U of M MEN'S BASKETBALL 2016-2017

[Kstat]

I usually don't care about all-conference honors, but Walton better make the first team. He's earned it.

[Whitley]

Amazing if they sweep the next two games on the road...you are looking at a 11-7, 21-20 team. If that is the case Michigan is probably looking at 7-8 seed heading into the Big Ten Tourney.

[hack]

Biggest losses:

MSU—By 29 to Michigan
Indiana—By 30 to Michigan
Purdue—By 12 to Michigan
Marquette—By 18 to Michigan
SMU—By 22 to Michigan

— Alejandro Z??iga (@ByAZuniga) February 25, 2017

[hack]

I personally would posit that good defense leads to good offense. The defense is getting better and better. There were four or five just absolutely excellent defensive possessions Saturday. I really don't know how to explain going most of January playing without effort, but IMO Walton's finally taking shape as the guy he should have been by his junior year is a huge factor in the effort level and the defense.

[The Oracle]

Waltons having a Stauskas/Burke type year efficiency wise. Obviously more Nik than trey, but in the ballpark of bith. Great to see him healthy and more importantly aggressive on offense.

[WM Wolverine]

If you excuse the really ugly start to B1G play when our opponents didn't miss a 3pt, season somewhat close to expectations. Team we've seen the past month doesn't look like the same one we saw for most of January.

[hack]

IMO it's effort. Dakich says it every single game. With about 2 mins to go in the game he had a little extended speech about what's gone on since OSU, which he called ``the dullest basketball game I've ever seen'' or somesuch. Plan A is still to bomb their way to wins, but there is a Plan B they have seen work that's based on gutting them out. That hasn't been the case since, arguably, 13 and 14. In no way would I say they can win without shooting well, but they aren't gonna collapse either. And, as is so often alleged, though ultimately without proof, the ball goes in more when you're hsutling hard on both ends.

[The Oracle]

Actually evidence has shown they can win without shooting well, but have no chance when opponents shoot well. Opponents 3pt% is largely random and as wm said, the beginning of the B1G season was awful for that. Has regressed to the mean and, despite what Kenpom says, i think a lot of that is more activity defensively. You knew teams weren't going to continue hit 40-50% from 3.

There really isn't anyone to fear moving forward as long as the energy stays high. Reminds me of a combo of '11 and '14...getting hot and insane offene.

[Whitley]

Lundari's latest bracketology

4 Purdue
6 Wisconsin (trending down)
7 Minnesota, Maryland
8 Michigan (trending up)
9 Michigan State (trending up)
10 Northwestern (trending down)

[The Oracle]

God it'd be nice to get to the 6 line.

[WM Wolverine]

Yeah, drop-off after the likely 1 & 2 seeds (vs 7, 8, 9, 10)... 6 seed can be preferable to a 5.

[Cody_Russell]

I'll be in Vegas during the 15th-20th. Hopefully that doesn't lead to putting $500 on M -5 vs a VCU in the first tourney game.
Can't wait to see what happens in the tourney if the effort holds up. If Irvin randomly gets it going... uh oh

[hack]

When you play defense, you start to get to make your own luck a little bit more. Less exposure to the way the ball bounces.

[Hannibal]

I just watched my recording of the game. It's hard to believe that's the same team that got blown out by Illlinois and suffered that shitty loss to OSU. It's the 2011 all over again but in a weaker B1G. Looks like Beilein has bought himself at least one more year. Maybe a few?

[Hannibal]

Slightly OT but not really.

This channel on youtube (Steve Barnett) has posted some old Fab Five games.

[youtube]tS3-SkXAW-M[/youtube]

[youtube]O03DPgAifqo[/youtube]

[youtube]JbPX_JdYKoc[/youtube]

That EMU game is quite a find. I've never seen that one.

Those videos remind me of how both incredibly talented but also incredibly frustrating those guys could be to watch at times.