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

[hack]

Too many unskilled athletes that don't fit well? I see that comparison.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Did any of you really think hiring him would yield Fab Five results?

[hack]

Depends on what results you mean, but I definitely thought he was a big unknown and still the best option for us at the time. We could have been stuck with Ed Cooley.

In my mind he has provided five-star answers to most of the questions I have.

[WM Wolverine]

Opposing perimeter players can penetrate at will, especially compared to last year when M had elite or very good defenders almost everywhere. Night and day difference between the talent that just left and what just arrived. Offense needs a go-to scorer (or 2) and nobody is that guy, everyone is a complimentary players (at best).

[hack]

The starting 4 is a 5, and the starting 3 is a 4. The PG is more of a combo guard. Players are playing out of position. The pieces don't fit. Devante Jones is on paper a better defender than Mike Smith. Significantly better. In reality it's just not working. The chemistry is off and I'm not surprised if the players don't like each other that much. Jones has some talents and I get why Juwan liked him, and he can go to the draft combine and look good in that setting, but he just doesn't seem to get what Michigan wants to do. He's 23 and doesn't get to pass to a 3-point shooter in that player's shooting pocket. Back to D, a great example:

https://twitter.com/LAbound2/status/1478821021100777479

[Hannibal]

Yay we didn't have to play MSU today.

[Mike]

Damn the luck!! We were poised to turn the corner and thump our in-state rival. Alas… that darn pandemic had other ideas. Welp. Maybe next time.

[lineygoblue]

Michigan's scheduled game with Purdue on Tuesday has now also been officially postponed. Still too many players testing positive. The team was doing fairly well until they played UCF. Afterward 3 players tested positive and the number has grown since then. As of now, both the MSU game and the Purdue game will be rescheduled as both teams' schedules allow. The next game now on Michigan's schedule will be Friday the 14th versus Illinois.

[lineygoblue]

In a bit of an upset, the men's basketball team beat Indiana today at Bloomington 80-62. Interesting when you consider Indiana beat Purdue this week, only to turn around and lose to the middling Wolverines.

The march toward the NIT continues ....

[THE_WIZARD_]

shaddup

[Mike]

Great game today. Hopefully they can get on a bit if a run.

[lineygoblue]

MSU took its next step toward the 2022 NC yesterday by beating Michigan 83-67. Izzo is the greatest college basketball coach ever. There will never be another like him. John Wooden would bow his head in shame before the image of Izzo. Sparty fans can start making reservations for the Final Four and the NC. Its only a matter of time.

[WM Wolverine]

M doing way better than expected in computer rankings, at 10-8 they are in the 25-to-40 range in most computer rankings. Schedule must've been tougher than given credit for, issue is the remaining B1G schedule is extremely tough too. Looking like an NIT team still but a better chance at the NCAA tourney than I'd have expected.

[lineygoblue]

I was just repeating what most of the papers in the state are saying today about Izzo and his kiddies.

Real world, neither team from Michigan is setting the world on fire this year. The best either of them can hope for is a very low NCAA seed. Both could end up in the NIT.

But .. the newspapers love their boy.

[Mike]

MSU is like 15-4 and #10 in the country.