U of M thread (in the Lions Forum) :)

[Kstat]

His teams aren't expected to make up a 15 pt deficit either....

Other teams are gonna see the zone that Mich applied as causing a big problem.

Michigan beat Duke 2 years ago with the 1-3-1. They nearly beat Kansas with a heavy dose of it this season. It's no secret the 1-3-1 is very effective against perimeter teams, but you have to teach it correctly.

U-M isn't good because they use the 1-3-1. They're good because they are good at playing the 1-3-1, and they have a coach that knows when to deploy it. I've seen what happens when teams throw the 1-3-1 out there improperly. It gets shredded.

[Tom]

Michigan needs to recruit some guys that can rebound.

[Kstat]

They have guys that can rebound. They need some more size so the guys they box out don't just grab the ball over their heads.

The hope is next year Horford and McLimans will be developed enough to come in off the bench, so Smotrych can start next to Morgan, and Novak won't be playing power forward at 6'4."

[chemiclord]

Duke had a huge advantage in the size department, and that really helped the Blue Devils survive.

[Fraquar]

Michigan beat Duke 2 years ago with the 1-3-1. They nearly beat Kansas with a heavy dose of it this season. It's no secret the 1-3-1 is very effective against perimeter teams, but you have to teach it correctly.

U-M isn't good because they use the 1-3-1. They're good because they are good at playing the 1-3-1, and they have a coach that knows when to deploy it. I've seen what happens when teams throw the 1-3-1 out there improperly. It gets shredded.

Lets not look too much into this, they probably thought the Wolves would lie down; didn't and did what was necessary to win.

This just wasn't the Wolves year, and we ALL knew that. The problem is with the Pro declarations after Frosh years, is there ever a "year" anymore?

[nhwbrooklyn]

Was a good game.

Very good season for you guys.. B-line went from 'lock to be shown the door' to almost beating duke in the NCAA tourney with an extremely young squad with a very bright future.

[chemiclord]

Lets not look too much into this, they probably thought the Wolves would lie down; didn't and did what was necessary to win.

This just wasn't the Wolves year, and we ALL knew that. The problem is with the Pro declarations after Frosh years, is there ever a "year" anymore?

There's really only a handful of those "one and done" players. It's something that is horribly overplayed because such players tend to be recruited by schools like Kentucky and North Carolina.

I don't think anyone on the U-M squad is going to go pro at this point.

[Kstat]

Hardaway and Morris are pros. Neither is ready for the NBA right now, though. Morris has at least one more year of development and Hardaway probably stays all four. 6'5" rail-thin shooting guards with moderate athleticism don't generally excite NBA scouts.

No one else on the team is a lock for the NBA. Smotrych has an outside chance, if he can show that he can survive on the defensive end of the floor.

[Deuce]

ESPN's insider NBA draft guy Chad Ford just tweeted this about Darius Morris:

Hope Darius Morris stays one more year at Michigan. With another year of experience, could be a lottery pick

Good to hear, I just always assumed that Morris lacked the footspeed to play next level, maybe not.

[nhwbrooklyn]

I highly doubt they leave. They are not blue chippers on paper. Do some damage in next years NCAA and that could change.

[Kstat]

If he were 6'1," he'd lack the speed. At 6'4," you don't need to be fast. Ask Andre Miller or Chauncey Billups. If you can post, handle the ball efficiently and find the open man, you can create your own passing lanes.

What he DOES need is the ability to shoot the ball. He has to show scouts he can hit at least a 15-footer with consistency. The NBA won't take him seriously until he does that.

[*JD*]

Great season. Great comeback and almost a great upset. I'm upset we lost but what a great season and we have to be left with a bad taste that should make us even hungrier next year.

As for the game:
The refs were pretty bad in the first 25 minutes of the game. dook was allowed to handcheck the shit out of us and we got whistled for the same thing on the other end.

The refs were okay the rest of the way. Smot's 5th was a little ticky-tack but other than that, everything looked legit.

It would've been nice if Morris had seen TH Jr. on the wing but I can't blame him for taking that shot. He'd made some tough ones down the stretch.

I can't wait for November!

GO BLUE!

[The Cat]

Being both a Carolina and Duke fan, it was a pretty good day for me. But, my hats are off to Michigan. They played a heckuva game. I figured Duke to win by double digits. Michigan can come home proud.

[*JD*]

He had enough time to get all the way to the hoop, but that's his game, funky little shots in the lane. Can't ask for a better chance.

A doookie was standing in to take a charge so pulling up seemed like the right move to make a shot. However, a bounce pass to Hardaway coming in on the left wing probably gets you a dunk at the buzzer.

Like I said though, I can't blame him for taking that shot. He's been making that kind of shot 6 or 7 times out of 10 and when you're racing down the court it's hard to know exactly how much time is left.

[*JD*]

Being both a Carolina and Duke fan, it was a pretty good day for me. But, my hats are off to Michigan. They played a heckuva game. I figured Duke to win by double digits. Michigan can come home proud.

Go Longhorns!

p.s.- How can you be a fan of BOTH teams?