, 2012 at 10:29 PM ^
Don't forget about Horford too.
That injury really hurt the rotation for the bigs.
March 17th, 2012 at 10:54 AM ^
People thought the same thing when Lee and Merrit left. Look what happened. Team chemistry and leadership are important.
March 16th, 2012 at 10:27 PM ^
And anyone who said this loss is on Smotrycz is a moron. Look at the box score.
March 16th, 2012 at 10:30 PM ^
You can't point at one thing and say "It's his fault!"
Pretty much every core player made numerous mistakes in the game.
And all those blown layups.....uggghhhhh.
March 16th, 2012 at 11:40 PM ^
No... it's on Novak
March 16th, 2012 at 10:31 PM ^
After the team won a share of the title, it's like they just stopped caring. I don't know how you let Ohio's only good player explode like that when you have almost a week to prepare.