It will be very interesting to see how the basketball team comes out the gate tomorrow

Submitted by oHOWiHATEohioSTATE on
They could come out hung over from the Wisconsin game, or they could come out with an "Us against the world" attitude. My question is if your JB how do you approach the team? Do you sell them on they need to win the last 2 if they want a shot at the tourny and use it as a turning point? Or do you tell them to forget about Wisconsin and go on with the normal routine? Does the youth of our team help or hurt team moral in a situation like this?

brewandbluesaturdays

February 25th, 2011 at 3:15 PM ^

My hope is that it'll be just like the tourney year, when we needed a big win at Minnesota to have any chance whatsoever. We came out swining faught until the end and pulled out the W. I think this team is dangerous heading into the Big Ten tourney especially, with their potential from behind the arc. If we can roll off a couple of wins here at the end with a decent tourney run, I believe there is still hope for us.

Ziff72

February 25th, 2011 at 3:50 PM ^

I have a source close to the team that gets access inside the locker room.   He said that Beilein was devastated by the loss as were the kids.   They really thought this was their NCAA ticket.   Subsequently when they showed up for practice Beilein met them at the door and told them he went onto ESPN and when he looked at Braketology they were not listed so  the season was over.  He told them they could go party for a few days and they wouldn't have to practice.  They could do whatever they wanted for the Minn and MSU games and then they'd get back to practice for the BT Tournament where they expect to make a run.  He told them were going to win the BT Tournament.  He said it again.  We're winning it you just need to believe, I'll even RABACK it!!!!

On a serious note...solve this riddle.   If you want to believe these kids care as much as you want to believe they do they have to be crushed and it should effect them.  On the other hand if they don't really give a dam then it shouldn't effect them that much.    Yet people will criticize if they look like they are effected.  Thoughts?

jamiemac

February 25th, 2011 at 4:02 PM ^

My thoughts are the same as they were over two months ago in that Good Time Roll thread

This is JB's best team at Michigan. They're just too young sometimes to get it done against all these crazy experienced teams on their slate. But, they're still in contention and they're going to play balls out tomorrow and be in position to win again.

Here's hoping they have better Karma tomorrow. I expect a great effort.

BlueDragon

February 26th, 2011 at 2:25 AM ^

Assuming what you said is 100% accurate, what Coach B did sounds like a reasonable way to handle the situation.  I don't know what I would have done, but I'm not an athletics coach so it's easy for me to say that.  Hopefully some independent free-form experimentation can yield some results next time on the court.

Incidentally, it sounds like he's gearing up for the regular season finale vs. MSC.  Give the kids a break for Minny, and go at it hammer and tongs again for the Spartans.  The tourney is elimination so motivation shouldn't be a problem at that point.

jamiemac

February 25th, 2011 at 3:53 PM ^

I think JB wont be talking about winning out, or making the tourney.

His team is young, he's going to simplfy things for them and have them focused on the 40 minutes of play tomorrow. And, that's it.

MIchigan is playing a lot better now than they were 4 weeks ago when the Gophers were in Crisler. Minnesota is playing a lot worse. The team leaders have never lost at The Barn.

Michigan wins. Book It. Now.......but take the points, just to be safe.....they are 16-8 against the spread. Beilein, always a money maker wherever he coaches, yo!!!

ijohnb

February 25th, 2011 at 5:17 PM ^

If I am JB, I understand that Tim Hardaway Jr. is the real deal, and you put the ball in this guys hands on the wing early and often.  This is a different M team than Minny played earlier in the year, M should flat out play its hand early, in a "this is our game" type of fashion.  I don't take this team as one that will let Wisky beat them twice.  I think you will see an angry Michigan basketball team on Saturday, a team that says "we are a tourney team," not one that is willing to settle for an almost.  The deciding factor will still be intangibles, and also tangibles like free throw shooting.  For the record, I think this game will again come down to free throw shooting with M trying to protect an impressive but precarious lead.

Go Blue Hoops. 

SysMark

February 25th, 2011 at 5:36 PM ^

Here's the message.  Wisconsin came in here and, with a freak shot,  took something from us we had earned.  Now we're going to Minn and MSU to get it back.  Nothing timid or uncertain, all aggressive, smart play.

Desmonlon Edwoodson

February 25th, 2011 at 6:31 PM ^

At the beginning of the year, this was a team that probably wasn't going to make the NIT.  Then Darius happened.  Then Morgan happened.  Then Hardaway happened.  During that Wisconsin game, Michigan didn't look like a team that was variancing their way to an upset.  Michigan looked like a team that expected to win.  Now a funny consternation of events has happened, and again Michigan is playing like a team that has no business being in the NIT.  These last two teams on the schedule, now those are NIT teams, I dont care what their RPI's say.  I dont expect Michigan to lose again in the regular season.     

The Man Down T…

February 26th, 2011 at 12:41 PM ^

I think we really have to get to the B10 championship after winning our last two regular season games to get a bid.  That's 5 wins without a loss.  That being said, this team can do that.  It's not out of their ability at all.  As they have shown over and over, they can play with the big dogs.

Looking at the remaining schedules of MSU, Ill, PSU and UM there is a great chance all 4 wind up at 9-9 in conference, tied for 4th place.  If that happened we'd be second in that pile due to head to head matchups as we would have swept MSU and PSU and lost to Ill.  I'll take that with a team that has NO seniors on it and only 2 juniors that get playing time.

But even if we don't get to the NCAA tourney, this season has been a blast to watch.  These kids never quit.  They go all out every minute.  Even their losses were fun to watch until the last few minutes.  If you compare this to what they were predicted to do this team has blown away all expectations.

And the best thought of all, wouldn't it be GREAT to hand little brother their ticket to the NIT next week while we play for our NCAA ticket? If we sweep MSU they're in big time bubble trouble regardless of Purdue tomorrow.