I don't know anything about basketball, but I knew that last timeout was too soon.
FUCK.
Did that really make a difference? We had good shooters step to the line. It's not like Morgan, McGary and Horford shot those FTs. Also, our last possession was pretty well-done actually . . . Burke got a close-in shot and just missed, and then Morgan the putback.
So apparently the fouling at the end when down by multiple scores does work after all.
And then bow out of the B1G Tourney. Rest up for the NCAA Tourney. No use in wasting Burke's legs.
I predicted that I'd have a heart attack with 3 minutes left in the game. Turns out it was more around the 3 second mark.
Welp, that was a stupid way to lose a game.
This is a great team. Indiana is most likely better than anyone else in the tourny not named Indiana. This team has a prime oppurtunity to go far in the tourny.
They get out rebounded at an alarming rate and their 2nd, 3rd and 4th scorers are inconsistent at best, invisible at worst. Any team that has a great on ball defender for Burke can beat Michigan.
Have to watch out for all of the Cody Zellers out there, right? Or is he actually a pretty rare talent in today's game?
And that's great, "any team that has a guy good enough to gaurd Burke can beat Michigan." Yeah, because everyone has a guy as long and quick as Oladipo. You can't just watch a game where Burke is doubled by two Wooden finalists and conclude "well fuck, how are we going to beat North Carolina in the tourny? Burke can't do anything."
I dunno, is Raphael Davis? How about Ryan Evans? Ross Travis? Lenzelle Smith Jr.? All those guys killed us on the glass. It's almost every damn game.
While it's true that guarding Burke is easier said that done, teams that go deep in the tournament usually have several good, consistent offensive options combined with physical play and tough defense. We struggle with those things, and Burke can't take us all the way there by himself. A run is possible I guess, but it's foolish to dismiss valid concerns.
The tone of my post is directly because of the "No we don't have a prime oppurtunity to go far in the tournament" remark. That's absolute bull shit.
Yeah, Michigan's not fantastic at rebounding and that wasn't my point. However, Michigan doesn't get out rebounded by 21 routinely. They're not going to win the boards in the tourny, nor will they be man handled by Zeller and associates like they were today unless they're just totally off (or, run into Indiana). Zeller is a fantastic player, and his impact on the boards should never be margainalized. Burke doesn't have to take us all of the way, THJ, Stauskas, and GRIII have not gone anywhere. Yeah, Burke runs the shows and when he doesn't get help it's tough sledding, but the MSU and Indiana game should've been enough to show us that teams have down periods and Michigan had theirs through last month. He has help.
I get that Indiana demolished Michigan on the boards today and that the combination of Zeller and Oladipo bracketing Burke toned him down for quite a while, but at the same time, you don't see that level of talent outside of Indiana's roster. I also don't really disagree with anything you said in the second paragraph. If Michigan goes cold they'll go down in the tourny, but dismissing that they're a top team is ridiculous.
But all I got were
MGOBLOG WAS READY FOR A CELEBRATION. I AGREE. AH HO, HO HO HO HO!
Yes, I know the image is terrible. Everything is terrible forever.
FFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
about this one. The effort and intensity was there, which has me feeling better going into the tournament.
Which game did you watch? We got killed on the boards which led to many IU points and we missed free throws. How does that make you feel better about our tournament chances? Now we have to play Penn St who has given us fits already.
This was the first loss of the season that gave me the same shitty feeling as a football loss.
Normally bball losses don't ruin my day, but this one certainly.
Well said.
I love how hard Jordan Morgan plays, but he has to have a record for most layups missed in a career.
Very much.
The rebound and then dunk that motherfucker. Stop trying to fucking tip it in we're not playing 21 they don't go back to 13.
A fucking free throw. Option 2 - hit a fucking put back lay up.
u have to make them but why not have people on the line. u were only up 1. U have to have rebounders just in case.
...and my kids were watching. Wish Big Dog and/or TH Senior could have shot those free throws for us at end. Tough loss...plus just went from a 2/3 seed to a 5 in BIG tourney in the blink of an eye. I am drinking jack on the rocks...commence drinking thread now...
damn you kenpom.
He even factored in the no-call on the intentional foul!
...Robinson didn't do himself any favors. By going up so tentatively, the resulting foul didn't look as bad as it would have had he taken it strong.
My biggest fear/silent expectation:
This heart-breaking loss could derail us just like the Wisconsin buzzer beater rip your heart out so bad you're sick for days game did. We weren't the same team after that game, and didn't really start to look "great" again until this past week or two.
This game was ours. It was so fucking ours. The B10 title was ours. We had it. The recruits that were there must have been drooling. And we fucking blew it in the worst possible way.
I really hope I'm wrong, but this could easily lead to another "post heartbreaking loss slump".
This is sort of how I feel as well, that loss in Madison really derailed this team for about a month, and like you said they were just starting to get back into form. I really hope that isn't the case this go around, but a loss like this can linger if you let it.
With a young team.
10 bucks they are pissed. This won't be the same as Wisconsin.
i just don't like the idea of playing penn state.. they are scrappy and have nothing to lose..
Sick too. It's a feeling I haven't felt in a while. This is a hard one ("to swallow" as they say).
What's this post-game situation with Crean and a Mich. asst. coach?!?!
Sick to my stomach...last min of that game was horrid. But at least we screwed Ohio and Staee out of a share of the title FWIW
Silver lining. But a shitty silver lining.
Too many missed shot opportunities and below average rebounding.
On the plus side, at least we won't have to compete with B1G refs during March Madness.
So there's that...
that sucked HARD.
however, indiana was very lucky to win.
i hope we get them in one of the remaining tourneys - would be sweet to put them out of the NCAA in the final four.
burn a sofa...
Dude... No. We're better than that. YOU'RE better than that.
don't make this loss worse than it is, we lost to the number 2 team in the country
The reason we are making this loss out to be a big thing was because Michigan should have won, but they pissed away their opportunity by not making free throws.
Not to mention the fact that that was for a share of the Big Ten.
I swear, there is nothing more infuriating to me on this team than Hardaway's total refusal to follow his shot. He puts one up, then he's already at the centerline by the time the rebound is up for grabs.
The little things win you basketball games. We try to let individual talent overcome the fact we don't do these little things well. You don't rebound, you don't win. You don't make free throws, you don't win. You don't make lay-ups, you don't win.
March 11th, 2013 at 12:19 AM ^
Damn kids are all flash. It's like they forgot that they have the first idea of where a rebound will go if it is missed. I'm waiting for shot following to be cool again
This team will be lucky to win one game in the tournament.
That image of Oladipo kissing the Michigan home court will haunt me. You want to be champions you got to hit free throws just ask Derrick Rose and the Memphis Tigers how that works :-(
Well, Michigan State and Ohio State aren't B1G champs now
The worst part about this is Tom Crean. That is all.
...ashes...
...ashes...
BALL, YOU FALL IN THE F***ING BASKET
we're just building up a karmic debt that will be repaid in the NCAA tourney
Damn, I love this team
Can still play for B1G Tourney
And National Champs