Maryland game Quick Hits
As the .01% that gets ESPN U, I was able to watch the full game in the comfort of my apartment. I couldn't help but be very encouraged, despite the loss, about the youth of this team and the future under Beilein.
positives
-Douglass and Novack seem confident on the floor w/ the ball in their hands.
-They will return pretty much their whole rotation except Merritt and Shepherd.
-Beilein seems to be getting the most out of role players (Lee, Merritt, etc.)
-Love to see Manny coming on much stronger than last year.
-Can't wait to see UM playing in big games at Ford Field.
negatives
-Can Gibson dunk? Should have dunked it when he got blocked.
-Michigan seems to leave their feet very quickly on defense to block shots. Is this part of their aggressive 1-3-1 that is the price of creating turnovers?
Solid game. I am looking forward to the future. Too bad they couldn't put it all together. Hang w/ Duke and perform as expected for the rest of the season and we will hopefully slip into the Big Dance. Go Blue!
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:20 PM ^
The first five minutes of the second half opened with a 16-3 Maryland run. That was the difference. Can't wait to get LLP in the lineup.
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:22 PM ^
I was hoping someone would post something like this. I had to "watch" via GameCast and needless to say, it was less than exciting. Since there is no views of the courts or tempo, I was wondering if you were noticing whether or not Maryland's defenders were leaving the three open and seeing whether or not Michigan could hit them. From the shot chart, it looked like Michigan was just launching three's, but I think (hope) they were open and nothing quick. As much as I'd like to see Michigan rain threes, I'd like to draw defenders to defend the three and get some in the paint shot or quick cuts, a la the UCLA game.
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:28 PM ^
Michigan took 2 to 3 ill-advised "launched" three's in my opinion. The 3 was falling about 50% in the first half. Michigan seemed to control the 1st half. Maryland's run to start the second half was a huge momentum shift. Michigan hung w/ them for a bit after that but a small Maryland run in the last 8 min. put the game just about out of reach w/ a min. or so left. Wright hit two prayer 3's to keep it close at the end. Definately a very respectable showing. A better effort than MSU put up against the Terps.
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:27 PM ^
Hammered, once again, HAMMERED on the offensive boards. This team would be so much better if we could pull down a rebound. This has been our problem all season. That and Peedi needs to stop fouling. Other than that some solid gameplay from Blue. Maryland played great defense, and the Vasquez guy is the real deal.
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:30 PM ^
Need to get more boards for sure. Maryland's press was annoying, wish would could have made them pay a bit more for doing it most of the game (Gibson dunk it please and do not get blocked).
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:29 PM ^
Maryland was definitely not leaving the three open, especially not in the second half. They played a VERY aggressive defense. Every time a Michigan ballhandler gave any ground and moved away from the basket, the Md. defender moved up. It took a lot of extra passes or an offensive rebound kicked out in order to get those threes.
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:30 PM ^
They looked good tonight. I'm really amazingly surprised by the team so far this year. They only won 10 games last year!!! They already have 5 wins! They beat UCLA, and hung tough with Maryland ON THE ROAD. Not that Maryland is some powerhouse this year, but they did beat MSU. Not to mention that they hung tough with Duke too. Look out on Saturday, I think Duke is going to have a fight on their hands.
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:37 PM ^
but not the BTN. anyway, we again missed a number of easy transition layups that could have been the difference in the game. ant wright and zack gibson are both pretty bad. we can't play them at the same time. i thought beilein should've called timeout during Maryland's big second half run.
December 4th, 2008 at 12:08 AM ^
Lots of thoughts after 7 games
1. The offense runs at a different level then I thought it could this season. There are times when plays are run that as a passionate basketball fan I just smile. When we execute a play and its just an easy layup with no one around it makes me cringe thinking back to the Amaker years.
2. I never thought we could actually get anything out of Merritt, Sheppard and Wright. Now Wright is struggling with his shot but each one of these guys has gotten better, in fact the whole team has fundamentally gotten better, when could you say that about Amaker's teams?
3. With Sims and Harris, and hopefully with the edition of LLP that will be a strong three scores, should really open up the floor even more then it is.
4. Novak and Dougless can play basketball, surround them with a few starts and you can see how JB's system makes guys like that play above their star level.
5. Team shoots better, still though not a good shooting team. I think Novak has the best stroke and Dougless needs to take better shots. Grady is ok shooting, same with Sims and Harris. Gibson, Sheppard and Wright just cant shoot it.
6. Not to worried about rebounding this year, we are small due to a few factors but McLimus and Cronin as freshmen next year will help that. Its also the system, we lost by 5 on the road tonight, had every chance to win with this situation. It will get a little bit better never will be great.
7. If Kelvin Grady gets the light to click on just a little bit more I think he really has a role to lift this team off the bench just when the other teams starters are getting winded.
8. Gibson, please dunk the dang ball, thats like three times this year he has been blocked when he could have dunked.
anyways, just a few of many thoughts
December 4th, 2008 at 12:53 AM ^
It would have been so great to get this one, but like many of you have said, there is so much to be encouraged about.
I'm also with everyone who can't wait for LLP to get on the floor. I'm hoping he is a guy who can punish teams when they extend and pressure the ball like Maryland did tonight. It's one thing to look confident with the basketball under pressure and not make mistakes, but it takes a different kind of player to punish teams for it. Other than Manny, and occasionally Grady, we don't have anyone that can do that.
Hopefully LLP can put the ball on the floor in those situations and drive to score or find the open man for the three.
It's great to finally be excited for the Big Ten part of the schedule. No one looks unbeatable and Michigan has a decent shot of sneaking in the dance this year, a season ahead of schedule imo. Go Blue.
December 4th, 2008 at 1:44 AM ^
gives me some hope that we come out of the Big Ten season in decent shape and might get a shot at the big dance. I think the players were coached on the press this week so it looks like the game prep is sticking. I think we'll show up against Duke a lot better than the first time.
December 4th, 2008 at 1:49 AM ^
whoo expected michigan bball to do this good this year??? not many ppl... who knows mayb the football team can do the same- rich rods getting "his type of players"
December 4th, 2008 at 2:58 AM ^
We could really use a little Udoh right now. That weenie.
December 4th, 2008 at 8:36 AM ^
I will say, the first half was good. Not great, good. I, unlike most, had pretty high expectations this year, predicting to all my friends a 20 win season and a tourney bid, but that was taking into account a win at Maryland. Michigan should have won this game. When Maryland came out after halftime, Beilein set the team up in man defense for a while and that was when Grievis or whatever the hell his name is starting getting the ball to the basket and getting to the free throw line. Why did he make this switch to man? We were dominating the tempo of the game in the first half with it.
December 4th, 2008 at 9:05 AM ^
That was the rebounding factor (Maryland edge). To win, you gotta rebound. Yes, Udoh would have helped.
December 4th, 2008 at 10:53 AM ^
i was at the game. there are 2-3 really bad players getting minutes. hopefully with LLP the bench will shorten. we just had one too many guys who werent quite at the level of the rest of the players on the court. that makes things hard. also, we have no size whatsoever.
that said, it was an even game that could have gone either way. that's encouraging given the last 15 years of michigan basketball futility
also, the maryland crowd was dead
December 4th, 2008 at 4:18 PM ^
This may be a dumb question, but why is DeShawn Sims called "Peedi"?