Michigan Tuesday: The UConn Model

Michigan Basketball is trying to rebuild from a failed experiment with one of its former stars.  Now, I don't 100% blame Juwan for Michigan's failure on the hardwood.  Admissions and lack of NIL resources also needs to own some of the failure.  

What did we see on the court last night from UConn?  A number of players that executed in the system and no superstars.  They have a 7 footer to protect the rim, they run strong offensive sets with motion/movement, and they defend.  They don't have a KD or Melo to handle the load of the work, they play as a team in the model that Hurley has.  You can tell Hurley has them practice until they get his system right.  

Michigan is not going to pay a 5 star $1M a year to play in Ann Arbor.  We saw how that model worked for Juwan, they showed up, played poorly, and headed to the G-League as quickly as they could.  So Michigan has to take a different approach.  The approach we saw last night.  You could say Purdue did the same thing, even though Zach Edey is the back-to-back player of the year that might sniff the 2nd round of the boring NBA Draft. 

Find talented kids that want to work and Michigan will win Championships under Dusty.  Let Coach Cal and others pay the big bucks for one and dones.  Michigan Basketball will succeeded on finding under the radar talent in high school gyms and the portal.  The way Coach B used to do it.  There was NIL money back in his day, it was just under the table. 

I'm excited for Michigan Basketball again and seeing what Dusty can develop.   

Where does it stand with some of the portal transfers?

• FAU 
• Martin is now in the portal, with a do not contact tag.  Is that good news or bad news for Michigan?
• Goldin is now predicted to Michigan 
• Davis per insiders is leading more to the NBA then Ann Arbor.  We will see what the scouts say. 
• Boyd does not have Michigan on his list 
• Yale's Danny Wolf is getting some interest from UNC and NW.  Might take a visit to North Carolina. 
• ND's Booth has Michigan in his top 5 but no visit or anything planned yet. 
• Penn PG Clark Slajchert has Michigan in a top 8
• The rest of the guys have Michigan on a long list and it's way too early to tell. 

As Dusty rounds off his staff there are 2 names that keep floating around, his former running made at FAU Kyle Church and/or Tennessee's Rod Clark. 

• Speaking of basketball assistants Saddi Washington is expected to interview with Michigan State. 

• OSU RB Dallan Hayden is entering the portal. 

• Big Ten is great at getting to the Final Four's terrible in National Championship games.  Since 2000 the Big Ten has been to 8 Final 4's and 0-8 in the NC.  Last 2 Big Ten teams to win a NC?  MSU in 2000 and Michigan in 89. 

Michigan Tuesday: Better Than Expected

I wonder how Vegas did on Monday's night National Championship game?   The over under was at 118 and both teams blew that number away.  It seems most folks were considering the under.  The game started slow but finished fast with good defense and some strong outside shooting.

I know Coach B was at the Final 4 receiving a leadership award, but not sure if he stayed the entire weekend.   I hope he was able to watch the game and consider the differences between his team and Virginia or even TT.   Michigan lacked consistent three point shooting all year long.   The Wolverines would go on long slumps of offense and it finally caught up with them against Tech.  Michigan needed that guy that could hit a 3 to get them out of the slump and re-start their confidence.  I hope they figure that out over the summer as the defense is good enough to play on the final day of the season.

Per Coach B: “One of the things they have to do is — we only get four hours a week with them going forward — they've got to play good, old fashioned one-on-one, three-on-three and they have to learn how to score and get their own leverage,” Beilein said on WTKA’s “The Michigan Insider” on Friday. “We have to work on it more now. It's the way the game is going.”

“I'm sure every coach across the country sees this trend of not only was Texas Tech going to switch every screen, not just ball screens, and so was Gonzaga,” Beilein said. “You're going to see it. Michigan State has never done that and that's what they did three times to us. They saw that we had to get more guys who could score in isolation, so it's exactly what we'll work at."

Michigan is expected to be a pre-season top 5 team in the nation, so there could be a lot of good things on the horizon.

• Remember the Tennessee Football head coach search a few years ago?  How everyone turned it down?  The same thing is happening to UCLA right now.  Ironically, Tennessee's head coach Rick Barnes is the latest to turn it down. 

• Ben's brother 2022 ATH Alex VanSumeren got offered by Michigan.  

• Sad to hear the Spring game won't be on BTN.  It also sounds like it won't even be a game.   On the positive side, at least it hasn't been cancelled yet!  :-)

Michigan Monday: Open Practice Deep Thoughts

I wasn't there so I have aggregated some thoughts from the folks that where.

• Practice was not padded 
• Michael Dwumfour was dressed and did participate some
• Clearly missing Michigan's better players at WR, RB, and CB
• Shea Patterson is clearly the #1 QB.  Which is interesting because there were reports on Friday from MgoBlog that they were hearing Dylan McCaffrey was a couple snaps away from beating Shea out.   Most that went to practice didn't see it that way. 
• Ben Mason was working mostly with the DL 
• Jeter looked in great shape 
• Stueber was the RT with the 1's
• Hutchinson looks impressive 
• Sainristil is turning heads at WR and has a nice opportunity with DPJ and Nico out. 
• Ambry Thomas is ready to be the #2 CB 
• Oliver Martin made a few nice catches but also had a drop.   The buzz on him this Spring has been quiet.  

The offense showed a lot of crossing routes and there was some grumbling that the QB's didn't have a great day.  Shea fumbled a snap and others missed some open guys on big plays. 

Your not going to get much from an open practice without any pads.  So that was about it.  More should come out after the Spring Game.  Only 5 practices left. 

Final 4 Thoughts:

• I thought both games were just ok, besides the final minute in the UVA - Auburn game.   I did catch the double dribble in the back court, but thought the ball was drippled off the defensive player since they didn't call it.   Tech's defense must be elite because both Coach B and Izzo had a week to prepare for it and neither could find the weakness.   

• The game tonight has to be a nightmare for CBS.   The game will be a race to 50 points.   A few people have asked me what is the difference between TT and Michigan?  TT has a NBA lottery pick and a knock down shooter.   That is the difference.  

• Congrats to Jerry Stackhouse on getting the job at Vandy! 

Michigan Lost The Battle of The 6th Men

Villanova's 6th man: Donte Divincezo 31 points
Michigan's 6th man: Duncan Robinson 0 points


Ball Game


Villanova was the better team, Michigan missed 20 attempts from the 3 point line, couldn't get defensive boards, and wasn't able to come back from foul trouble with about 3 minutes left in the first half.  Michigan had to put out a lineup with very few options for offense and Villanova took advantage and built a 9 point lead at the half.   Villanova is too good a team and you can't play from behind and expect to win.


Michigan shut down the player of the year, he was in foul trouble and finished with 9 points.  Outside of Bridges 19, the game was won by the unconscious 6th man and his 31 points.   Sometimes there is nothing you can do about a hot shooter.  


Michigan continued to struggle with its offense and this time it was the Forwards with the poor play on both sides of the ball.  Matthews had 6 points and struggled to guard Divincezo and Robinson finished his basketball career with posting a goose egg.   Michigan's guards played well, MAAR had 23 and Simpson added 10 points (and shut down the #1 player in the nation).   The only other person to really score was Wagner's 16 points. 


That was not a winning formula and it showed in the second half. 


With all that said, this team very much over achieved this year and it just showed the great development by the coaching staff and the heart of the players.   I know this loss stings, but Villanova has been the best team all year and it showed again tonight.  They have little to no weakness on either side of the floor.   Michigan left its best basketball in Madison Garden and struggled to find it again and still made it to the Final 4.   That alone is quite the accomplishment!  Well done guys and keep your heads high!

Michigan Monday: It's National Title Game Day!

15minutenews.com

This team is unbelievable, they have fought and scratched their way to the National Championship game.   They were clearly the better team on Saturday against Loyola but struggled with their shot for most of the game.   I guess a tiger can't change their spots because Michigan had a huge advantage in the post and continued to shoot the 3 ball unsuccessfully.   Thank goodness for Wagner and Matthews who kept the Wolverines in the game.   Loyola midway through the second half started their turnover streak and Michigan took advantage and won the game. 


Michigan can't play like that tonight and win the National Championship.   The joy and relief of winning the Final 4 game was quickly lessen after Villanova shot Kansas out of the building.  Villanova looked like Michigan in the Texas A&M game and we know that type of streaking shooting can come and go quickly.  Every person on the Villanova can shoot and this game will be the toughest Michigan has had all year. 


If Michigan is going to stay in the game, MAAR and Simpson have to play better then they did against Loyola and Robinson will need to score 16 or more points.   MAAR's shooting is the key for this game, if he struggles again from the field, it could be a long night for the Wolverines. 


Simpson's turnovers and forced shots seemed a bit strange against Loyola.  He will have open looks again tonight and I hope he looks to drive and dish rather then shoot the 3.  I also expect he will run the offense better then he did on Saturday.


One of the hero's from Saturday was Jordan Poole.   He came off the bench and gave the Wolverines a lift on some dribble drive layups and his unlimited swag.   Michigan will again need him tonight and I hope he can impact the game, #belikeSpike tonight!


Michigan is an underdog tonight and should be.  The Wolverines have only shot the ball well once in the tournament and will need to find their range tonight.  It's important they continue their defense and shoot the ball to be competitive in this game.  Villanova is a very good deep team and will score even if they don't shoot like they did on Saturday.   Michigan has to shoot the 3 to be in the game in the 2nd half. 


Michigan also has to have solid performances from every player:


Simpson - Run the offense, play your elite D, limit turnovers
MAAR - Play like a senior, shoot the 3 well, lead the team through the storm
Wagner - Stay hot, get looks in the post, limit your 3 attempts, stay out of foul trouble
Matthews - Be athletic on both sides of the ball, rebound, dribble drives, limit the 3
Robinson - Be confident from 3, don't miss this opportunity, play like there is no tomorrow
Poole - Keep up the swag, play smart, keep everyone up!
Teske - Don't forget your 7 feet on defense!, rebound, get 3 blocks!
Simmons - This is why your transferred! stay in the moment, play smart
Livers & Watson - Play smart, get boards and loose balls


Whatever happens tonight, this has been a great run and it feels so good to have your team play at a championship level.  Coach B and Team you have made your fan base very proud.   Have fun, play with a clear mind, and compete tonight.  We have your back no matter what!  Enjoy the night! 


Coach B is one win short of 800 wins.  I'm just saying!

Go Blue!

• Insiders are saying that Ole' Miss has actually responded negatively on the players that transferred being eligible right away.   This is a complete reversal on what Michigan and the lawyer representing the players were expecting.   The expectation was that Ole Miss would stand down due to the NCAA Violations and support the players being eligible with the NCAA.  That didn't happen and now Patterson's eligibility could be in question.   The NCAA has the final verdict and they don't need Mississippi's support, but many believed it was a slam dunk with it. 

Michigan Friday: Previews The Final 4 Game

Michigan will take the court on Saturday at 6:00 EST for another historic Final 4 game.  This game will be against the Cinderella Story of the tournament 11 seed Loyola-Chicago that is lead by a 98 year old Nun Sister Jean.   Who now has T-Shirts and Bobble Heads in her likeness. 


Michigan has the largest base of alumni in the US and that might be the only folks that are rooting for the Wolverines on Saturday night.   Many basketball fans will be rooting for The Fighting Sister Jean's and I'm OK with that. 


Loyola has been "playing with house money" all tournament and it has showed in their approach.  They have shot the ball very well and played solid defense.   Like I mentioned early in the week, this team is very similar to a Coach Beilein squad.  So Coach B should know how to defend it, right?


Loyola plays small ball even when their 6'9 center is on the court.  They go really small when he isn't.  This team wants to shoot the ball from 3 and dripple drive for easy layups or dish to the wings for open 3 point shots.   That's it folks, that is how they want to win the game.   Spread the floor, shoot well which should open up the lane for easy drives.  


Here is the deal about shooting the ball, sometimes your team gets cold.  We have seen it for 3 games in the NCAA tournament, against A&M when Michigan shot well, the game was over in the first 10 minutes. 


So does this game come down to who shoots better from 3?  Yes and No.  The 3 ball in my opinion is the only way Loyola stays in this game. 


Loyola turns the ball over a ton and with Michigan's new strong defense, we expect that trend to continue.   Michigan also has the miss match size with Wagner and Teske to get easy looks down low.  Loyola doesn't block shots and has to stay with Michigan's shooters, so it should be a lay up line for the Wolverines down low.  If Loyola turns the ball over a bunch and Michigan can run, this will be a one sided game.


I expect Wagner to have a big night (not shooting 3's)  in the post.   I also expect Matthews athleticism to get him those easy lay ups and mid-range jumpers that he loves.   Teske should get plenty of looks down low and should have around 12 points off the bench.   If Michigan can shoot the 3 ball at all, that should equal a long night for the Ramblers. 


Simpson will lock down one of the Rambler guards and I expect big nights from the seniors MAAR and Robinson as they know this is their last chance at basketballromance.   The stage will also be very large for the Ramblers who are used to playing in small gyms and arenas.


I like Michigan in this game by 10 points. 

• Michigan pulled the plug on the VA Tech home and home yesterday.   Though I love the idea of the match-up, Michigan can't continue playing the toughest schedule in the country every year.   #More home games!  Michigan replaced them with Arkansas State for a home game.

• Reports are that Kareem Walker made it back to practice yesterday.  Sounds like he has been dealing with an injury.

• Ohio DE Gabe Newburg a 3 star DE is visiting this weekend and will be on commit watch!

• Here is a visitors list at "Touch the Banner" for this weekend

Michigan Thursday: It's Opening Day!

Today is MLB's Opening Day and most expect the Tigers to be out of the running for the playoffs by the end of the next week.  So this should be a long summer for Detroit Baseball fans. 


Good Thing we have the Final 4 this weekend!  I will look at the semi-final game on Friday. 

• Ole Miss has finally responded to the Shea Patterson waiver.  We don't know what they responded, we just know their response has been submitted to the NCAA and Michigan.  Now, the ball is back in the NCAA's hands.  The NCAA will hold an eligibility committee meeting at some point that will make the decision on whether he is immediately eligible or not.  This could take a couple of week or a couple of months.

 

• A number of instate football prospects are expected to visit Michigan on Friday as they have the day off from school.

• FL 4 Star WR John Dunmore will visit A2 on 4/13 -4/15.  He is also visiting Florida, FSU, USC, UCLA and Ohio State in the next few weeks.

• Michigan has offered 2019 VA 3 star OG Jakai Moore

• Speaking of the Tigers - RIP Rusty Staub

Michigan Tuesday: Trey Burke Loves Him Some March

I'm sure Trey Burke hasn't been very happy with his NBA career to date.  He seemed to struggle with Utah, got traded to Washington, and then found himself out of the league.   College's Player of the Year in 2013 can't find a home in the NBA and started the season in the G-League. 


Trey quickly tore up the G-League and NBA teams started to notice.   The Knicks were struggling and needed some scoring help with former teammate Tim Hardaway out early in the year with an injury.

Last night Trey went for 42 points and 12 assists for the Knicks against the Hornets.  Lets hope he has finally found a home and a nice long career in the NBA.

• GA 3 star 2019 offensive guard Ty Murray visited A2 this past weekend and said it "felt like home".

• Michigan seems to still be recruiting the QB position for 2019 and continues to recruit Graham Mertz who is committed to Wisconsin.

• 2019 four-star DE Joseph Weté also visited A2 this past weekend.

• Jalen Rose 100 year old grandmother has a message for Sister Jean - "It's been a good ride, but its over!  Go Blue!"

• I know we don't like to think about, what if scenarios but..............What if DJ Wilson was still on Michigan and not on a bench in the NBA?  DJ was just re-called from the G-League Wisconsin Herd back to the Milwaukee Bucks.  He scored 19 points in his final G-League game but is not expected to be in the Bucks rotation when he returns.

Michigan Monday: An Early Look at The Ramblers

Loyola-Chicago is 32-5

They won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament.

Tier One: Best win was at Florida and they did lose at Boise. 

Last loss was on 1/31 at Bradley.

If Coach B was still at a smaller school, it would be exactly like this team.   They play small ball with their tallest guy a 6'9 center on the roster.   They shoot well from the field and don't get any offensive boards.   They play smart basketball and have surprised a few people in the tournament this year.


Loyola has played close games through the tournament and have done it with scoring the basketball.  As we have seen from the Wolverines and other teams, shooting as been a bit off for many teams in the tournament this year.   They do a great job in spacing the floor and getting room for their offense to be effective.  Loyola has been "playing with house money" and shooting the ball very well.   Scoring the basketball and draining 3's can cover up a ton of weakness in other areas.  They only give up 62 points a game, which ranks 5th in the country as they play smart defense, but rank 326th in rebounding.


Loyola like Florida State turns the ball over a ton which has really has been their Achilles heel this year.  They rank 214th nationally in turn overs.  Michigan as you know doesn't turn the ball over which should be a big advantage for the Wolverines.  Loyola doesn't have anywhere near the length or athleticism that FSU did and Michigan should be able to score the basketball off turnovers on Saturday night. 


Michigan will also have a big advantage on the boards and with their strong defense from its guards Simpson and MAAR.   Wagner is a huge miss match to anyone the Ramblers can throw at him.  


You do have take in the affect that Loyola is the "darling of the tournament" and on a fun run for their program and fans.   So they will have to shoot the lights out of the Alamo Dome to win this game, which they have pretty much done most of the tournament.   We also know that shooting can come and go and Michigan has been winning games with their defense and offense in the tournament.   I like Michigan's chances with Coach B having a full week to game plan and Coach Yaklich knowing them from coaching in the same conference last year. 

• TNT will have a special Michigan broadcast for the Loyola game.

The Wolverines To The Final 4!

Detnews

In a year with FBI investigations and $100 grand payouts.  The cleanest coach in the business is taking his team to the Final 4 to play a small school in Chicago who is supported by a now famous 98 year old Nun.   You couldn't write this script if you tried.


Michigan shot the lights out in the Staples Center on Thursday, on Saturday they were having trouble throwing the ball into the ocean from the Santa Monica Pier.  Michigan won this game on defensive side of the floor against a very athletic team that seemed to have played 20 guys.   Michigan was missing 3's and getting their layups blocked.  Everything was a struggle on the offensive end, even the free throw shooting at the end to make the game closer then it should be. 


When your shot is not going down, you have to make it up on the other end of the floor and that is what the Wolverines did.  The game was ugly and intense as neither team was scoring the ball with any regularity.   I was starting to lose my mind as Wagner kept shooting 3's after he hadn't made one all night.  Matthews kept Michigan in the game with his drives and Zavier Simpson has become a unbelievably good point guard.   Simpson at the start of the year looked like he was going to spend more time on the bench then the floor this year has become the heartbeat of this team.   His defense, ball handing, good decisions, lack of turnovers, and dribble drives are a thing of beauty.   He is the ideal point guard in anyone's offense.  Duncan Robinson who was struggling all night on both sides of the floor hit a huge 3 point shot with less then 3 minutes left and made two clutch free throws after MAAR and Simpson has missed a few with under a minute left. 


At the end of the game, I felt more relief then joy as that game was a 12 round heavyweight fight.  It is so nice to have a Michigan team playing at a high level and Coach B will go down as the best basketball coach to ever walk the floor in Crisler. 


Congratulations to the Wolverines and I can't wait until next Saturday!!

• Congratulations to the Michigan Hockey team as well as they qualified for the Frozen 4 on Saturday.  

• Third congratulation goes to the Ferris State Bulldogs who won the Division 2 Basketball National Championship on Saturday.

Michigan Tuesday: Lost Moments

When your team loses in a National Championship game you think about lost moments.   You think about how the likes of Burke, Hardaway, GR3 and even McGary could head to the NBA.  Which would seal the fate of next years team.

You try to rationalize what went wrong during the game.   The bad calls or missed shots.  If this game was played in December everyone would be talking about what a great game it was and how two teams fought until the end.   But when it's the last game of the year we get to hear about the "genius" of Pitino and how Louisville started what they finished as the #1 seed in the tournament.   I went to bad last night not mad like when we lost to Nebraska or ND in football but disappointed that this team missed a chance at history.

What gets lost is Spike's un-believable performance in the first half or Burke basically putting the entire team on his shoulders and trying to win.   It's hard to have the proper perspective after a loss in a championship game.  It's just too soon.  

76 points should have been enough to win this game but it wasn't.  I sure don't know what was happening under the basket after Louisville missed shots but it sure didn't seem like basketball.  Michigan showed up at 9:26 to play a basketball game and roller derby event broke out.   Maybe that is what basketball has become at the NCAA level?  Which seems strange to me because the Big Ten doesn't exactly play a finesse game.   I realize that NCAA basketball will never be the NBA but isn't a foul a foul?   Is Pitino a genius or is he taking advantage of a "unique" brand of bad basketball?  He clearly failed coaching the Boston Celtics.  He said something interesting leading up to the game.  He said his two guards always get into foul trouble, which means he is teaching that style of play.   Again is that smart or bad for the game?  Hard to know after a tough loss, isn't. 

Still I have to believe Michigan cost themselves this game.  Too many missed shots from the line, poor rebounding/WWE WrestleMania under the boards.   It seemed the quick Louisville guards kept getting a high ball screen, then would blow the layup.   There would be a three second wrestling match that ended with someone throwing up a prayer under the class.   If you have ever watched a youth basketball game, it sort of looked like that.  Someone misses a shot, everyone grabs the ball, someone travels and then throws the ball up hoping it would go in.    There is always a ton of jump balls in youth basketball because everyone is grabbing the ball at the same time.   See last night for another example of that. 

Last thing I am going to say about the officials.  Do you think they watch ESPN at all?  Can anyone remember one charge being called last night?  I sure can't.  Do you think they heard all the talk about Morgan's charge call and flipped way over to the other side?  I saw probably 3 clear charges that were called blocks. 

I wish I had the proper perspective to write a post about how great this team was, how the Fab 5 were all there together again, how Michigan is back on the basketball landscape, how the future is so bright, how Beilien matched wits with a coaching legend, what a pleasure it was to have Trey Burke in the Maize and Blue for two years, how McGary became a force in the last month and what a great accomplishment it was to get this team to the Final 4, but it's just too soon.   Way too soon.

Time to Get Focused!

Lace Them Up and Play With Heart!

One More Time

I get asked a lot, how I can write about Michigan sports 5+ days a week?  It's not that easy and as many of you know, "I mail it in sometimes".   It's a labor of love and sharing my thoughts with all of you is something I look forward to everyday.   If I wasn't eating my breakfast on my keyboard, something would be wrong. 

In the 5 years or so I have written this blog, I have never come across a night like tonight.   I'm old enough to have been around for Michigan's latest 3 trips to National Championship Game in the NCAA Tournament.   I have never been so nervous in my life watching sports, with Rumeal Robinson shooting two free throws with a National Championship on the line.   Rumeal was a dynamic point guard but he wasn't a good free throw shooter and to his credit he knocked down both shots.  

The NCAA can say the Fab Five's run to back to back National Championships games has been removed from the records books, but they can't remove them from our memory.    A numbers runner from Detroit, can't change history.  Because the Fab 5 created it.  They created a new type of basketball where freshman could play and could play very well.   They even changed the way basketball players wear their uniforms all over the world.   The Fab Five lost both championships games, one in a blow out to Duke another in a time out they didn't have to North Carolina.   The Fab Five motto was they were going to "Shock the World", that didn't happen but they sure as hell "Changed it". 


It has taken 20 years for Michigan to comeback from the greed of a now deceased numbers runner.   He threw the first punch if you will in the decline of the program but the University of Michigan didn't do much to help it rebound.  It was clear Michigan was football school and not much was happening with the basketball program.   There were terrible head coaching hires in the likes of Brian Ellerbee and the miss with Tommy Amaker.   We blame a ton on "Sailboat" Bill for his replacement of Lloyd Carr but the day he hired John Beilein this program changed for the better.  It's ironic that Rick Pitino had accepted the Michigan job (before they hired Amaker), Dicky V even reported it on ESPN before Rick changed his mind after his wife didn't want to leave Kentucky.

Michigan invested in their basketball program with a new practice facility and gave Crisler a new face lift.   Recruits noticed how John recruited and his goal of getting them shots, they also noticed how Michigan was getting serious about basketball again.   Michigan has the Gatorade Players of the Year in the state of Michigan and Indiana coming in next year.  Tonight is the proof that the investment has paid off.

There were the Zack Novak's of the world who weren't recruited by really any major program that helped build this program.  But the Michigan Basketball Program changed again when John Beilein convinced a Penn State commitment from Columbus, Ohio to come to Ann Arbor.  It's funny how a couple superstar Ohio players have had a positive effect on Michigan National Championships.  I believe there could be a clear analogy if Michigan wins tonight between Charles Woodson and Trey Burke, both players from Ohio.

We fast forward to tonight and what's at stake.  I make the argument that the really important things have already been accomplished.   There isn't any questions remaining if Michigan Basketball is back.  I know many of you have skipped basketball season for probably the last 10 years, like I have.   That is no longer the case.   We are again NCAA basketball fans and we can thank these young men in Maize and Blue.  

Tonight is the cherry on top of the Sundae that you will never forget.  There is nothing more then I want then a win tonight but I also have a feeling this journey isn't complete, it's just beginning.   The only thing we might lose tonight is that superstar from Columbus and that sharp shooting guard from Miami.  

Let's hope our team makes history tonight and if they don't you can sleep easy this program will again, only like Michigan can. 

------------

Keys to the game:

I believe both teams are very similar.  They both have athletic guards and dynamic big men.  Louisville is a bit better defensively and Michigan has the edge on the offense.   Michigan has more NBA prospects and Louisville has more experience.  

The experts that like Louisville will say they press like VCU and play a zone like Syracuse.   Yes, they do press but I didn't see it on Saturday until they were down with 5 minutes or so to go.   You know what?  I don't care.   I want to talk about Michigan. 

• We need Trey.  We need him to break the press and deliver some assists and play great D against Louisville's quick guards.   I have noticed the strategy has been to get Trey winded on the court.   He can't play all 40 minutes and will need some rest at strategic times.   If he has his legs, I like our chances.

• Shoot the 3 For You and Me.   We heard a little bit that Nik was struggling with a migraine on Saturday night.  Let's hope he is feeling better and 100% ready to play.  With that said, the lights might be to big for him tonight.   We need Hardaway to go crazy from 3.   It could be his last game in a Michigan uniform and he wants to put on a show when everyone is watching.   I don't want him to dribble, just shoot lights out from the 3.    Get in the zone big fella. 

• McGary needs to control that 7 footer.   Over power that guy, get boards and easy put backs.  Be yourself and have some crazy fun tonight.

• Don't Turn The Ball Over - every team Michigan has played in the tournament has lived off turn overs.  If we don't do it, we can win this game.

• Don't leave points on the floor - make those shots, when you get fouled.

• Jump over the Moon - GR3 with a few dunks, rebounds and blocks.   Do what you have done all tournament.   We also need some defensive stops tonight.  Check that guy with the beard, he went off against WSU.

This is the same game you have played a thousands times, nothing more nothing less.  Go play ball, play smart, play loose, have fun.

One More Game Baby!

What would of your prediction have been of the Syracuse Final 4 game last week if the following happened?

Total Points:

Burke = 7
Hardaway = 13
GR3 = 10
McGary = 10
Stauskas = 0

I would have guessed a double digit win by the Orangeman.  Not a 5 point win by the Wolverines.  I expected Burke would struggle against the zone but I expected the likes of Nik and Tim would have to had big nights shooting the 3.   That didn't happen either and Michigan still won!  I'll take it!

Michigan won because of passing and rebounds of Mitch McGary and the bench play of Spike Albrecht, Caris LeVert, Jordan Morgan and Jon Horford.  Spike and Caris gave Michigan some much needed scoring in the first half when they added 4 three point shots.  Horford hit a big free throw and Jordan Morgan took a game saving charge. 

You could say this was a team win where 8 different players scored.  Props also has to go out to Coach Beilein and Michigan's coaching staff who developed some nice plays to beat the zone in the first half.   Michigan struggled against the zone and pressure of the Syracuse's press in the second half.   I think Michigan needed better ball handing on the court and I would have liked to have seen more Nik and Spike to help Trey with breaking the press. 

McGary seems to be getting better each game and his passing and offensive rebounds were key to Michigan's win.   If he can find a way to make free throws, Michigan will be in great shape.
Let's hope Louisville doesn't go with the "hack a Mc" strategy on Monday.  The best line of the night was when Clark Kellogg said, "McGary just went Magic Johnson on me!"  When the big fella delivered a no luck pass to GR3 for a dunk. 

I thought Michigan was just a couple of shots from blowing the Orangemen out.  The GR3 missed dunk would have brought the house down, a missed transition 3 by Hardaway in the second half when U of M was up 10 or so and if Nik had hit 50% of his shots.

With all Michigan did to get a good but ugly win on Saturday night they will need a Florida game type performance to become National Champions.  Here are my Sunday Morning keys to victory:

• Burke must be Big - a no brainer
• Stauskas must see the ball go through the hoop.  He needs to get a early basket or get to the free throw line.  He can't put up another donut.
• GR3 must play better 1 on 1 defensive. 
• Hardaway needs to stop dribbling - he really isn't very effective off the dribble.  Hit him for open 3's.
• Spike needs more minutes for ball handling against the Louisville pressure
• Hit pressure free throws - If it's a close game, it's clear the Cardinals will put the Wolverines on the line.  If they can't hit them, they will struggle to win a close game.

So the Michigan staff has plenty of work to do and it's great for Michigan fans everywhere that they have a couple more days to work.   Time to avenge the Webber Time Out!

Another great day to be a Michigan Wolverine!!!

Michigan Friday: It's the Final 4 Countdown

Basketball is a funny game, it's sort of like golf as a team sport.   Sometimes you can play a really good round of golf and your putts just don't fall.   Shooting a basketball is sort of the same way, your form could be good and you could miss everything.    Or you could catch fire and make everything you look at.   See Hardaway and Stauskas's season for an example of that theory.   Both guys are great shooters and at times they haven't been able to throw the ball in the ocean from the beach. 

If Michigan is going to play on Monday Night, they need Hardaway and Stauskas shooting well from outside the zone.    To me that is the #1 key to Michigan's success.   I already expect Burke to push the ball and limit turnovers and McGary to play with energy and make a few bunnies.  We just need our shooters to shoot well to break that suffocating Syracuse zone.  

Here are what the experts are saying on how you break that Zone:

1. Push the ball and don't let them set the Zone.  Which means Burke needs to get out quick off a Syracuse miss.  McGary is huge here getting boards and getting the ball to Burke.
2. Attack the high post around the free throw line.  Look for Michigan to send Hardaway and GR3 there.  They both need to hit a little "free throw" jumper.  Tim struggled from that spot against Florida.
3. Shooters at the corners - Stauskas will get a ton of shots.

Syracuse is not a great offensive team and if Michigan struggles in the half court offense they will need to lock down Syracuse on the defensive side of the court.  Michigan will then need to rebound and get a few easy GR3 outlet lay-ups and dunks.   Teams play zone defense to stop the pick and roll and they are betting they can't get beat by outside shooting.    I don't see Burke being effective working the ball into the lane and then kicking it out or making a fading away lay-up.   There will be too much traffic in the lane.   Burke's job will be to beat the Orangeman down the court, getting Michigan some easy baskets and being an effective shooter from 3. 

If shooting the 3 is going to be the #1 key to Michigan's success, what is #2?

Michigan must play very good defense and get easy points off turnovers.  Michigan bombed Florida's 2-3 zone but Syracuse's zone is much better.   Michigan also got a ton of turnovers on Florida that led to easy baskets that killed the Gators momentum and made the Wolverine shooters job very easy.


No matter what happens this weekend, I have nothing but pride and a sense of accomplishment for this group of young men lead by a Sophomore from Columbus, Ohio.

•  More hardware for Trey:  Update:  Trey wins Wooden Award!.   He won the AP Player of the Year and the Cousy Award.

• I was reading the transcript from Big Al's press conference yesterday and this line concerned me:  Hoke said you talked to Shane Morris after Russell Bellomy’s injury. How does the injury impact Shane, and how does this impact how you coach him?“Really not as much as you might think. He was going to come in and compete anyway. There’s one less slot there to go through, so that’s really all it impacted. He knows there’s one less body. Doesn’t affect him as much as you might think.”     --- What the hell does that mean?  Big AL your #2 QB isn't even enrolled at Michigan yet, seem a little concerned. 
  Does it concern you that you have to go into the season with a true freshman as your backup quarterback?“Eh, the numbers are what they are. I’m not going to lose any sleep over that. I’ve been in this situation before. So it’s not a completely novel concept.”  ---- I sure hope this is coach speak, because I'm about to lose my mind on this attitude and approach.   I normally would consider this 100% "coach speak" but the way Big AL handled the QB's last year, I have my doubts.  If you want to compare coaches, see how Greg Mattson answers questions during his press conference.

Celebrate the 4

Lucky Number 4

Are you still smiling from the win yesterday afternoon?  I still am.   I love this feeling, it seems we rarely get it anymore.     No mater what happens from here on out, last weekend was magical for the Wolverines and they have earned a banner in Crisler and that feels really really good! 

There seems to be some symmetry with the #4 right now.   For example:

• Michigan joins Syracuse, Louisville and Wichita State in the Final 4.
• #4 Michigan will play #4 Syracuse - the first time two #4 seeds have met in the NCAA Championship.
• Michigan's Big Man that has come into his own in this tournament is #4 Mitch McGary
• We will see more highlights then we prefer with the Fab Five's run to two National Title games and the time out from #4 Chris Weber.
• This Thursday it will be 4/04

That is all I got maybe Burke, Stauskas or Hardaway can make a 4 point play.

If you want to check out the Final 4 Michigan gear.  Visit BHB's friends at the MDen.   There is even some Nike gear for those that are down on Adidas.


I will look into this more this week, but the match-up against Syracuse Zone could be a tough match-up for the Wolverines.   The way to beat a 2-3 Zone is to shoot your way out of it.  Beilein didn't have a ton of success against it when he was at WVU, in fact I don't believe he ever beat Syracuse while he was in the Big East.   His record at WVU against Boeheim is irrelevant, the key is Beilein understands the zone that Syracuse plays and hopefully understands what Michigan needs to beat it.    This should give him a leg up on preparing the young Wolverines.  

Jim Boeheim said at half time that Michigan will be the toughest match up they have had in the entire tournament due to their strength from shooting from outside.   I don't believe Burke's penetration will be effective against the Syracuse zone, which will also hurt McGary's effectiveness.   Look for Michigan to play small and put a number of shooters on the floor to see if they can rain 3's against the zone.  I wouldn't even be surprised to see more time for a guy like Vogrich.

More to come on that but those are my initial thoughts on the Syracuse match-up.

• Drake Harris is expected to spend the entire weekend of the Spring Game in Ann Arbor. 
• 2014 OL Alex Bars visited this weekend.  He of course is the brother of current Wolverine Blake Bars.
• Cleveland LB Kyle Berger is 50/50 right now for Michigan and OSU.  He is still planning a May decision.  Seems like at two horse race at this point for Kyle. 
• Expect some more visits this week since some kids are on Spring Break.

4

This is going to be a fun week!  We just witnessed one of the best basketball weekends in Michigan history with the improbable comeback against Kansas and the destruction of Florida.

It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine!


Final 4!!!!

Happy Easter!