MICHIGAN MEN'S BASKETBALL- '23 -'24 Season.

[froot loops]

From my experience, generally when they are talking stress fracture in the foot it is more than a dancer's fracture.

[lineygoblue]

That said, strong '19 vibes in terms of postseason but unlike '19 this team is the outright conference champion. Illinois can fantasize all they want about us dropping one of those three games we didn't play against the dregs of the league. No matter. Even if this team has lost its mojo and can't get it back, they're still conference champions.

Yeah, I feel the same. A lot of good things have happened this season, in spite of what Covid took away. Howard proved he can not only recruit, but he can coach on game day. He brought in a couple of transfers, and melded them into the incoming class, and returning players, and made a very good team out of them. And, they won the regular season title. That can't be taken away no matter how much Illinois whines about it. I think they've still got a good shot at the Sweet Sixteen. After that, its bye-bye.

And now, we may have developed a bit of a bad blood rivalry with Maryland. Michigan basketball is getting fun again.

[hack]

I'm worried about game cancellations too. It's crucial right now for Michigan's AD to be strongarming the league office just like OSU did to get the rules massaged to ensure its conference championship and postseason run. It's one thing to put the kids potentially in harm's way for profit; a whole other to do so in a careless way that negates any accomplishments they have worked so hard in the process to achieve.

Browser opened to a cached spot in this thread this morning -- right here on Jan 13. Confirmation bias maybe, but I feel I know this athletic department pretty well. To sum up:

-athletic department fails to implement basic protocols from primary source to keep players safe
-athletics get shut down
-athletic director gets contract extension
-team captain gets a stress fracture after playing more games than usual to make up for shut down
-team no longer a contender

Yup -- that's our Michigan athletics department!

[Mike]

Yep. Sadly.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Admittedly, I'm in a bit of a downer mood re M sports and last week after the Livers situation I posted that good things just don't seem to happen. There's a reason for that - the incompetence within the department's leadership. Thanks to Hack for snapping us back to the reality of that and it's implications across all M sports.

[WM Wolverine]

Only one team is allowed to be physical, reach, push off, etc.

This game shouldn't be close but it's now about a 12 point game.

[WingsFan]

Damn almost made it whole game, it was almost over and then Grant Hill had his to say his word 'engaged'.

[Mike]

That was a really goofy game. Not sure what to make if it. I’m glad we were able to get Jackson and Williams meaningful minutes but it looked pretty disjointed in the 2nd half. I just want to get by LSU and then whatever happens, happens. Going out the first weekend would really cast a pall over an otherwise very good season.

[Hannibal]

I don't think that we can beat LSU. Without LIvers, we're not good.

[WM Wolverine]

I don't like the offense without him, this team isn't deep or talented enough without him.

[Mike]

Wagner needs to be the alpha. He seems like the only one who can take over a game individually. Smith and Dickinson can only do so much.

[Tom W]

Game was a scrimmage after the first ten minutes. Not a lot to worry about there.

[Mike]

That was my thought. But UTS was like 229 in Kenpom. We face better competition in practice.

[hack]

HD has battled Luca Garza, Liam Robbins, Kofi Cockburn and TJD, and yet this was the first game in which he followed out. That tells you what to know about this game.

LSU scares me too because there are some serious shot makers on that team, and they have a few inches over Michigan's guards, but if they were that good they wouldn't be an eight seed. One thing Michigan thrives at and LSU will struggle with is that Michigan gets back on defense an LSU relies on transition points.

Agreed that it's really Franz who needs to step up in the absence of Livers. Dickinson might be just not yet ready to do all that is required.

[lineygoblue]

Well, my brackets are toilet paper.

Illinois? You had one job. (thank you AA)

Of all the Big Ten teams, you had the best chance to get to the FF.

Gonzaga salutes you, and breathes a sigh of relief.