U of M MEN'S BASKETBALL 2016-2017

[THE_WIZARD_]

"...dream on...dream on...dream until your dreams come true..."

[hack]

This year, I would be happy just beating Louisville, and I'm gonna call that in my bracket. I really don't see how they could get past Kansas. I don't know Kansas all that well, but the basics are there -- guard leadership, looks like a solid big in the middle, superior athleticism.

Have you seen much of SMU? I'm tempted to pick them over Duke. They have the kid with the massive body who leads them in scoring, and I don't see who guards him successfully on Duke. They Play The Right Way, they are long. They've only lost 4 times, which, well, weak schedule, but still. they've only lost 4 times.

[Kstat]

All I saw of SMU was when we annihilated them in the fall.

[hack]

Picks are in. Just cause I don't like Roy Williams, I have Villanova beating them in a rematch. I couldn't justify Arizona taking down Villanova's team. Too young. And, fuggit -- Michigan taking down Kansas in the E8. Wagner and Wilson are going to have to dominate down low to make up for Mason. Long live John Beilein. Anyone calling for his head is/was stoopit.

[Niffla]

Anyone calling for his head is/was stoopit.

[hack]

I have absolved myself of any blame. That shit went on for far too long. And it could come back again. But, for now, yeah. JD should never have been such a fickle fan.

[The Oracle]

Mmmhmmm

[hack]

Yeah, JD. Exactly.

[Detroit Dan]

Where is JD?

[Hannibal]

Long live John Beilein. Anyone calling for his head is/was stoopit.

If we don't even make the NIT next year I wonder if people will still feel this way.

[hack]

Honestly I'm just joking around, but I won't be completely shocked if it's a bunch of underachievers next year. Like I said, success this decade correlates with leadership from players, and they are losing their leader. I think that problem might loom smaller in the future, assuming Donlon is here or is replaced with someone of equal value.

I think Beilein was very slow to address the weaknesses in his system, and hasn't yet addressed all of them, but better late than never. He's a life-long learner, whereas some coaches don't ever learn and grow. If he can continue to shore up his weaknesses, by having a guy like Donlan and by addressing the recruiting, then his value as an offensive strategist and tactician will be very valuable and I don't want him gone.

Not that any of that makes a difference. It would take some serious off-the-court problems for his job to be in jeopardy. He'll retire here.

[Hannibal]

Honestly I'm just joking around...

Heh. I thought that might be the case.

I just wonder how much mileage Beilein will get out of his BTT trophy that comes about six weeks after the season looked like a complete disaster. How many years of goodwill does just the trophy buy him?

[hack]

A few years. Beat Louisville and I'd say it would take a whole lot for me to get back to the spot I reached after that awful OSU game, and I don't know that I would ever get back to it unless recruiting went truly went in the tank or Donlon left and Beilein did not find a suitable replacement.

In retrospect, this really has been trending in the right direction since "white collar". They had some serious misses since then, but this wasn't just the plane crash suddenly galvanizing them or anything like that. They were improving throughout the conference tournament. The OSU game made it look like the white-collar comment had already faded into memory and they were going to return to their usual all-O no-D approach, but it was an anomaly and not part of a pattern.

IMO it's a rare coach that excels at getting a team to play well and hard on both ends and can put them in a position to win with strategy and tactics. Anyone like that is out of our reach. Coaches like that will go to the real blue-blood programs. But we have in Beilein a guy who gets you part of the way and has demonstrated he can possibly get the rest of the way with the right assistants. The if-not-him-then-who question is very hard to answer.

(Now watch them lay an egg against OSU...)

[Niffla]

If we don't even make the NIT next year I wonder if people will still feel this way.

A few years. Beat Louisville and I'd say it would take a whole lot for me to get back to the spot I reached after that awful OSU game, and I don't know that I would ever get back to it unless recruiting went truly went in the tank or Donlon left and Beilein did not find a suitable replacement.

I was trashing him left & right -- but truth is, when you look at all he has accomplished here, honestly, I feel like shit for being so critical of him. I know it's easy for me to say now with as well as they've played having won 10 of their last 12, including the first Big Ten tournament title since what, 97'?

How many tournaments has UM now gotten into consecutively since he has been here? A championship game appearance, an elite 8 appearance (which was one stop away from being a second consecutive Final 4 appearance). Winningest coach in the program's history...it was pretty foolish for me to say the things that I did. And he also happens to be a really, REALLY class human being to boot.

Again it's easy to say all these nice things now considering the current stretch of basketball they're riding, and that's irregardless of tomorrow's outcome, but his entire body of work since he has been here -- especially considering what kind of mess he inherited -- the guy has accomplished by leaps and bounds more than enough to earn my support, even though I've been the definition of a fair weather fan on John. He deserves better than that.

As long as he's here I need to be a better fan and support him. Through thick and thin. I can't just support him when things are going well. He's earned it.

[The Oracle]

Well said niff. He's been as accomplished as anyone else here and the reason the "bar is high" is because of him. Some will want a coach fired no matter what, so its best to ignore morons imo.