UM Bball wins game 3 - 116-52
Has anyone seen the Washington Generals ? First half ended 63-36.
Have to say I am disappointed in the level of opponent on this trip. I believe we got crushed a time or two when we last went to Europe. I would not mind a game say within 10 pts or heck us losing by 10. Not sure you gain much from crushing teams (or being crushed) - always at the youth level liked to play teams about 1 notch higher than you especially early in the season. I mean team bonding and all but this is a bit ridiculous.
August 20th, 2014 at 4:35 PM ^
Well it was a close one, but I'm glad we managed to sweat it out
August 20th, 2014 at 4:38 PM ^
August 20th, 2014 at 4:49 PM ^
It was close for the first couple possessions. The start of this game was the first time the team has trailed during their Italy trip.
August 20th, 2014 at 5:17 PM ^
We were only up 30-21 at the end of the first quarter.
August 20th, 2014 at 4:36 PM ^
of Italy?
August 20th, 2014 at 4:39 PM ^
Does Derick Nix play in Italy? If so they must think he is Shaq.
Not sure how many divisions of Italian basketball there are but this cannot be 1st level.
August 20th, 2014 at 10:40 PM ^
Seeing these scores I have to wonder if our scout team plays better.
August 20th, 2014 at 8:28 PM ^
INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONS.
August 20th, 2014 at 4:40 PM ^
Spaniard! Spaniard! Spaniard!
One of my all time fav movies.
August 20th, 2014 at 9:03 PM ^
it always makes me think of the Black album
August 20th, 2014 at 4:42 PM ^
I can imagine Bacari Alexander screaming and tweeting that to an arena full of bemused Italians
August 20th, 2014 at 5:05 PM ^
The biggest question for me is how much empty luggage did Bacari bring to carry back some fly Italian suits?
August 20th, 2014 at 4:41 PM ^
toughen up in the second half but the offense has to pick up the pace.
August 20th, 2014 at 4:42 PM ^
August 20th, 2014 at 10:22 PM ^
Wouldn't they be practicing if they were back here? Are they really getting extra practice there? I suppose real games even against weak competition mixed in with the practices is a benefit though.
August 20th, 2014 at 10:33 PM ^
No - they wouldn't be allowed to practice right now if they were back in America. That's what makes these trips so valuable.
August 20th, 2014 at 10:36 PM ^
No, they were able to hold ten extra practices prior to the trip that wouldn't otherwise have been allowed, plus the work they're putting in on the trip itself.
August 20th, 2014 at 4:42 PM ^
to be challenged by the competition. In fact, the suggestion was this team would likely get its head handed to it on this trip. Instead, we are seeing the opposite. Now, this would be fine if we understood what the competition is, which we don't. So, yeah, apart from them coming together as a team and learning how to play with each other, and figuring out what needs work and all that, this seems like a junket at best.
This is all good from the standpoint of extra practice and work and chemistry. But we've been oversold on the competition, unless these guys are off the chart good, which, I am guessing, they really aren't. Actually looking at the officials for a couple of the games led me to think this was a maybe one step removed from an AAU tournament.
August 20th, 2014 at 4:48 PM ^
Curious about your last statement - are the officials overweight or old or what did you mean?
I do think we went over there for competition. You don't learn much of anything about yourself destroying other teams or being destroyed. I coached travel soccer a long time and games we were up 4-0 in the first 6-7 minutes you could either go on to win 20-0 or spend all game playing keep away ...and learning nearly zilch either way. Been on the other end of those beatings as well - doesn't help anyone. It is kind of a wasted trip IMO. If you don't play in game like conditions you don't really learn - these are not game like conditions other than there is an opponent and refs on the court. Zero pressure on anyone. We could have scheduled 4 closed door games with Eastern Michigan and gotten better competition.
August 20th, 2014 at 4:53 PM ^
Who led you to believe the competition would be greater than this? The sorts of scores in the games are right in line with what I was expecting.
August 20th, 2014 at 5:01 PM ^
Because if I remember correctly we lost some games by significant margins in 2011.
August 20th, 2014 at 5:23 PM ^
They're playing lower level Italian teams. The last team they play is in the 3rd division or something like that. If they play the top level Italians team they would probably lose or get blown out most games. I think the last time they went to Europe they played higher level teams.
August 20th, 2014 at 5:27 PM ^
Either Michigan is a lot better than 2011, or the Italian teams are a lot worse, but the previews I read predicted these types of scores. UMHoops specifically mentioned that Notre Dame was beating the same teams by similar scores a week earlier. The next game is the only one that was expected to be a challenge.
August 20th, 2014 at 4:43 PM ^
Maybe we are just awesome this year.
August 20th, 2014 at 5:41 PM ^
August 20th, 2014 at 4:44 PM ^
These sorts of scores are not at all unusual on these foreign trips. I think the choices of possible opponents are a lot more limited than might be supposed.
Besides, I wouldn't knock the team bonding aspect of these trips—plus the extra practices plus the game experience (regardless of the level of the opponent) plus the once-in-a-lifetime experiences such as this one:
All we have to say is best lunch ever! pic.twitter.com/Kpxn8baA4P
— Michigan Basketball (@umichbball) August 20, 2014
August 20th, 2014 at 4:47 PM ^
Was that their opponent? That would explain the score...
August 20th, 2014 at 4:54 PM ^
is top notch.
August 20th, 2014 at 5:02 PM ^
For those who don't know, the team visited the local U.S. military base, served lunch to the troops, and later held a workout there. Here's Spike on the lunch line:
It's a special day to be a Wolverine. Go Blue to the 173rd. @SpikeAlbrecht is great on the line #ForzaBlu pic.twitter.com/TtfiqILgR2
— Michigan Basketball (@umichbball) August 20, 2014
August 20th, 2014 at 5:02 PM ^
hahah just noticed. Would have loved to see that hat on top of DJ Wilson's mop.
August 20th, 2014 at 4:45 PM ^
According to Dylan over at umhoops, our fourth and final game should be by far the most difficult of the trip
http://www.umhoops.com/2014/08/16/closer-look-michigan-will-play-italy/
August 20th, 2014 at 4:52 PM ^
Thanks. Sounds like they are 3rd division moving up to 2nd. Everyone else on this trip appears to just be a temporary collection of talent - I use that word loosely.
Michigan’s final game overseas will be against its toughest opponent. The Mantova Stings are the only team the Wolverines will face that isn’t an All-Star or exhibition team made up of an collection of players, but an actual professional team. Mantova went 18-10 in the third division (A2 Silver) of Italian basketball last season and earned promotion to A2 Gold, the second division, this year.
August 20th, 2014 at 6:04 PM ^
The third game got switched and was against an actual team in Italy's Serie C (which is basically their fifth level league: A, A2 Gold, A2Silver, B, C). So the team we're playing next is two-three levels higher than this team, should be pretty good.
August 20th, 2014 at 4:50 PM ^
It's not that these teams are that bad, it is just that we are THAT GOOD.
Please I hope this is true.
August 20th, 2014 at 4:52 PM ^
Could be totally wrong but didn't Notre Dame do this same trip and go 4-0? I thought I saw somewhere where they went 4-0 and played Vicenza as well - which leads me to believe they made the same trip and crushed the same opponents also.
August 20th, 2014 at 4:54 PM ^
we don't need to playing maccabi tel aviv or anything, but we couldn't find some legit 2nd division teams to play?
August 20th, 2014 at 4:56 PM ^
Dylan Burkhart will hopefully have the box score up soon - we went 38-67 from the field in the second game, so I am sort of interested in the stats for this game in particular. Granted, it is an exhibition and it doesn't mean anything statistically towards the season, but the novelty of the games is there for me all the same. Maybe there is a diary in it, albeit one which in no way speaks to season implications, but a fun one.
Friday, it is the Mantova Stings, which I think is the only professional team that the Wolverines will see on this trip.
August 20th, 2014 at 4:59 PM ^
For anyone curious, I was not aware of it but on UMHoops it says Notre Dame played a lot of these same teams. They beat Vicenza All Stars 95-57, and Perugia Select 102-48. But it sounds like those rosters are not even static - some dudes are on vacation (Europeans basically take August off for vaca) and some of those "All Star" teams the organizers tried to bring new players in to improve the squad etc. Most of the players are from the 4th and 5th divisions of Italian baskertball - the "Sting" was in the 3rd and advanced to the 2nd. So it appears only this last team is really even a team - the rest of the "teams" are cobbled together collections of players. Could be a dogfight! i.e. stays within 25.
August 20th, 2014 at 5:01 PM ^
...don't you think?
August 20th, 2014 at 5:02 PM ^
Is there anyway Michigan could realign itself to a conference in Italy? Soccer might take a hit, but I feel like we'd dominate football and basketball.
August 20th, 2014 at 5:05 PM ^
David Brandon + International expansion = under consideration.
August 20th, 2014 at 5:12 PM ^
August 21st, 2014 at 12:30 PM ^
Given that we just won the B1G outright, I think we're OK in it.
August 20th, 2014 at 5:15 PM ^
There goes my away game budget.
August 20th, 2014 at 5:56 PM ^
August 20th, 2014 at 6:03 PM ^
I think I have a superfan.
August 20th, 2014 at 6:18 PM ^
Michigan can take it's team to Europe. How many of these kids have been to Rome before? They'll get some practice, see the sights, and finish up with one competitive game(in which I am hoping our post players dont get utterly destroyed). You'd think it would be a pretty great opportunity to point out to a kid on a recruiting trip. And a lot better than NOT practicing at home(the other option).