Illinois center: "M BB is a white collar team"

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

Ouch. 

These teams play again in 10 days at Crisler.

If this is not used and this team doesn't come out with some, oh I don't know, energy and anger?...............then the coaches aren't doing their jobs.

 

Maverick Morgan: They are traditionally a white collar team.

— Mark Snyder (@Mark__Snyder) January 12, 2017

Illinois forward Maverick Morgan (8-9 FGs, 16 pts) calls Michgian "traditionally a white collar team."

— Brendan F. Quinn (@BFQuinn) January 12, 2017

 

It's true of this current team.

Not traditionally. Michigan Basketball in the 60s with those great Cazzie Russell and Bill Buntin teams used to be known as Bloody Nose Lane. Because no one would go inside on that team. 

The way the University of Michigan team sees it, the meek will never inherit the game of basketball and anyone who thinks it is a noncontact sport has been reading too many rule books. The Wolverines lovingly refer to that area of the court from the key to the basket as Bloody Nose Lane. The designation was actually Coach Dave Strack's, but Strack is a bashful, unpresumptuous father of five and is reluctant to take full credit. In any case, when a fun-loving Wolverine drives down Bloody Nose Lane he calls it "going in to cut me some meat"—which means he's going for two points, or for a rebound, or for something more filling. Coach Strack calls that "clean, aggressive ruthlessness," and the Big Ten is reeling under the impact. 

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MichiganMan14

January 11th, 2017 at 11:37 PM ^

And this guy wasn't lying. We are White Collar. We don't grind and play with passion. It's all finesse and jacking threes. It's a failed system for 3 years running now.

Joined: 02/21/2012

MGoPoints: 19111

umumum

January 12th, 2017 at 1:14 PM ^

we've won with this system--Beilein's won often with this system.  It's just that we usually (and need) to surround our skilled players with a coupleof grit players--like Novak, like Morgan, like Mitch, and I'd also include Trey, Nik and even Manny because of their attitudes.  We don't have that now.  I thought Walton might become one, but he hasn't.  I'd argue that X is the only one that does--and he's TumTum with the plusses, but also with the minuses.

Joined: 01/06/2011

MGoPoints: 7876

TrueBlue2003

January 12th, 2017 at 1:56 AM ^

was 9-1 (!!!) in the previous five seasons against Illinios coming into this game.  In that time, we won two big ten titles and went to the final four.  Illinois did....not do those things.  They only made the NCAA tourney once in that span, and missed the postseason altogether.

If we are "traditionally" a white collar team, at least we're traditionally a team that has owned Illiinois recently.

Joined: 01/05/2010

MGoPoints: 38075

Evil Empire

January 12th, 2017 at 8:59 AM ^

A year ago, Mark Donnal scored 26 points and grabbed 9 rebounds against this team.  Mav "You're right, I am dangerous" Morgan had 6 and 0 in 12 minutes.

Of course, there have been few pleasant surprises out of our team since then, and plenty of rotten ones.

We host them in nine days.  I'd like to see us knock Morgan around a little bit and earn a big win.  But I don't expect it.

Joined: 07/29/2008

MGoPoints: 9077

alum96

January 11th, 2017 at 11:47 PM ^

So they say the same things we've said in the blog for 3 years.  Cool.

I said in another thread this team lacks Midwest sensibilities.  For us who grew up in Metro Detroit you had the Probert Kocur McCarthy Konstantinov Wings, the Bad boys, Back to Work Boys, the Lio... err nevermind them.  But we love our grinders and effort guys who didn't give a fuck - we loved Konstantinov ...he was more loved locally than perhaps the 2nd best defenseman of all time.  Yzerman over Federov - same reason. We loved Thomas for being an assassin who'd punch Karl Malone.  We loved Laimbeer Mahorn Big Ben. We loved our Zack Novak.  If you are going to be this type of program at least do it with these guys who leave their heart out on the floor.  No this bullshit finesse.  Get me some athletes - if they are not great bball players I'd rather still watfch a 48-44 game where no one wants to go in the lane vs us.  It's so boring to watch even when we win nowadays.

Obviously we should strive for more than being a grinder team, but *THIS* is the opposite of what we love here - it's a team that should be playing in Oregon.

Joined: 04/28/2012

MGoPoints: 82415

stephenrjking

January 12th, 2017 at 3:05 AM ^

I think the "feel" can be overrated, and we've seen some incredible success with this regime, but the best teams balanced their finesse with just enough grit to win. The FF run was keyed by McGary hoofing it everywhere and needed a critical JMo drawn charge to make the final. 

Now, our offense is good but doesn't have any killers, and our D is much worse. I don't get it, the early season returns looked good, and then, poof. 

I'm not on the Beilein haterwagon, but at this point this has to be a coaching thing. All these guys turn foul shy? 

Joined: 03/15/2012

MGoPoints: 20143524

Rasmus

January 12th, 2017 at 9:37 AM ^

I've got a new job and I haven't seen many games much this season. Is autobench still in effect?

For me, that was always something I didn't quite understand. How can young players learn how to avoid fouls (and be effective with fouls) if they are not in the game? I mean, I'd just let Wagner foul out until he learns not to foul and how to play with fouls.

If autobench is not in effect (due to Donlon and a change in approach), then maybe that's part of it -- most of this team doesn't know how to play with fouls? Might be a tougher mental transition than we can see.

Joined: 07/02/2009

MGoPoints: 2412

Hard-Baughlls

January 11th, 2017 at 11:52 PM ^

Our teams are soft.  We don't recruit inner city kids with an attitude.  This could theoretically work with an incredible talent edge or great shooting, but you still need at least 1 enforcer - see Jordan Morgan.

People think the Warriors are all run and gun and a soft team jacking up 3s, but they have had one of the top per possession defenses in the league for the past 4 years (Mark Jackson built their defense, then Steve Kerr came in and retooled the offense)

We don't grind and don't have the talent to simply outgun teams, and we know Belein won't cheat in recruiting.  It looks like we are really stuck in the mud here spinning our wheels.

Joined: 09/28/2016

MGoPoints: 6637