U of M MEN'S BASKETBALL 2016-2017

[hack]

If the team that we have seen for the past month and a half is representative of what we will see this weekend then we will beat Oklahoma State soundly.

Yup.

[Hannibal]

We are 10-2 in our last 12 games, with an average MOV of 14.5 points. That includes four victories over Purdue + Wisconsin, a blowout of Michigan State, and a big road win at Indiana. That's one seed material.

[Hannibal]

He's kinda disappeared in some games though, and the anonymous-scouting stuff mentioned him as soft. Then again, you could have said that about Walton before late January.

I do think though that if they are able to maintain a baseline of effort and competency on defense, there's less of a need for a player who can carry the team on his back and to keep everyone else dialled in. Knowing what to do on defense, which they now do, is its own sort of encouragement to try hard. Its easier to run around out there if you have a sense of why you're doing it and what you're trying to accomplish on a second-to-second basis.

Wilson has really turned a corner too. His performances against Purdue and Wisky were fantastic. A couple of those rebounds that he had against the Badgers were lovely.

[Niffla]

I probably looked at 10 different prediction brackets last night, and like 7 of them picked Oklahoma State. And all the national stuff that I've read on the game talks about how great they (Oklahoma State) is offensively in the open court...but what they fail to mention is how many guys we have that are built to run the floor. In fact all five starters are capable of thriving in an open court game. And we've typically thrived under Beilein against open court teams.

Part of me thinks that it would be foolish to play to Oklahoma State's preferred pace...but then the other part of me thinks...bring that shit on. We can run and score too.

[Niffla]

In the Big Ten tournament UM put up 75 against Illinois, 74 against Purdue, 84 against Minnesota, and 71 against Wisconsin. This team can score. And that was against half court style Big Ten teams, too. Not against the wide open style of the Big 12.

I really hope Oklahoma State's players dismiss this team as just another plodding, half court Big Ten team. Because if they do they'd be in for a rude awakening.

[hack]

I don't think they should ignore transition opportunities but should also relish controlling the ball and slowing the pace, if indeed that's what OSU thrives on.

[Niffla]

Oklahoma State can put up some serious points. But they also give up a shit ton, too. Obviously the much more wide open pace and style of the Big 12 is conducive to that, but here recently they've given up 92 to Iowa State, 90 to Kansas, and 96 (!!!) to Oklahoma

[THE_WIZARD_]

They are the Mike Leach Texas Tech of college basketball...you really don't want to make it a track meet...play your game...control the pace and you have a chance.

That said...

OSU 90 M 83

[Hannibal]

One thing that worries me is that they are a great offensive rebounding team. That was still a problem against Minny and Wisky.

[hack]

Dribble penetration plus offensive rebounding is a worrisome combination.

[Cody_Russell]

I made the IU comparison to OkSt before... obviously OkSt is better than IU.
Perhaps the style and pace of OkSt is most similar to UCLA.
M played very well in the 1st half at UCLA, but couldn't keep up. OkSt isn't like playing at UCLA, however... from a roster standpoint ... UCLA a much more talented team.
The teams M has played over the last month play much slower, but have more interior presence.

[The Oracle]

If we play how we have been, we win by double digits. We'll be able to get whatever we want on offense.

[Kstat]

Interesting looking at the numbers... out of 351 D1 teams, Michigan is 7th in offense and OKst is 8th. Both very very good, at different paces.

However, looking at the defense, there's a pretty wide gap. Michigan is 144th, which isn't great but still above average.. OKst is 244th. Considering how many times the other team is taking the ball out from under their own basket against them, that is really, really terrible.

[Niffla]

i'm nervous and it's only wednesday

[hack]

Dakich posted his bracket on twitter. Has us beating Duke for the title, 86-82, and beating UNC in the Final Four. The only way to improve upon that scenario is beating Sparty for the title.