BTT Semifinal: Michigan - Ohio State Open Thread
Mike Smith going from the penthouse to the outhouse overnight was the story of the game. If he'd made just one more outside shot today, Michigan wins.
Instead of dribbling out the clock for one last shot, maybe Michigan could've tried the Harlem Globetrotters' play.
Smiths 15 assists are already forgotten. I told myself at the shot, "be glad we have a shot to win" I was hoping a player would get a shot off. It would have been preferable to go inside but Smith has been unselfish in his play. Again, I say it was his shot to take.
You liked a short point guard who was 1 for 11 on the day chucking up a fade away over working in the one of the best offensive big men in the country with a size advantage.
Ok...
Put away the booze and take a nap. The world will be here when you awake.
Right, because the sober take here is it was "Mike Smith's shot to take".
You're so above it all.
Your dishing on Smith. He has proven he is selfless. Go back and watch the replay of Hunter getting pushed out of the low post. By the time he rolls baseline there is no passing lane. Smith took what he had available. Nobody enjoys a loss.
Definitely not the play you want at the end of the game, but I also don't want to pile on Mike Smith either. I'll give him credit for wanting to take that last shot and I'm confident they'll use this as a good learning experience for the future.
Smith’s a great player but he’s 5’10 and was 1-10 for the game before that shot Hunter is 7’1 and 9-14 for the game he should at least touch the ball that’s an easy call sorry.
What must is be like to be a hapless opposition player against the Globe Trotters?
You have to lose of course, all those parents and kids did not pay and show up to see the Globe Trotters lose. But having seen a couple of Globe Trotters games, the players on the other team do have legit basketball skills . . . but they are not allowed to use them. You have to just stand there and look like a fool.
They should hire me. I can do that while still trying to win.
Absolutely a heart-breaking ending to an unbelievable comeback.
Woulda coulda shoulda has rarely felt so bad. ?
Maaannnn just like the MSU game they pulled me back in only to double disappoint me. Damn. Glad they didn't quit. They fight hard, there is at least something to be said about that. Obviously we don't expect livers next weekend, but I've still got hope; maybe if they get to the S16 he can strap them up.
Regardless, I feel pretty confident about next weekend because they still play good D! Yeah, they are going to have to figure out the offensive funk, but their D can win them a game or two. Today and the MSU game sucked, but the odds of teams shooting ridiculous percentages on bad shots is still lower than the alternative. Plus, the B1G is good! OSU shot lights out on a bunch of shit jacks (while M couldn't buy a bucket) and they still needed to get lucky to win. It happens.
Even without Livers, M is still a better team than those they are going to see in the first 3 tourney games, should they get that far. At the E8 who knows? Based on the shitty circumstances that seem to befall M all the time, just enjoy the ride if it gets to that point.
I feel the same, I'm very much ready to go to the tournament and stop having to see big ten teams for awhile
We're not going to see anybody the first weekend with as much talent as we see in a regular week in the big ten. We've had a good year, we've gotten beaten up injury wise, let's regroup and cement a great year in the tournament
I just came back from looking at out stats, we were 91.3% (21-23) from the FT line, but I immediately thought of that missed front end of a one-and-one midway thru the 2nd half, I think it was by Smith.
Ouch, it came back to haunt us.
That said, I'm still so glad we got him from Columbia. W/O Smith, no banner this season.
That stat really makes the decision to not drive to the basket really questionable. Down 1 and in the double-bonus, would have only needed 1 of 2 to go down.
not to mention we have the advantage when it comes to bigs.
Drive and dish, draw a foul, so many options.
I thought about that one too. The final shot is on Juwan - he's done a great job all season but we didn't have a play for the buzzer.
I mean you can find lost points everywhere. Uncalled hook and hold that was also an uncalled and1, OSU bullshit continuation on Franz 4th foul, not to mention we didn't have Livers. It sucks losing to OSU, but they're a legit top ten team who played two of their best offensive games against us and barely squeaked out one win
That one was HUGE. Not only did they call the foul on the floor (it wasn't and should've been an and-1 for HD), they didn't even review the obvious hook & hold.
LotofMilk, that was probably the worst example of a continuation call, that one was legit.
Yeah, and I recall being rather surprised by that miss because Smith is a very good FT shooter.
We got out-rebounded by 1. With our size advantage, we should have out-rebounded them by 5. Given a few more possessions, we win the game. I don’t think they played any harder than us, the ball just bounced their way more often than not. That shit happens. I’m incredibly proud of the team. They never gave up. The silver lining is we can take an extra day to rest up for the tournament and better integrate Johns into the starting lineup. I think we’ve still got to be favored to get to the sweet 16, and then anything can happen. My main fear is running into a team with big guards. Eli and Mike are great players, but bigger guards can shoot over them. But they are the toughest, grittiest pair of guards I can remember.
Eh, you get out rebounded if you shoot a lower percentage, typically.
on top of that early in the game OSU had some terrible misses where the ball bounced around and 3x in a row went to OSU. Rebounding wasn’t an issue
Our long range shots didn't fall today. Theirs did. It's hard to beat OSU when their shots fall. It was an exciting game - we are just on the wrong end of it.
Great season won the Big Ten regular season title quite an accomplished considering there’s 14 teams, especially when you think about a team that plays in Ford Field can’t win a division title with 4 teams! But anyway I’m going into the big tournament with low expectations but hoping for the best.
Good comeback and there's a lot of film for the team to look at and prepare for the tourney. As bad as we played we still had a chance to win this against a very good OSU team
I was encouraged with Johns play today and hoping we can make a run if Livers returns in a couple weeks. Let the guys rest up and get some good practices in. Would like to see Eli shoot more early and often though, I think he's too talented to not be more aggressive.
Good fight
A lot to learn from this one. Get some rest, regroup and make a tourney run
It's OK. We got our B1G banner. Now we need an NCAA banner for this team.
Yeah, let Juwan settle the put-the-banners-back-up issue by putting up one of his own.
I just re-watched the final seconds and I think that’s a pretty good shot if down two or three. He got a good look, but a step back three isn’t exactly a high percentage shot. Down one, go inside and even if you miss you have a decent shot at a foul call or put back. - Also, good effort to make it look like osu fouled the shooter, but I didn’t see any contact on his final shot.
This is absolutely the answer. All of that time and that’s the shot? Get the ball inside, take a high % shot.
Now, does Michigan root for 11-5 Iona, the 9th seed in the MAAC Tournament, to beat 5th seeded Fairfield to get the automatic bid for the NCAA Tournament as a 16 seed with the possibility of a Michigan vs, Rick Pitino sub-plot?
No, I never want Rick Pitino on my TV again. He's disgusting just to look at. Like some coaching version of Dorian Gray
Shades of 2017 vs. Oregon. Walton missing step back 3 at buzzer. We lose 69-68. Hate those one point losses.
I thought of that shot as well, although I believe it was a 2 and a better shot. Walton was on fire that postseason!
Just checked on you tube. His foot may have been on the line. Couldn’t tell even after watching a few times. Doesn’t matter. Walton missed. Smith missed. Too bad , would have been a classic comeback and big time choke job for Ohio. Was a big time choke job. But they survived. Illinois by double digits tomorrow.
Yes, it was a 2 today as well. Both refs got that right.
I wish He had not tried to sell the foul, it would have been more clear. Liddell was all over Smith’s landing zone. In a neutral situation it would have been called. End of game? It could have been
A bit of perspective - OSU completely collapsed, making 3 absolutely bone-headed miscues including stepping out of bounds on their last possession.
If Smith hits the shot, it's possibly the most improbable comeback in Michigan basketball history - and the most ignominious defeat in OSU's.
OTOH, Michigan clawed back and got a relatively clean look at the end. Was it a perfect shot? No. Did it have a chance? Absolutely.
If the tables were turned, most of us would be shell-shocked by an utter failure to close out what should have been an easy win.
Absolutely could have had a better last play - but could have been much worse, too.
M had a great regular season, and I'll always love this team.
But if they play like this again they're not making the sweet 16.
Good game, Michigan.