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

[Jeff Buchanan]

I watched the last three minutes. There's something about M basketball that is bad for my heart. I have a resting pulse rate around 48, quickly jumps into the 120s and I'm on the edge of my seat when I am "forced" to watch after checking scores on the web. I tuned in when it was 84-74 and the game seemed in hand.

Anyway, I'm a basketball novice so, I enjoy reading what others who know something about the game post. I don't understand strategies or plays, any of that, but I know great effort, I know great energy and I know coaches that want to win. Here's a comment from a poster at mgo (BronxBlue) that resonates with things I can understand:

This was a game UM had every reason to lose - down Livers, LSU hitting some stupid shots early, Thomas being largely unstoppable, LSU somehow managing only 3 TOs while coming into the game averaging 12 - and yet they persevered and won. Brown and Brooks deserve a ton of credit for keeping them in it. Also, anyone who thinks Howard is some sham coach needs to look no further than his adjustments in this game. This is the type of gameplan and fluidity that you expect from a championship contender. Illinois would still be in the tourney, for example, if Underwood was even half the coach at Howard.

Anyway, on to the Sweet 16. And who knows, maybe a return of Livers

[Mike]

Fantastic win! Only Big Ten team to reach the S-16!

[Jeff Buchanan]

Yeah, disturbing after all the hype the B10 got during the COVID affected regular season. Izzo's flame-out was deliciously (for M fans) disheartening for MSU fans given his record as a tournament coach that can elevate a mediocre team to higher levels. So much for that. The OSU loss was just purely enjoyable. And after the shit Illinois dished out claiming they were BT co-champs and "proving it" by winning the BT Tourney, fuck them. Karma is a mother.

I'll keep track from here on out at a distance fearing V-Fib and death ..... maybe.

[lineygoblue]

I agree that Howard has probably done enough to be considered among the best coaches in CBB. Certainly in the top 20 or so. This team wasn't even ranked by some services before the season, but here they are in the Sweet 16. And they said after the game this is the fourth tournament in a row that Michigan has been in the S16. I think that means the Basketball program is back at Michigan.

Anything after this is a bonus. They aren't supposed to be here now. One of the talking heads afterward said Michigan is Final Four bound. We'll see about that. FSU and Bama stand in the way, and they're both legit.

If nothing else, a M vs Bama matchup will get some championship caliber sandbaggery from Mr. Alum.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Good job Meatchicken...although I think the Flying Bowden's beat you in the SS...but if you survive Wide Right/Left U...Bammer awaits you and the Ghost of Lord Saban gonna git ya...

[Mike]

Perhaps. But at least we a avoided the indignity of being a 1 seed that couldn’t get out of the first weekend. Illinois hasn’t made the S16 since 2005. Iowa hasn’t made the 2nd weekend since 1999! Michigan just made their 4th in a row and 6 of the last 8.

And we beat that POS Will (strong ass offer) Wade.

[Tom W]

Teams get seeded #1 with the expectation of reaching the Final 4, so this really shouldn't be surprising. Yes, there's the BPONE that goes with all things Michigan - the strange case of the COVID shutdown and the loss of Livers would support that, but the BB program has largely avoided misfortune since Beilein showed up.

[UMStan White]

"I watched the last three minutes. There's something about M basketball that is bad for my heart. I have a resting pulse rate around 48, quickly jumps into the 120s and I'm on the edge of my seat when I am "forced" to watch after checking scores on the web. I tuned in when it was 84-74 and the game seemed in hand."

I'm the same way. Must be an old fart symptom

[THE_WIZARD_]

With Livers I would have M in the FF...without...E8 at best...

[Cody_Russell]

It’s going to be tough to beat FSU. They have size, length, athleticism, and depth.
What gives me hope is that Notre Dame beat FSU by 10 a few weeks ago. If I remember correctly, FSU shot way too many 3s and was cold. Leonard Hamilton teams can be really sloppy too. M’s defense will certainly have to force more turnovers than whatever happened in the LSU game.

[THE_WIZARD_]

STFU

[hack]

That was never going to be a loss -- when you take efficient shots and defend well, your opponent is going to struggle to beat you taking inefficient shots. That's been the story of the year. Michigan got tagged twice by teams relying on bad shots -- OSU and MSU. In both cases, it shot poorly itself and didn't defend well either. Wasn't the case last night. LSU played no defense, so the offense got healthy. On defense, Michigan played well and the conventional wisdom prevailed. Wade's team also is not as well conditioned as ours. They wore themselves out pressing without a deep bench. Michigan presses too, but doesn't fatigue like that.

In the end, there are two teams to have made the last five Sweet 16s: Michigan and Gonzaga. Savor it. House money from here, given Livers is down, but I feel like last night was the first time I've seen the swaggery version of this team since Iowa. The two Livers replacements, Johns and Brown, had excellent games. The Liversless version of the team seems to know what it is andd can do now. I'm not as fearful of FSU as I was 24 hours ago.

[Mike]

Since 2013 no team has more NCAA tourney wins than Michigan (20). Gonzaga has 19 and Duke, Kentucky, UNC, and Villanova have 18. So that's a nice peer group.

[Hannibal]

I knew all along we would win this one. Oh ye of little faith!

[THE_WIZARD_]

STFU