UM @ Ohio - postgame thoughts
Let's keep postgame thoughts as consolidated as we can. My takeaways from today:
- I thought we did a terrific job on Sullinger and Buford. If we keep those guys in check iin Ann Arbor like we did today, we've got a terrific chance of winning. Craft was the difference though - he keyed the small Ohio runs in the second half. As good as Burke is offensively, he's been beaten up and worn down a bit defensively by Jackson and Craft the past two games.
- We missed a lot of open shots, but also made some tough ones. If Smot and Stu each hit another shot or two of the many good looks they had, we would've been right in this thing. In particular, Stu had a chance to cut it to 4 with about 6 or 7 minutes left. He missed and Ohio scored 5 in about 30 seconds to break it open
- We had absolutely no chance on the glass today, offensively or defensively. Smith was particularly hard to box out. He repeatedly grabbed boards over Novak and Hardaway it seemed. Again we did a decent job on Sullinger though
- Today simply confirmed what many of us thought already. Ohio is the best team in the conference, and we are squarely in the second tier of the B1G. We've got a great shot at anywhere from 2-5 in the conference, and if Ohio falls a few more times on the road, we aren't out of the running for 1st
January 29th, 2012 at 3:27 PM ^
You make some valid points.....but Fuck Ohio
January 30th, 2012 at 10:00 AM ^
and do it with a chainsaw
January 29th, 2012 at 3:30 PM ^
Expected a better 2nd half than we had. But we played tough. We have a real chance to beat them in Ann Arbor IMO.
January 29th, 2012 at 3:33 PM ^
They can talk all they want how they love basketball. But the fact that Michigan beat them in football, the sport they care about the most beyond a shadow of a doubt, eats them up inside.
I also kind of find it funny how the Raftery said ohio is "one of college basketball's elite".
That's why their last national title was before the current players PARENTS were even born right?
January 29th, 2012 at 3:44 PM ^
They kept displaying it courtside at Value City Arena during the game: "An NCAA National Championship in 1960".
President Eisenhower may have been impressed, but it is not something I'd exactly brag about in 2012.
January 29th, 2012 at 3:49 PM ^
that was like 10 presidents ago, haha
January 29th, 2012 at 4:04 PM ^
While that's kind of funny to think about, you can't use national titles as the sole measure of greatness, especially in this sport when it comes down to a crazy 68-team tournament.
I think the Big Ten's a great basketball conference year-in and year-out, but it has only one national title in the last 20 years. Big Ten teams reached the title game in '92, '93, '00, '02, '05, '07 and '09. That's pretty good even if we've had a knack for blowing that final game.
I agree that bragging about a 52-year-old title with a courtside sign is ridiculous though.
January 29th, 2012 at 3:35 PM ^
Shoot me in the mutha f'n face!
January 29th, 2012 at 3:36 PM ^
The goddamn sky is falling.*
*Source: http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/michigan-vs-ohio-state-basketball-open-thread
January 29th, 2012 at 3:37 PM ^
I guess you have to expect with any home team, but they got a lot of calls going their way. Some of the calls on us were pretty weak I felt, but thats how away games go...
Also, THJ made some random three's which, I think from our experience in the past 4-6 games, he can't make on a consistent basis. I think if anything, he should be driving and either trying to make a layup or passing it out from the paint. THJ needs to get his mind set I feel the most of all. Thats why my opinion, I have no idea what Beiliein is trying to get done with THJ.
Other than that, a game which we could have won but we let get away.
January 29th, 2012 at 3:45 PM ^
Also, THJ made some random three's which, I think from our experience in the past 4-6 games, he can't make on a consistent basis.THJ shot 37% last year on 207 attempts. In this, as in all things, sample size is king.
January 29th, 2012 at 3:49 PM ^
I think it's pretty clear that this season, Hardaway hasn't been able to get into a rhythm like he was doing in the last few months of last year. Clearly he's capable of it, but the shots haven't been falling this season.
Then again, this was about the time Hardaway started to heat up last year so hopefully he'll find his shot again in the end.
January 29th, 2012 at 3:52 PM ^
And THIS YEAR he is making 33-119...for 27.7%, down 10% from last year.
So, you're telling me he is shooting well from three consistently this year?
January 29th, 2012 at 4:02 PM ^
What I'm saying is that the statement "he can't hit those shots" is inaccurate.
Adam Dunn hits .159 after a career of hitting .280, and people say, "he can't hit." But they are wrong. He CAN hit. He just ISN'T hitting. If a career .220 hitter hits .220, and people say "he can't hit," THOSE people are correct.
THJ had an entire season of hitting 3s at 37%. He was shooting at 33% through 10 games. Is he hitting those shots regularly? No. CAN he hit those shots regularly? Absolutely. A good shooting day is as likely to be a guy breaking out of a slump as it is to be an aberation.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:18 PM ^
Yes agreed...maybe since I'm an engineer my grammar sucks, but RECENTLY he can't make them (over the past 4-6 games). I'm not saying he can't make them period, because he can. Just recently, he is trying to force them, I think in an attempt to get his mojo going and get out of his mental-block. If he is trying to get out of a slump, I think he is going about it the wrong way by just launching up random 3's (there were 2 or 3 of those today, the really bad one where I think Burke passed it out and THJ just immedietely launched it up).
I understand he is probably really frustrated with himself, but its to the detriment of the team. If his three's aren't falling during a game, he should try and do the next best thing and use his body and drive.
January 29th, 2012 at 3:40 PM ^
and did not utilize cuts to the basket or back doorcuts nearly enough today. Ohio had massive on ball help today, we needed more people flashing to the basket.
January 29th, 2012 at 3:58 PM ^
but it was all in the first half. there were 4-5 nice bounce passes for layups in the first half and we barely had 20 pts. i can't recall any in the second half.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:50 PM ^
They had a few attempts but didn't hit them.
January 29th, 2012 at 3:38 PM ^
We don't have the depth yet, especially up front, especially with Horford out. The key play was Morgan's cheap second foul, which was either an awful decision or an awful call (I lean towards the latter, but we never got a replay). We need another rebounder, and that would be Horford if he were healthy.
January 29th, 2012 at 3:41 PM ^
Depth is a huge issue down low. Christian's minutes weren't bad but he really has no chance to provide much offensively. But depth in the post will go from non-existent to very abundant next year with McGary, Morgan, Horford and Smot. McLimans also had some good minutes too
January 29th, 2012 at 4:00 PM ^
had two horrible offense plays in a row.
January 29th, 2012 at 3:40 PM ^
Gotta stay away from that 4th seed and meet up with them in the B10 Finals.
As long as they call over the back in Ann Arbor U-M can win.
January 29th, 2012 at 3:43 PM ^
I really didn't think it was a matter of over the backs. It was more a matter of simply being outmuscled on the glass.
January 29th, 2012 at 3:46 PM ^
There were plenty of over-the-backs and pushes underneath that would have been called if this game had been played at home...
January 29th, 2012 at 5:08 PM ^
to the hoop by a Michigan player was made tentatively though, waiting for the shot to be blocked or hoping the contact was going to come. We missed SO MANY layups today because nobody was taking it strong. Just dunk the damn thing, you get fouled when you are trying to dunk the ball. Go hard and you go to the line.
January 29th, 2012 at 3:42 PM ^
Novak: 0-4, 0 points
Smot: 1-6, 3 points
That's never a good sign.
January 29th, 2012 at 3:47 PM ^
Brrrrrrrrr. That's some cold shooting.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:59 PM ^
Really, when you consider how cold we were from the perimeter, the fact that we still don't have Horford, and that Morgan was in foul trouble, it's amazing we were in the game at all. This game was 50-43 with like five minutes left. We were hammered on the glass, but we did defend well, all things considered.
If Hardaway and Smotrycz can finally bust out of their slumps and Horford can come back, this team could be very dangerous. You look at how mediocre we've been offensively, and how undersized we are, and you wonder how we could possibly be 6-3 in league play. Somehow we find ways to hang around.
January 29th, 2012 at 3:42 PM ^
Even with us doing a good job on him Sullinger killed us in the 2nd half
January 29th, 2012 at 3:43 PM ^
-Zack & Stu played subpar today
-Refs let Craft get away with bumping Trey all game long
-When the hell is Horford gonna play, we need him in the paint badly
-Game was closer than the score indicated for sure
--Our program is back and I like where we're headed, sweet 16 run would be.....sweet
January 29th, 2012 at 4:00 PM ^
Sweet 16 is not a reality this year. I am hoping just to get to 22 wins. That is not a given and if we do not, our seed will not be a good one for the NCAA Tourney
January 29th, 2012 at 4:07 PM ^
sweet 16 is a legit goal this year. a top 3-4 finish in the BIG guarantees a 4-5 seed in ncaa, which means a favorable match-up the first 2 rounds.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:16 PM ^
4 and 5 would have to play each other to make it to sweet 16. On top of that look at the success 12 seeds have every year. i am hoping to that this team is a 4 seed for the Big Ten let alone the NCAA. I think you are right the sweet 16 is a good GOAL, but this team would have to be red hot. going into the tourny to make it.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:22 PM ^
I don't think it's quite as difficult as you're making it out to be. If we are in fact a 5 seed, that will give us a favorable first-round matchup (for all the hype the 12 seeds get for upsets, they only actually win about 30% of the time), and then basically a coin flip of a game for the second round. Given Beilein's history of tournament success, I'd feel pretty good about our chances to make it to the second weekend in that case.
If we're a 6 seed, we'll be more of an underdog in the second round (assuming we play the 3 seed) but it shouldn't be an impossible game. The real key is to avoid having to play the 1 and 2 seeds in the second round. We had to play them in 2009 and 2011 and lost two competitive games.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:29 PM ^
than the 2009 or 2011 matchups. I guess i am just looking at the remaining schedule and thinking that 4 losses is a real possibility and that means they would have to go deep in the BIG Tournament in order to get a 4 or 5 seed, but I could be wrong.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:22 PM ^
So we'd only have to beat a team that's worse than us and equal to us. Hmmm, I like our chances. Also the success that 12 teams have every year is significantly less than the succes the 5 seeds have every year.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:26 PM ^
Last year, playing the one seed. And now having to get through a 4 or 5 requires "red hot play"? Let's not go overboard here.
January 29th, 2012 at 5:28 PM ^
we are in 3rd place now in the BIG and i can't remember the last time this team was "red hot". if we just get thj or smot to get their act together, this team is very good and can beat anyone, especially on a neutral court. they play solid D and burke has been great.
January 29th, 2012 at 5:45 PM ^
If Michigan can avoid getting a 7-10 seed the sweet 16 is very doable. After the first two seeds(top 8) its all parity all the time. Heck, if we tanked and got an 11 or 12 it would be better than a 7 or 8.
January 29th, 2012 at 3:54 PM ^
meaning Ohio had better athletes than Michigan read rebounds. They also played with more energy. The missed layups and the piss poor three point shooting also killed michigan.
January 29th, 2012 at 3:54 PM ^
Against a team this much bigger than us, we need to significantly outperform them from downtown and we didn't (though they were also stone cold from there). That's pretty much the bottom line. If Horford is available for the rematch - and Morgan isn't in foul trouble most of the game - the size disadvantage won't be as big an issue.
January 29th, 2012 at 3:55 PM ^
January 29th, 2012 at 3:56 PM ^
This loss is totally on the following parties:
- Beilein, for not getting the team to score more points.
- The players, for not scoring more points.
- On the refs, for allowing OSU to score more points.
- On the fans, for not traveling to Value City Center Grill & Boobie Bar to cheer for the players to stop OSU from scoring more points.
- RR, for allowing OSU to score more points against him in football for 3 years, which helped OSU get used to scoring more points than UM.
- Lloyd Carr, for allowing OSU to score more points than him in football for most of the 2000's, which helped OSU get used to scoring more points than UM.
- Dave Brandon, for not running a worse athletic department that would "incentivize" UM players into scoring more points.
- SMPHG - Stupid Michigan Point Hating God for smoting UM's shots so that they did not score more points today.
Remedy - fire everyone and start over!
January 29th, 2012 at 4:03 PM ^
you are going to give people a hard time for giving their thoughts on the game today?
January 29th, 2012 at 4:06 PM ^
MANBAWL...
January 29th, 2012 at 6:38 PM ^
...winner.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:03 PM ^
too many 3 point shots. and no boards!
January 29th, 2012 at 4:07 PM ^
I just think we lack athleticism from top to bottom. I think Evan is not comfortable right now on offense or defense. We make about 5 dumb passes a game where a guy is mid air trying to pass it and it gets stolen. I think today we hesitated on some open 3's, but what do I know...
January 29th, 2012 at 4:15 PM ^
I feel the same now as I did going in:
1. I love this team.
2. They are just good enough to break our hearts in March.
Back to business.