Sterling from the stripe.
With so much to like about this team, one thing that really stands out is how great the starters are from the stripe. How nice is it knowing you don't have to fret about getting guys off the floor near the end of a game knowing the other team can target them as poor free throw shooters. Hunter is the low man at .757 followed in order by Smith .788,Franz .830, Livers .860, and Eli capping it at .926. You can't underestimate how important this will be come crunch time in the tournament.
February 22nd, 2021 at 9:07 AM ^
I don't know I watched us miss 3 free throws in clutch time. Livers went 0-2. I honestly got worried that we might blow the game at that point.
February 22nd, 2021 at 9:10 AM ^
Yeah I thought those 3 (potentially 4 since Wagner's was a 1 and 1) missed points were going to be huge
February 22nd, 2021 at 11:02 AM ^
5 missed points, even, as Livers had nearly scored on the layup when he was fouled. I thought that might cost us.
Fortunately Dickinson (6-6) and Brooks (4-4) were cool customers at the stripe.
February 22nd, 2021 at 11:38 AM ^
Yeah, I worried too, but wasn't the team something like 7 of 10 down the stretch?
February 22nd, 2021 at 11:51 AM ^
Yeah Eli & Hunter closed the door down the stretch.
February 22nd, 2021 at 1:26 PM ^
Who's Sterling? I don't see him in the box score.
February 22nd, 2021 at 2:31 PM ^
Rod Sterling. Obviously a Twilight Zone reference.
February 22nd, 2021 at 9:11 AM ^
Chaundee isn’t a great FT shooter but other than that we don’t have a Simpson who is an absolute liability. I agree with OP that it’s not nearly as stressful as it has been in previous years.
February 22nd, 2021 at 10:09 AM ^
He was 80% plus at WF. I'm guessing it's just bad luck that he's this low right now.
February 22nd, 2021 at 10:34 AM ^
Those missed free throws had me worried too. When you are so good at shooting them, it is disconcerting when they miss. Frustrating to watch our guys make the free throws, then have osu hit a 3pt bomb. Clutch free throw shooting is huge down the stretch.
February 22nd, 2021 at 1:58 PM ^
Those three would have kept the game from being within 2 scores and would have put it away. Even 2 of those three. Not to mention osu hit a couple super quick 3's so it wasn't really in doubt so long as once it got back to 3 we made the ones that really mattered.
February 22nd, 2021 at 9:12 AM ^
Agreed.
Another thing that I've noticed is that this team seems to do quite well at inbounding the ball from the baseline and sideline during crunch time. That may be due to the fact that they can inbound to basically anyone and have confidence that they will knock down at least one free throw. Some of the Beilein teams really struggled, at times, to even get the ball in which was nerve wracking.
February 22nd, 2021 at 9:53 AM ^
Boy I was JUST thinking the same thing regarding Beilein's inbounding plays. Seems like we had about two of them and we ALWAYS struggled to get the ball inbounds under pressure. I loved coach B (the dead may never die) but damn inbounding was definitely not his strong suit. Yesterday they were always able to get the ball not only inbounds but as importantly, into the hands of the players they wanted fouled. That can be as or more important as the inbound play itself in crunch time.
And if you think Beilein's plays were bad - pull up some vintage Cavs game from 2015-2016 (first half of year) and watch the gems that David Blatt dialed up. He had Lebron freaking James and couldnt figure out how to get the ball in bounds.
February 22nd, 2021 at 10:12 AM ^
The OSU pressure was really aggressive at the end of the game yesterday and the team still handled it well. It was impressive.
February 22nd, 2021 at 11:05 AM ^
The weird thing was that Beilein was pretty good at drawing up inbounds plays to score, when we were at the other team's basket, but really seemed to have trouble when we were inbounding under our own basket, when we had the full 94 feet to work with. You'd think it might be the other way around.
February 22nd, 2021 at 11:30 AM ^
Logged in to upvote both of these. I've been thinking the same thing all season. With the complexity of the rest of his offense, it was a head scratcher why we couldn't free up a guy so often.
This change has been nice.
February 22nd, 2021 at 11:12 AM ^
Great point! I have never seen a team inbounds the ball with all 5 guys OOB on the baseline like we did yesterday. This to me seemed similar to the train in Football.
February 22nd, 2021 at 2:09 PM ^
i'm a football guy, not a basketball guy, but i always thought that if i was a hoops coach inbounds plays like that would be drawn up just like a football play. 4 verts; 2 drag across; out patterns, whatever. and that's at least a bit of what juwan did. first time i'd seen that.
February 23rd, 2021 at 8:52 AM ^
Also, after a make, you have the option of a pass between the players on the baseline prior to the inbound, so if they decide not to guard the inbounder and have a free defender (like a roving safety), you can basically do a give and go between the inbounder and his closest teammate to get the ball in play. Plus it should be easier than football because you can run pick plays. The two outside players run verts to draw off their defenders, and the two inside players run mesh, and one just sets a pick for the other.
February 22nd, 2021 at 11:42 AM ^
Generally like this team's approach to pressure more than the last four years or so of Michigan teams.
X was a methodical press breaker who took his time and occasionally beat it for a bucket. Smith mostly jets by guys. Feels more like the Burke and Walton teams that would just murder you if you pressed them.
February 22nd, 2021 at 11:55 AM ^
Smith is the quickest M guard since . . . I don't know. He accelerates like it's a video game.
February 22nd, 2021 at 6:24 PM ^
Maybe Ricky Green. No one was quicker than Ricky.
February 22nd, 2021 at 6:24 PM ^
Maybe Ricky Green. No one was quicker than Ricky.
So quick that I had to say it twice.
February 22nd, 2021 at 9:21 AM ^
agreed. compared to the stress I've had with FTs in important games the last few years, this team is a breeze.
February 22nd, 2021 at 9:27 AM ^
Smith would probably have a higher percentage if he wasn't getting hit in the head before he has to shoot.
February 22nd, 2021 at 9:45 AM ^
I love Zavier and miss him dearly, but it sure makes a difference when you have a PG that can shoot. Once of the great "what ifs" in my mind is what if Cassius would've committed to us instead of MSU? I think Sparty's NCAA streak may have ended sooner and we would've gone back to the Final Four in 2019.
February 22nd, 2021 at 9:48 AM ^
can't someone please doom-n-gloom the fact that livers has fallen off nearly 10 % on his made FT's, and that the world is going to likely end b/c he's only shooting 86%? not enough stars, no pro potential, something to throw some shade on the good news, please.
February 22nd, 2021 at 10:24 AM ^
Gotcha covered:
Does it feel to anyone like Livers free throws are just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic?
February 22nd, 2021 at 10:49 AM ^
that's what i'm talking about. more of this.
February 22nd, 2021 at 9:51 AM ^
This team is definitely really really good from the FT line.
February 22nd, 2021 at 10:03 AM ^
I remember watching the Steve Fisher Era teams, and thinking how much better they'd be if they could hit free throws. Watching the Fab 5 and the next wave of awesome Freshmen (Taylor, Baston, Bullock, and Traylor) was fun but...... Just thought they would have won more, if it weren't for free throws.
This team.....it is refreshing to see a Michigan team that you expect to hit the free throws, instead of hoping they hit them. Gotta credit the coaching staff. They are doing a great job.
February 22nd, 2021 at 11:27 AM ^
A guy that isn't mentioned is Howard Eisely.... gotta wonder how much of this success is due to him and his coaching.
February 22nd, 2021 at 10:04 AM ^
It's really impressive especially since they were 71% last year. It's a noticeable uptick for the team, and it's helped them immensely in some of these games.
February 22nd, 2021 at 10:09 AM ^
Critical close out skills on this team. Opposing coaches don’t know who to foul.
February 22nd, 2021 at 10:12 AM ^
Was expecting a Scott Sterling video (or at least a Mike Smith / Scott Sterling comparison).
How disappointing.
February 22nd, 2021 at 5:35 PM ^
I was truly racking my brain for who is Sterling.
February 22nd, 2021 at 10:23 AM ^
A big guy making free throws at a clip over 70% gives me all the warm and fuzzies.
February 22nd, 2021 at 10:53 AM ^
Remember like what 3-4 years ago when we were turrible at FTs and thus close game at the end was absolutely terrifying? A nice change to be good at them
February 22nd, 2021 at 11:31 AM ^
I know that the pct was good, but Livers and Wagner 'bout to gave me a heart attack!
February 22nd, 2021 at 11:52 AM ^
Livers is 3 of 7 (43%) in the last 3 games...
February 22nd, 2021 at 1:02 PM ^
Nice to not stress over free throws for sure.
February 22nd, 2021 at 2:20 PM ^
Announcers have jinxed Livers the last two games.