something something water [Patrick Barron]

Basketbullets: South Carolina Comment Count

Brian December 10th, 2018 at 1:23 PM

Sometimes I don't have a column. In these times: just bullets.

12/8/2018 – Michigan 89, South Carolina 78 – 10-0

A sloppy outing ends in an eleven point win as Michigan is clearly better, so that's nice. Items:

The un-Michigan game. Michigan 1) rebounded almost half their misses, 2) turned it over 16 times, 3) made 77% of their free throws, and allowed the bricklayers on the other team to shoot 53% from two. This was very un-Dude. Certain things did make sense in the recent history of Michigan basketball. South Carolina got up just 11 threes, didn't go to the line much, and Michigan burned the nets themselves.

The New York Football Knicks. Man, when South Carolina commits a foul it is not subtle. Iggy got flying shoulder thumps immediately preceding most of his FTAs. Michigan hit the bonus with about 12 minutes left in the second half and that felt late. In the first half I kept looking up at the scoreboard to see which South Carolina player had just earned an autobenching only to find out that Martin was rotating his guys so thoroughly that none of the hacking removed key players for long stretches. Both Alanzo Frink and Felipe Haase had three fouls in about ten minutes. Silva fouled out late; five other guys had two fouls.

Jon Teske got some back when he trucked Silva:

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[Barron]

That was deemed a charge; at least Teske got his money's worth.

Illuminati Charles Matthews. Matthews was 2/4 from two, 2/4 from three, 2/4 from the line, and had 2 DREBs and 4 OREBs. Spooooooky.

The defense slowly comes back to earth. Michigan's early two-point D was always going to be unsustainable and things are creeping back up. The good news is that folks are still posting items about Michigan's defense in relation to some of the best in the last decade of college basketball; the bad news is that Michigan's regressing back towards the mean faster than those defenses:

All of those teams had giant block rates. The only reason all three didn't finish first is that 2015 Texas (20%!) beat out 2015 Kentucky (18.2). Last year's MSU (18.5) team had Jaren Jackson (sometimes) and also finished first. Michigan is currently 115th—not bad, but not a number that is going to see you finish the season with a historically good two-point D.

Even if the absurd two-point D was a bit of a mirage, Michigan's D is still very very good in a sustainable fashion. They're forcing more "other twos" than anyone other than San Diego. They're 9th in the country at preventing threes from getting up, and are still top 50 at preventing the opponent from getting to the rim. Teske may not be a super elite shotblocking center but he's also averaging just 3.3 fouls/40, which is a major part of Michigan's #1 ranking in free throw rate allowed.

Michigan is going to be a very good defense. They probably aren't going to be #1 at the end of the year. If they are it's going to be because they're pretty good at two point D and funnel everyone inside the line.

[After THE JUMP: on the other hand this is still a Beilein team.]

 

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[Barron]

But the offense has awoken. South Carolina has a lot of size and a good defense that Michigan put up 1.25 PPP on, which is their worst outing of the year by some distance. (#2 was, er, Stony Brook.) The only issue was the spate of turnovers in the first half. Other than that: 60% from two, 42% from three, a ton of threes, and 30 FTAs. (Also a bunch of OREBs but that's unlikely to translate going forward.) The horrible three point shooting that marked Michigan's first two games is now another game further in the past as Michigan players not named Zavier Simpson are on a hell of a hot streak. During this four-game stretch of major conference opponents:

  • Simpson is 0/10.
  • All others are 39/82.

Simpson and Matthews are poking their heads just above 100 in ORTG; the rest of the team is in the 120+ range except Brooks, who's at 111.

Like last year, one of the projects Michigan can embark on as the season progresses is shifting to a more balanced usage pattern. Poole poured in 26 points on 15 shot equivalents in this game and finally got his usage above 20 for the first time since the GW game in which he was 5/8 from three. Part of that was four turnovers, but he also had four assists. Last year Michigan managed to get MAAR up. Poole's currently sitting at 19% and should probably be the second guy at 25% instead of Matthews.

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[Barron]

I guess we gotta talk about it. Austin Davis was briefly inserted for another opponent run, emphasis on "brief". He got just four minutes. In those four minutes he fumbled the above pass under the basket out of bounds and left his feet on a Frink shot fake with the shot clock running down; Frink duly got a layup. He did have a mansome offensive rebound.

Davis is now getting much internet ire about his existence, some of which gets directed my way as the chief and perhaps only remaining member of the Austin Davis Can Play Ten Minutes A Game And It Will Be Fine club. I'm not quite ready to issue a proclamation dissolving said club, but I also have eyes. Davis's main issue is that the offense bogs down when he's in the game because it doesn't feel like anyone trusts him with the ball. Pick and roll action doesn't buy you much if it's a Donnal situation and you feel like getting the big the ball under the basket isn't going to result in a good scoring opportunity.

Yes, Michigan should try to activate the Brandon Johns backup plan over the next three games, but they should also try to give Davis some minutes in case this is a sample size issue and he is a functional human basketballist. I'm guessing the answer is "not really" but stranger things have happened.

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[Barron]

A gentle critique of Ignas Brazdeikis, Esq. Brazdeikis was 0/4 from three and a couple of those were transition looks where he was unable to come to a full stop before rising up. Those clanked, and are an insight into his big spot-up vs off-the-dribble HS shooting splits. If he's set, he's excellent; he may have a harder time scrubbing all his momentum to go straight up than some other players, because he's beefy.

The other critique you might have: assist rate. He got a shot blocked in this game when his drive to the bucket drew help defense. He managed a couple assists in the Big Ten games but his rate is still below 10. That's going to be a slight brake on the offense if their highest-usage guy is taking contested shots instead of finding open guys.

Otherwise: yes.

Fun with projections. Michigan is a Kenpom dog in just two games the rest of the way: @ Wisconsin, where they're 48% to win, and @ MSU, where they're 42%. Michigan's projected to be 26-5, 15-5. Bart Torvik's system is even more gung-ho, projecting 16-4. They're #1 in NET, FWIW.

With a strong Big Ten and victories against Villanova and UNC in the rear view, Michigan will put together a bear of a resume if they perform to the levels they're projected to. Torvik projects Michigan will have a 9-3 record against quadrant one opponents and a 7-1 record against quadrant two. Even if they disappoint they'd have to fall off a cliff to not get a real nice seed. I've been futzing with Torvik's "Teamcast," which allows you modify his current tourney projection by inserting various win and/or losses, and it's really hard to get Michigan lower than a two-seed with any reasonable projection. 12-8 conference records still spit out Michigan as a two.

If Michigan does perform to projection they'll be a no-doubt 1-seed. Bonkers.

Is it weird that Beilein and Martin seem to be bros? I think it's weird.

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[Barron]

Seems like an odd couple situation.

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[Barron]

But they seem to be 100% total bros.

Comments

mi93

December 10th, 2018 at 1:53 PM ^

It's as if we're finally getting a fully weaponized team that can beat you on either end of the court, and sometimes both.  2013 was good, not great on D.  Last year's O broke down and couldn't be counted on.  This year is incredibly different.

Despite how good the 2013 team was, I haven't been this impressed since 1992-3.

M Ascending

December 11th, 2018 at 7:39 AM ^

Having listened to Martin's post-game press conference, my impression of him changed dramatically.  Watching him during the game, he seems like a typical rude, angry, loud mouth coach, always trying to intimidate the officials.  His interview, however, showed him to be extremely gracious in his praise of Michigan and coach B; willing to open up about specifics relating to his team's performance; and all in all a real gentleman.  It's amazing what the pressure of big-time coaching can do to someone -- turn them into a real Jekyll and Hyde.

ypsituckyboy

December 10th, 2018 at 1:58 PM ^

I bet Austin Davis is good dude. Unfortunately, he is not a good B1G basketball player. His tape was not good in high school (causing a commotion on these here internet pages when he was signed) and there has been no tape since to suggest that things will change.

John Beilein is a fantastic talent evaluator. He was wrong on this one, though, and I don't think time will change things. I don't see what anyone is waiting for unless Johns in loafing in practice.

Novak-blood

December 10th, 2018 at 2:27 PM ^

Meh, I think Beilein has always viewed Austin Davis as a project. And let's face it, "projects" don't pan out much more often than they do. TBQH, he's not nearly as significant of a JB recruiting miss as Mark Donnal or Kam Chatman. I have been cheering for Davis since he stepped on campus, as he's from an area of Michigan that a large portion of my dad's relatives are from. I love a good small town Michigan kid success story. I'm pretty sure JB will be using the next 3 games as one last coaching opportunity to help Davis gain some much-needed confidence. Otherwise, it's onto Brandon Johns.

ypsituckyboy

December 10th, 2018 at 2:35 PM ^

The things is, "projects" usually have an easily discernible upside. Kam Chatman? Good ball handling skills at 6'7" in h.s., so maybe could turn into a forward with guard skills. Mark Donnal? 6'9" with good feet and a pretty shot, so could turn into a nice pick and pop big. DJ Wilson? Fantastic hops with long frame.

Austin Davis had feet of cement in h.s. Big body, but very slow mover. I just don't see where the "project" was. Even if his feet got better, he's not mobile enough to pull other 5's away from the basket and he was never going to be even an average B1G athlete.

PurpleBeaverEater

December 10th, 2018 at 3:13 PM ^

I tend to agree with a lot of this post. Kam Chatman did end up being a solid player for Detroit Mercy, if memory serves. That, and we needed that 3 he hit. But I tend to agree with you. My hopes with Davis was that we would have enough of a squad around that JB would be able to slowly work on trying to develop a true BIG. Just a slow footed guy who could muscle rebounds, protect the paint, and pound his way inside. It used to be an issue for our program that when we went cold or had an off day shooting, we had no ability to get inside and score, stave the bleeding, or slow the opposition when they were on a run. I was viewing Teske and Davis as a transition into trying to develop 2 true bigs into something that Beilein can work into his scheme and find a way to weaponize. 

In the time since he got to campus, we have seen a stark difference between the two of them. Teske continues to make strides and get better. He worked hard on his shot in the off season, and despite being hesitant to pull the trigger and missing his last few, I feel very confident that Teske can hit 30% or better from 3. His shot looks very good, very Beilein refined. I think once he finds comfort in ripping the open shot, he will start to knockdown 1 or 2 a game on 3-5 attempts, depending on spacing. Austin Davis looks a lot like the type of kid who dominated in high school because he was head and shoulders above everyone else, and is now in college with limited skill and unable to just be taller than everyone. I would love it if things clicked for him in the next few weeks tho.

Novak-blood

December 10th, 2018 at 4:15 PM ^

I solely stated Davis as a "project" (being a 3-star and having the athletic limitations in high school that you mention). I didn't view Chatman, Donnal, or Wilson as projects. They were all 4-stars and generally touted recruits. I simply mentioned the former pair as more significant recruiting misses for Beilein than a 3-star project coming out of a small high school in rural Michigan. I love JB, but no one is perfect (except Nick Saban apparently).

Kevin14

December 12th, 2018 at 10:28 AM ^

Definitely agree.  The other three you listed were more touted recruits with upside everybody could see.  

Maybe Beilein saw something specific with Davis.  Imo, his upside is a Jordan Morgan-type player.  For a team near the top of the big ten, ideally that's a really good backup center to someone like Teske. 

mgeoffriau

December 10th, 2018 at 2:32 PM ^

I have to imagine that with a few exceptions, Michigan/Beilein has had to take some recruiting chances on lower-ranked big men, and hope that they develop well. Sometimes this works out (Jordan Morgan), sometimes it doesn't (Ricky Doyle). In terms of raw athletic talent, how much of a difference was there between Morgan and Doyle? But Morgan learned how to function efficiently as an offensive piece, and became a fantastic help defender, while Doyle's potential was scuttled because he couldn't seem to catch the ball. 

None of that changes the reality that point, however...Davis hasn't shown evidence of developing into a reliable big man, and there are other options on the bench.

ypsituckyboy

December 10th, 2018 at 4:13 PM ^

"Don't question the coach" comments (on blogs that exist to allow fans to discuss sports teams and their coaches) may be the dumbest type of comments on the internet.

"Should Beilein have played Burke more with 2 fouls in the 1st half against Louisville? Doesn't matter. We don't know more than coach."

"Should Don Brown have prepared better to cover the slant against OSU? Doesn't matter. We'll never know because we don't know more than coach."

OwenGoBlue

December 10th, 2018 at 4:28 PM ^

This ain't that. Beilein is saying explicitly that the job is open, they're working/simplifying to get Johns ready, and that Johns is not ready yet.

His opinion is based on seeing Johns play basketball every day. You're saying he's wrong based on fan fiction.

It's a long season and the team will be better when Johns gets there but he's not there yet. I'm sure when he does arrive you'll be saying you were right all along, so we have that to look forward to. 

ypsituckyboy

December 10th, 2018 at 5:09 PM ^

I never said Beilein was "wrong" for playing Davis over Johns. I said Beilein was wrong about his evaluation of Davis (which, given the way he's recruited, isn't a big deal right now).

As to whether Johns or Davis should play, that's also a judgment call, just like a scholarship offer. I think the answer is "as soon as possible". I don't see why you'd play a low ceiling guy who hasn't played well when you have a high ceiling guy who is unlikely to be worse than the low ceiling guy. But Beilein may want more of something from Johns (hustle? understanding of the O or D? both?), and that's fine. It's John Beilein's decision to make.

So he will decide, Brandon Johns will eventually play more, and then we'll discuss whether his move was right or not because that's what fans on sports blogs do.

blue90

December 10th, 2018 at 4:11 PM ^

I don't see how you can say this when he's played a total of 48 minutes. Yeah he does look kinda like a Doyle/Donnal type but, the jury is still out. People think he turns the ball over, 3 turnovers in 48 minutes is not bad. DJ looked like complete trash his first two years before blossoming in to a damn lottery pick (turns out he should have stayed another year but whatever lol). I'm not saying he will turn in to a lottery pick, probably far from it, but if there is anyone in the entire country who can develop a player, it's Johnny. He has taken far worse and made them functional, he will do the same with Davis as he always does.

TrueBlue2003

December 10th, 2018 at 4:48 PM ^

Beilein and everyone else aren't waiting for Davis to get better.  He probably is what he is at this point.  They're waiting for Johns to develop. He'd be playing if he was ready.  It's a lot to ask for a freshman big to be ready this early.  Wagner wasn't, Teske wasn't, McGary wasn't, Morgan wasn't. They rarely are.  And now that someone is actually paying attention to defense, it's even more difficult to get on the court as a young guy.

I'm still of the opinion Davis doesn't deserve so much criticism.  It's like there's so little to criticize with this team so far that he's bearing the brunt of an entire fanbases need to criticize something.

He is almost always in the right spots and he works hard. That's what you ask for from a veteran backup.  His physical limitations hold him back from being anything more, but as a coach you live with that until the young guys are ready.

I also disagree that the offense bogged down with him in there, at least in this game. I "UFR'd" his possessions:

First half came in with M up 14-13, left with M up 16-15:

Offensive possessions:

1) Z drives and kicks for a wide open three from Livers, he missed and Iggy gets the OREB in small part because Davis had a crafty little seal of Frink under the basket so he had no angle to grab the DREB. Iggy got fouled and made both FTs.

2) Pick and roll with Iggy that got Brooks a wide open corner three that didn't go down but which Davis got the mansome OREB against two SC players. Kick out to Iggy and then to Livers for another wide open in-rhythm three that just didn't go down.

Defensive possessions:

1) in the right spots and good box out on Frink that drew an over-the-back foul

2) this was bad.  this was the play on which he kind of bit on a Frink shot fake and then got beat on a dribble drive.  I'm not sure if Yaklich dug into Frink's HS shooting history but as a 265 lb freshman that came into the game 0-2 from three, you don't fall for that fake. That's a shot you're happy to give up. Mental mistake there.

3) Quick offensive foul (moving screen-ish) on SC. Turnover.

First half came in with M up 34-29, left with M up 36-29.

Offensive possessions:

1) Pick and roll with Poole in which he kind of backed up/pivoted into Gravett which got Poole an open three that he got fouled on (actually a bad call but another open three - this one directly created by Davis).

2) This was the fumbled pass which was mostly on Iggy.  Davis does well to get into a good spot when Iggy gets doubled, put his hands where he wanted the ball and Iggy rifled it a bit too hard high of his hands at his face.  Could he have made this play? Yes, but he's a big and you're 5 feet away.  It's like a QB throwing a laser to a FB from 5 yards away. Could he catch it?  Yes.  Is it the right pass? No. You gotta make a softer pass there.

Defensive possessions:

1) Tries to front Silva but loses a little bit of position, Silva gets the pass right where he needs it and Davis is forced to foul.  This isn't great but this is your backup C getting beat by a guy that was All-SEC last year. It'll happen. Smart to foul and Silva missed both FTs.

2) Iggy gets a block, Davis not really involved but did block out Kotsar per his job.

Second half, comes in with M up 65-52, leaves with M up 65-56.

Offensive possessions:

1) Choppy possession early but Matthews passed up a wide open corner three that Iggy set up with a drive and kick. Possession ended on a 50/50 charge/block call that went against Iggy (and otherwise would have been an and one).

2) Livers drives baseline, kicks to Matthews for a wide open three, misses it.  DREB by SC.

Defensive possessions: 

1) Short possession on which Poole's guy drives baseline, Poole tries to draw an offensive foul (a la Northwestern), doesn't get it (correct no call) and the guy hits a 12 foot jumper with Poole on the ground.  Davis not involved, wasn't even a bad shot to give up, guy hit it.

2) Frink misses a three, Davis blocks out Silva but Matthews badly whiffs on his block out attempt, his guy scoops it up, Davis comes over to help as is his job and gets his hands up, but the guy is able to score.  Bad play by Matthews.

TL;DR: So he was -2 on the day.  He did make one very bad defensive play, was otherwise good on that end, and was mostly just the victim of M going 0-4 on wide open threes (with another one on which Poole got fouled and another passed up by Matthews) while he was in the game. Survey says: offense didn't bog down.  The very awkward looking missed catch was only about 30% his fault.

He's not a plus player, and that's why he is just a limited minutes backup.  I maintain that he's fine for 5-10 min a game when the opponent is playing traditional bigs. And Beilein certainly wouldn't be playing him if there was a better option.

It would be great to get Johns up to speed but the situation isn't dire. And with Davis, this is only a small sample size to us but it's not to John Beilien.  He has data on 1000s of practice possessions and knows what Davis is and isn't capable of.   When Johns becomes the better option, he'll play more.

jgunnip

December 11th, 2018 at 10:14 AM ^

Logging in for the first time in a long while just to say this is a really great post thank you for sharing. 

Austin Davis is a runner-up Mr. Basketball, 3-time first team all-state, local talent from an hour down the road. He's in the gym every day pushing KFaTA Jon Teske in practice and earning every minute he gets. He doesn't deserve an ounce of criticism on here. Quiet down please or go jump in a lake and be grateful you exist to watch John Beilein build the best basketball program Ann Arbor has ever seen.

TrueBlue2003

December 11th, 2018 at 3:27 PM ^

Thanks, I can see criticizing a guy for lack of effort or things under his control, but Davis works his butt off (watch him sprint back on defense as hard as he can at at 11:03 mark in the second half after going into the bench to try to get a loose ball) and does a really good job with what he can control.  He's also not that bad.  This team will go on runs with him on the floor.  He's a good screener and good OREB guy. 

joedafan

December 10th, 2018 at 2:05 PM ^

I'm not surprised Beilein is bros with Frank. Is there anyone that Beilein has a feud with?

How can anybody not like him? He's a wonderful, wonderful boy. Everybody likes him. It's impossible to not like him.

bhinrichs

December 10th, 2018 at 4:41 PM ^

The TV broadcast had a blurb about how they had some common connections.  I couldn't remember the exact details but got them from this on-line article:

"The two head coaches first got to know each other when a former high school player of Martin’s ended up as an assistant on Beilein’s staff."

"Martin and Beilein were also assistants under Davidson’s Bob McKillop on the U.S. team that played in the 2013 World University Games in Kazan, Russia, where they spent 18 days rooming together in a dormitory in Russia."

Apparently they set up the home-and-home series during that 2013 dorm experience.

Or perhaps the surprise at them being "bros" is that they appear to have such different personalities/demeanors?   ^_^

 

skurnie

December 10th, 2018 at 2:49 PM ^

Anyone know if that was a Big Ten ref crew on Saturday? I was there so not sure if this was covered on the broadcast, but they were Big-Ten-Caliber-Awful. 

TrueBlue2003

December 10th, 2018 at 5:05 PM ^

Is this a real question?  Yes, you absolutely, 100% want to be first in 2pt defense.  It means you're blocking shots the rim and/or are forcing the opponent to take a lot of low percentage long twos.

The former indicates you're probably running guys off the three point line which is what M is doing.

Out of those three charted teams that had the #1 2pt defense (2015 Texas, 2015 UK, 2018 MSU), they all had top 14 overall defenses.

2015 UK was 2nd in 2pt% d and FIRST in three point % defense which of course made them the best defensive team that year.

2015 Texas was just about exactly average at 3 pt % defense (which has been shown to be defense independent), and gave up fewer than the average number of three pt attempts. They were the 14th defensive team in the country on the strength of that 2pt defense despite creating very few turnovers.

2018 MSU was #1 in 2pt% defense, #10 overall defense, was better than average at prevening threes and held opponents to slightly under the average 3pt %.

Causing 2 point misses is literally the best thing you can do as a defense.

OwenGoBlue

December 10th, 2018 at 6:05 PM ^

My thought is more in reference to the Gasaway chart and wondering what teams had to give up to be the #1 in 2pt % as well as where they finished as overall Ds. Appreciate the added info.

Michigan could be the #1 defense this year and if they are it seems unlikely they would be the #1 2pt% as the two of those teams were only above average at 3 point prevention and finished 10 and 14 overall. 

TrueBlue2003

December 10th, 2018 at 6:54 PM ^

Some teams might have to "give up" an increased foul rate.  To keep 2 pt % down, you have to contest and block a high percentage of 2 pt shots.  That can come with a higher foul rate tradeoff but not at necessary.  All three of those teams Gasaway listed had better than average foul rates despite having #1 and #2 block rates.

I'm not really sure what your logic is about M being unlikely to be the #1 defense if they are also (or because they are?) #1 2pt% defense in the country?

If you're the #1 defense in the country, you are the most likely team in the country to be the #1 2 point % defense in the country without looking at anything else because that's the highest impact defensive attribute.  But it's still you vs. the field so "most likely" means you have, for example, a 5% chance of being the #1 2pt defense in the country and everyone else is incrementally less likely.

In 2018 UVA was the #1 defense and had the #3 two pt % defense.

In 2017, Gonzaga was the #1 defense and the #2 two pt % defense.

In 2016, Wich State was the #1 defense and the #8 two pt defense.

In 2015, the #1 defense was the aforementioned UK team that had the #2 two pt defense.

In 2014, Arizona was the #1 defense and they had the #2 two pt defense.

VERY HIGH correlation between good 2 pt defense and good defense.  (10th and 14th out of 350+ is very good, btw).  There is no tradeoff to good 2 pt defense that would make you not want to have good 2 pt defense.

OwenGoBlue

December 11th, 2018 at 8:11 AM ^

I agree that very good 2pt% is an excellent thing and should continue forever!

Basically I'm wondering what Michigan's profile might look like to be #1 in total D as it seems unlikely to me they finish #1 in 2pt% given they rarely help and have good-not-great shot blocking. 

From your examples it seems to me the path to Michigan finishing as #1 D looks more like 2016 Wichita State (top 10 2pt% combined with minimizing 3PA) than 2015 Kentucky (nearly unmatched length and athleticism so they could be great at everything). 

 

matty blue

December 10th, 2018 at 3:57 PM ^

okay, i'll say it, re: austin davis...can we just tap the brakes a bit on the hate?

i get it - he's looked lost and lousy, and i'm certainly not saying "he'll be fine," but if we believe in beilein as an evaluator and developer of talent (which we do, right?), on some level we have to trust his eyes.  not suggesting he's infallible, obviously, but i'm willing to wait and see if he's just missing on this one, or (more likely) davis is just more ready right at this moment.

#inbeileinwetrust

maceo_blastin'

December 10th, 2018 at 6:08 PM ^

i feel as though davis might have been recruited solely to face the sparty bigs and similar teams that want to play bully ball. fleet footed he is not, but, we have seen previous michigan teams that have had no answer for physical teams, like state. 

sometimes you just need someone to come in and make physical fouls. if you can set picks, get offensive boards, you will be a valuable sub in certain games. 

M-Dog

December 10th, 2018 at 4:34 PM ^

it's really hard to get Michigan lower than a two-seed with any reasonable projection. 12-8 conference records still spit out Michigan as a two.

Damn, paving the way for a possible 2 seed in November.  That has to be the most un-Beilein thing ever.

 

outsidethebox

December 10th, 2018 at 7:28 PM ^

Fine. Critique away at Brazdeikis but the kid is the biggest difference-maker in expectation and reality of any player on the team. I'm guessing that Michigan would be a 3 loss team at this time without him. Beilein is coaching his tail off with Ignas and trying to keep him hungry and humble-whether he needs it or not. But behind closed doors Beilein is jumping up and down and screaming in jubilation that this kid is on his team. I would suggest that we all be thankful he is on our side. The kid is a player.

GarMoe

December 13th, 2018 at 4:25 AM ^

That 3rd to last photo above of #21's feeble block attempt on Iggy is reminiscent of the "I Believe I Can Fly" video of ND fame from years back.  Is that still on youtube?  Couldnt find it.