MICHIGAN MEN'S BASKETBALL- '19-'20: Hello Coach Nook!

[THE_WIZARD_]

...and UNL is not bound anywhere lol...

Blue 78 UNL 65

Final was UM 79 UNL 68.

Fuck I'm good.

[Whitley]

Michigan really needed this win.

[hack]

That was, apparently, a passable test, but also one they couldn't fail. I'm skeptical of the notion that they'll use this adversity to come together. I hate to deal in intangibles, but those shots aren't falling because this team chokes. We all love Simpson, but since it became truly HIS team, very close down-the-wire games generally haven't gone our way, and three-point shooting overall has been a lot worse than what it should be given the shooters on the floor. I don't know that it's Simpson's fault. He gets the ball to guys where they should be downing those shots. Maybe his particular way of being the alpha he reportedly is isn't exactly the way you want. Sure didn't work on Poole, even in their third crack at MSU last year. Maybe Poole is a special boy. Maybe Simpson's intangibles are overrated. Definitely he tries to do too much in big games, and maybe because it's all on him and there just isn't enough help and Beilein's rock solid system plus Yacklich's rock solid system were enough last year. Definitely Juwan has some learning to do about how to get around this and keep the team executing when it counts the most. You don't get to keep your job because the players can't make the shots your scheme gives them. Blaming the shots not going down is Flip Saunders stuff. I really hate how they've collapsed in the last five minutes this year and some of last year. Some of that will come as Juwan settles in and players know his offense better. But they as a group need to find a way. Glad they did yesterday. Let's see where it goes from here.

[froot loops]

Blaming the shots not going down is Flip Saunders stuff.

Too soon

[hack]

I've been waiting so damn long. Let me know when, PLEASE.

[lineygoblue]

Zavier Simpson has been reinstated to the team, and will play on Saturday vs Rutgers.

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2020/01/31/zavier-simpson-suspension-michigan-basketball-rutgers/4626699002/

[Whitley]

A win against Rutgers would be a nice win for Michigan.

[Hannibal]

A win against Rutgers would be a nice win for Michigan.

Never thought I would read that statement in this forum.

[WM Wolverine]

Quality win over Rutgers.

[Hannibal]

Quality win over Rutgers.

Never thought I would read that statement in this forum.

[lineygoblue]

I think it was the Free Press that said Michigan is now 23-11 all time at Madison Square Garden.

Maybe they need more neutral site games like that.

Rutgers is 16-6, and 7-4 in the conference, so unlike football, they're kinda good in basketball.

[WM Wolverine]

Rutgers had a decent number of top50 wins too. They aren't a mirage.

[Hannibal]

I wonder if we can somehow scrounge up five more wins in the B1G. Road games at OSU, Maryland, and Purdue are 100% guaranteed losses. I suppose we might be able to beat Northwestern on the road and we sorta won a road game against Rutgers, but we've got an official road game there too.

The home schedule has some tough games coming up and we haven't been holding serve at all this year.

[WM Wolverine]

Need Livers back very soon.

[Niffla]

Even though this game had a million lead changes and was razor tight all the way through -- I never had any confidence at all that they were going to win.

My confidence in this team, especially coming down the stretch in a tight game, is lacking. A lot. I don't think they're going to make the tournament but if they somehow squeak in, unless Livers is absolutely 100% I don't see anyway at all how they get past the first weekend. They probably wouldn't even get past the opening round.

Unlikely they qualify for the tournament anyway so it's probably moot. They'd be an NIT contender though. Yawn.