Perspective After Tonight’s BB Loss
Well that sucked. In regards to this game, this showed the true bugaboo of UM’s team. Same thing happened at Wisconsin, foul trouble and can’t shoot. Officials killed us this game. Especially early, taking us out of it. Our fault for not being deep, but they controlled this game making Brooks, Davis, Johns, DeJulius, Castleton Play, some key minutes. Shooting woes weren’t good, but 2nd half was 2 point game when our top players get to play. Oh, don’t want to hear about the auto bench. JB knows you only get 5. His approach is have all hands on deck 2nd half. Both sides have pros and cons. Reality is a thin team can’t get screwed on crap calls.
The funny thing and my main point of this message was the perception of this fan base. Many say, this team blows. Others say, relax this team is 20-2. Reality is and most gotta see it, something in between. We can’t control officials, so only having 6 Maybe 7 at times a huge problem with this squad. Second, this team can’t shoot. Even see our bad shooting on several games we win. This team doesn’t have any pure shooters. Few in our rotation are just bad. Both Iowa and Wisconsin loss were similar and how we lose. Foul trouble, especially early and lots of missed shots. Many times the misses come from multiple people on floor who suck at shooting, and Poole/Iggy try to do too much. You see Iggy/Poole force a lot when our 6 main play? Maybe a few, but majority are when Teske and Livers are sitting. The receipe for success hinges on lots of luck. Refs and health going our way.
No, sky is not falling. We have 2 losses, at Iowa and at Wisconsin. Most years I chalk both up as losses. Over years, haven’t played well at their house and we always get screwed by BS calls. Both games didn’t let me down this year. Frustrating when you know this going in, probably some truth to it? Also, at Wisconsin with all the junk on the road (foul trouble/bad shooting), we within 3 with a minute left. Tonight, we were basically even in 2nd half when our top 6 could actually play. Not bad when you stack up the consistently bad calls and awful shooting.
Lets hang in there and realize that both sides have lots of solid arguments, but both off, and just enjoy the ride. Hopefully this team can get some guys hot . But we know we only got 6 guys (crazy how much better Teske is on D vs. Livers/Johns when watching those 2 halves). So pray officials are kind and the injury bug escapes us come March. I like our chances when our 6/7 can play all the minutes.
February 1st, 2019 at 9:47 PM ^
The reason we lost is because some asswipe started a posbang thread before the goddamn game had tipped off.
It was the equivalent of talking about a no-hitter in the sixth inning or a shutout two minutes into the third period.
February 1st, 2019 at 11:01 PM ^
And the refs and poor shooting, but mostly poor shooting.
February 1st, 2019 at 9:48 PM ^
Ahh, the usual "I have it all figured out" PERSPECTIVE post, with the usual The Sky Isn't Falling even though no one thinks it is.
When it comes to basketball, it's a marathon and I think WE ALL KNOW IT, MOM.
February 1st, 2019 at 9:50 PM ^
Read some of the comments on this very post. There are definitely some people in need of perspective.
February 1st, 2019 at 10:05 PM ^
Meh. So what?
You don't need to "fix" everybody on the internet.
They can figure it out themselves.
February 1st, 2019 at 9:54 PM ^
Tough guy. Part of it was we aren’t as up as some think or down as others. Mentioned our lack of depth and crappy shooting as bugaboos, in which depth many times out of your control to regulate due to how officials call the game. Never said I had all the answers.
FYI, you said sky isn’t falling and no one thinks it is. The post before you said we will finish 4th in Big 10 and out early in both BTT and March Madness. Lol, nobody huh? Sounds like you got all the answers on this fan base.
February 2nd, 2019 at 5:34 AM ^
Yea, idk why people assume we think the sky is falling. We know this isn't the apex of this team's potential and they are 20-2. When Ellerbe and Amaker were roaming the sidelines, 20 wins was a good SEASON for Mich. Now we expect sweet 16s and beyond. So the only concern to me is that it's hard to see the Dukies losing this game even if Zion is limited by fouls because there's 2 other first rounders on the team. We have to play near perfect to take the next step from last year. Hard to imagine that given how we ran out of gas last year, and BPONE. I like where we sit though. Coach B lives for February and March.
February 1st, 2019 at 9:48 PM ^
It feels good to blame the refs, but at the end of the day you can't beat an offensive team like Iowa while you shoot 32%. Bottom line.
That said, I would have laughed if someone told me this team would only have 2 losses at this point in the season, so it ain't all bad.
February 1st, 2019 at 9:57 PM ^
You also cant expect the team to shoot well when the officials put Teske and Livers in foul trouble right away. Those are 2 of our highest % shooters and the officials did not allow them to get in any sort of a rhythm
Teske and Livers had a combined 0 shot attempts in the 1st half due to foul trouble
No doubt we need to start making our open looks from 3 AND LAYUPS
February 1st, 2019 at 9:50 PM ^
Zavier has one good shooting game for every seven games he goes 0-5 from three. That's not ideal
February 1st, 2019 at 10:12 PM ^
Yeah I really wish he would realize he isn't feeling it earlier in the game before he goes 0-fer. Simpson is shooting 28% from 3. Remove that 5-10 and 4-7 games he went off in and that % plummets hard.
Simpson 3 point attempts feel like the biggest waste of an offensive possession this team can have. Its like a "Fuck it" shot.
February 1st, 2019 at 10:17 PM ^
Agree. Thus, we live with Poole and his quick trigger at times.
February 1st, 2019 at 10:56 PM ^
Love Z but Beilein should never recruit a non shooting PG again. It’s absolutely soul crushing in crunch time when we don’t have a Walton or Burke
February 1st, 2019 at 11:00 PM ^
Sure, you got a triple-double over Ohio State Tuesday, but what have you done for me lately?
BTW: this board spent a couple of years convinced Walton couldn't shoot...
February 2nd, 2019 at 12:21 AM ^
Simpson was playing like a man possessed in the second half; he's the undisputed leader of this team and an incredibly valuable player.
On top of that, he was Mr. Basketball in Ohio, averaged 27 points a game his senior year in HS. Pretty sure he wasn't considered a "non shooting PG".
February 2nd, 2019 at 9:17 AM ^
He scored 65 in a game once. All without shooting, amazing.
February 1st, 2019 at 9:52 PM ^
Fire Beilein.
February 1st, 2019 at 10:07 PM ^
It's really all Lloyd Carr's fault yet. Re-hire him and then fire him.
February 1st, 2019 at 10:10 PM ^
1 year and 360 days ago . . .
February 2nd, 2019 at 12:53 AM ^
For the record, I still love this team and think we’re going to the Final Four. In fact, I’m counting on it, as I plan to be there.
February 1st, 2019 at 9:53 PM ^
Eh, from what I saw, it was just Iowa's night. Everything was falling, they were banking in 3-pointers, and their and-ones were dropping. They could have beaten Tennessee, Gonzaga or Virginia tonight. On the road, especially Wisconsin and Iowa, it happens. It happened.
February 1st, 2019 at 10:01 PM ^
You know, while there's something to that -- I was really impressed with Michigan's defense in this game, especially when the top six/seven guys could play. Iowa has one of the best offenses in the country, and Michigan held them to 1.01 ppp. Not up to Michigan's standards, admittedly, but not bad -- especially when you consider how many of those points came against Johns, Davis, or Castleton. Nothing against any of those guys, but they're just not defensive stoppers the way the starters are.
If Tennessee, Gonzaga, or Virginia had missed as many open 3s and layups as Michigan did -- yes, Iowa would have won. :)
February 1st, 2019 at 9:53 PM ^
Biggest problem in this game is that Iowa recognized the refs were calling a lot of fouls on defenders in the first half, so they took advantage by attacking the paint and getting calls. We settled for outside shots instead. Made adjustments at the half to attack the rim early, only in the second half the refs mostly swallowed their whistles and let them play. Then they again were calling BS late. I hate when refs aren’t consistent on their calls the whole game.
February 1st, 2019 at 11:55 PM ^
This is what I saw as well. Hard to defend when the offensive player is allowed to pound the defenders body and still get the call. Would’ve liked to have seen UM use the same strategy, but instead stuck with perimeter play with an occasional attempt at slashing to the basket.
February 2nd, 2019 at 3:21 AM ^
Iowa ran a 2-3 zone for most of their first-half half-court sets. That zone is specifically designed to deny drives to the basket -- from pretty much any attack angle, you're dribbling into a double-team. You can't count on bail-out foul calls in a position where the defense has the advantage -- you're more likely to give up a charge or, at best, a no call that leads to a contested shot over two players.
You attack the 2-3 zone by making perimeter jumpers -- Michigan tried and mostly failed -- or by distributing from the free throw line the way that McGary did against Syracuse: you can sometimes get a drive to the basket when the zone defender closes down to contest the free throw line jumper.
Iowa also did a great job in the first half with a press -- looked like a 2-1-2. Michigan clearly hadn't prepared for that and it really disrupted the offense. I expect Beilein to have prepared for it if they face Iowa in the BTT.
February 2nd, 2019 at 9:22 AM ^
This^^^. Refs are allowing players to lower their shoulder and plow into defenders and then they call a foul on the defense. BS, that is a charge in every league but this one.
February 1st, 2019 at 9:54 PM ^
We need Matthews to score in the 12-18 ppg consistently. If he can’t make open shots, teams can follow Iowa’s cue and zone the hell out of us and allow Matthews and Simpson to try to beat them from the perimeter. We also need Livers, Johns, and Brooks to provide some consistent production. Our bench got us 3 points tonight. Sometimes, they need to pick up the starters when they aren’t shooting well or are picking up early fouls. Lots to improve on. Glad we have a great coach and another 3 weeks before playing Sparty.
February 1st, 2019 at 9:55 PM ^
Couldn't help but think of the 20 point loss at Nebraska last year after beating State in EL two games beforehand. Tonight's game was brutal to take in, but on to the next one.
February 1st, 2019 at 9:56 PM ^
So a bad loss to Iowa, the tournaments out of reach. That’s how this works, right?
February 1st, 2019 at 10:14 PM ^
Sorry, wrong sport.
February 1st, 2019 at 9:59 PM ^
Very mixed messages. Sky's not falling. We needs lots of luck. We can't shoot. I like our chances.
Stop drinking!
February 1st, 2019 at 10:14 PM ^
Basically saying, this team has flaws and more than most, things can be out of their control for outcomes/uncertain from game to game. When our 6 play, while they have flaws I like our chances. Unfortunately, they are hard to watch sometimes and with a few bad breaks (injury or fouls) it can go down quickly.
Gonna guess, more this year than most this board will complain about officials? I say yes, because we realize the value of having our 6 guys on the floor. Less depth, and the difference between those 6 and next group seems very large.
When most think we suck or won’t do anything in BTT/March, it’s because we don’t trust the system of going 4 in BTT or 6 in March without an injury or foul bug hitting us. Heck, even some is dumb fouls. Some is bad officiating some is just bad fouls by our core 6 players. Not putting 100% on bad calls. No room for error, I’ll leave it at that lol.
February 1st, 2019 at 10:18 PM ^
Just messin. I kept saying we aren't as good as our ranking when we got up to #2. Top 10 team is accurate. We definitely aren't as bad as tonight. We've been incredibly impressive and unimpressive this year. If we get the right team at the right time, March could be fun again. Should be interesting.
GO BLUE!!
February 1st, 2019 at 10:01 PM ^
at this point we will be lucky to get an NIT bid
February 1st, 2019 at 10:01 PM ^
Thank goodness we are a football school!
February 1st, 2019 at 10:02 PM ^
No one should leave early, if anybody leaves it should be Iggy. Matthews disappears too much for me.
February 1st, 2019 at 10:09 PM ^
There may not be much that Matthews could do in his fifth year to improve his game. It may be a situation where has to choose between playing for free -- and taking a year of graduate classes -- and playing for a paycheck. (I'm assuming that enough of his Kentucky credits transferred that he's eligible to graduate).
February 1st, 2019 at 10:29 PM ^
It would be a crime against humanity if any Kentucky one-and-done "credits" transferred anywhere.
February 1st, 2019 at 11:05 PM ^
I'm usually one of those guys who advocates for guys sticking around to learn more from Coach B, but I have to agree with Matthews - he's played a lot of college basketball, and seems to have plateaued at Michigan.
Some guys reach new heights in the pros; maybe he can put it all together at the next level. At Michigan, he's a very good but inconsistent player.
He could still rise up come tournament time; he seems to thrive against top-tier competition.
February 1st, 2019 at 11:43 PM ^
he will leave and make decent $ in europe.
February 2nd, 2019 at 12:58 AM ^
They don’t play defense in the NBA, so he’s a net gain in that regard. He’s also a pretty damn good shooter when he’s wide open. I would also expect him to play above the rim in transition. Could totally see a THJ like career for him.
February 1st, 2019 at 10:04 PM ^
Matthews is regressing fast ! Zero confidence
February 1st, 2019 at 10:11 PM ^
That or his killer instinct is hiding in the shadows and he is going to unleash it come tourney time. He's in a sense letting his teammates get better? That's my hope.
February 1st, 2019 at 10:04 PM ^
Gargabe refs ... called shit contact fouls all game against UM and nothing on Iowa ... and that was it. Away games suck. Onward.
February 1st, 2019 at 10:05 PM ^
We can’t score against a zone .
February 1st, 2019 at 10:19 PM ^
You gotta be able to shoot the ball . . .
We had a ton of open looks that bricked out.
February 1st, 2019 at 10:06 PM ^
Perspective: play like crap, get ass kicked.
February 1st, 2019 at 10:06 PM ^
I think Iowa will be a tough out in the B1G and NCAA tournament.
Oh, well ... teams that beat us rush the court now. We've arrived.
February 1st, 2019 at 10:14 PM ^
Iowa has a good offense. They give up a lot of points, but if you are not taking advantage of that they will beat you.
They gave us a lot of opportunities to get back in it. But we did not take advantage of them and we got beat.
February 1st, 2019 at 10:16 PM ^
I think we saw Iowa's best game tonight; they're good, but not that good.
You're right though, it's nice to be so good/feared/respected/hated that beating us is a huge deal.